What To Do If You Relapse After Your Drug Abuse Program

An addiction is one disease that countless millions are forced to struggle with every single day. The most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health now claims that as many as 22.5 million Americans deal with daily substance abuse, and only 3.8 million people receive professional assistance. With or without formal assistance from an addiction specialist or inpatient rehab program, the chances of relapse are high, but a relapse does not mean that the individual has failed. This is why everyone working through their addiction should understand why relapses take place, methods to prevent them, and what to do immediately afterwards.

Causes of a Relapse

A drug addiction is a powerful disease that alters one’s brain chemistry and can take a serious toll on one’s life, as well as their body. Depending on the type of drugs that have been used and the frequency that they have been used, an addict’s brain chemistry may be permanently altered. Luckily, there are effective treatment options out there, but all addicts must understand that there is a high possibility of relapse. In 2004, the NSDUH claimed that anywhere from 50 percent to 90 percent of people relapse after formal or informal rehab. Relapses typically happen due to internal or external triggers. External triggers can come from a wide range of places, such as stress within the workplace or a fight with a loved one. Internal triggers can be just as powerful, and many addicts will trick themselves into believing that a single hit will not do much or that they have been good recently and drugs are a fair way to reward themselves.

What to Do Immediately After a Relapse

The very first step is to understand if a relapse is about to take place or currently taking place, while the signs are not always clear. Here are scenarios that all recovering addicts should be wary of:

• A Quick Change in Attitude
• Elevated Stress
• Immediate Denial
• Behavioral Changes
• Feelings of Hopelessness

When these feelings begin to take place, a relapse could be imminent. Even with the drug of choice in hand, there is still time to stop. If drug use does occur, the first step is to remove one’s ability to take mood altering substances for a 24 hour period. This includes anything from stimulants to depressants, each of which can trigger another relapse or transition into a new addiction. Seeking out immediate support and assistance is another important step after a relapse has taken place.

How to Prevent Relapse in the Long Run

Preventing future relapses is almost always about the mindset and knowledge of the recovering addict. While external factors will always take place, the power is in the hands of the individual. This begins by understanding that a relapse is not a sign of failure, but merely a stepping stone. An addiction is an exceptionally powerful disease that controls millions every single year with countless individuals struggling daily. One of the best methods to prevent a relapse is to find a support system or effective rehab program that offers frequent counseling and support groups, as well as teach struggling individuals the methods they can use to beat stress, triggers, or even peer pressure without relapsing.

Myths About Relapses

It is all too easy for anyone to feel as if a relapse has ruined their path to sobriety, but a very high percentage of individuals relapse one or more times. This is in no way a sign of failure, and a relapse does not mean that progress has not taken place.

How Does Alcohol Addiction Treatment Work

Treatment for alcohol addiction can vary depending on the facility and the patient. Each year, there are an estimated two million people in the United States that seek treatment for alcoholism. The treatment process they use may include some type of detoxification, medication, counseling, or support groups. One of the largest differences between treatment programs is the location. Clients can choose to use an inpatient or outpatient facility. This decision is normally based on the client’s schedule, budget, and personal needs. Residential rehab centers normally have excellent results because they allow the patient to focus entirely on getting better. The medical supervision and knowledge available at treatment centers also helps to speed the process of recovery.

Detoxification

The first step in most alcohol treatment programs involves detoxification. It takes four to seven days for alcohol to physically leave someone’s body. During this time, they must completely abstain from alcohol. As the chemical exits the body, it may cause them to develop delirium tremens and other withdrawal symptoms. Medications, natural remedies, or other methods can help to relieve some of these symptoms.

Pharmaceuticals

Although medication seems counterintuitive, there are actually several prescription drugs that can greatly help recovering alcoholics stay sober. One of the most common drugs used is disulfiram. This medication works to support recovery by causing a severe physical reaction to the consumption of alcohol. When someone drinks alcohol, disulfiram will make them throw up, feel nauseous, and develop a headache. Naltrexone can also be used to reduce the desire to drink. It causes the parts of the brain that feel pleasurable during drinking to become blocked. The last medication was just approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2004. Acamprosate targets chemicals in the brain in order to suppress cravings. For cases of alcohol addiction, doctors may prescribe any or several of these drugs. Other over-the-counter medications may also be used to treat withdrawal symptoms.

Counseling Options

Treating alcoholism has to be done holistically. Often, there are factors or habits in someone’s life that are encouraging the addiction. To remain sober, they must learn new ways to deal with stress, and figure out how to identify situations where they may be tempted to drink. Individual or group counseling programs are often developed around finding ways to deal with alcohol cravings and temptations. Several studies have shown that treatment works best when medication and counseling sessions are both used. A counseling session allows the patient to open up in a supportive environment and get the help they need. In group sessions, they will be surrounded by other people who are dealing with the same problems and can offer assistance.

The Recovery Process

The overall chances of recovering successfully are fairly high. Roughly 50 to 60 percent of patients who undergo treatment are sober one year later. The majority of these patients remain sober permanently. Relapses are normally precipitated by problems with motivation, poor social support, or mental disorders. Once the detoxification is complete, the rehabilitation process begins. This step involves counseling and medications. While detoxification occurs in an inpatient facility, rehabilitation can occur in both. When detoxification, medication, and counseling treatments are complete, the recovering alcoholic must work on maintaining their sobriety. This step can be accomplished with the help of a support group and personal motivation. There is no cure that works 100 percent of the time. After detoxification has occurred, the patient will still have cravings for alcohol. If detoxification begins without medical assistance, patients have a higher mortality rate and a lower chance of recovery. Recovering alcohol addicts should seek out treatment programs and rehabilitation centers that can help them return to sobriety.

How Much Should I Pay For Drug Rehab

You or a loved one is currently in the midst of a debilitating addiction and have decided that a trip to rehabilitation may be the best approach for kicking the drug dependency. Congratulations on making such a difficult, but ultimately beneficial decision!

Financing Options

The next step in the drug rehabilitation process is to determine financing options. Many drug abusers in need of intensive care unfortunately put off rehab or avoid it completely because of the often misguided perception that it's beyond the financial reach of the average person. While certain rehab programs are incredibly expensive, many others are accessible to those with tight budgets -- especially when insurance is added to the mix. The key is finding a rehabilitation program that works with your insurance plan and will provide the quality of care essential to achieving lasting recovery.

Luxury Rehab Facilities

Perhaps the largest driver of the stereotype of unaffordable rehab programs is the constant presence of luxury rehabilitation centers in the tabloids. Stars such as Lindsay Lohan and Glee'sCory Monteith have found themselves pursuing care in such facilities, which, upon first inspection, look more like vacation resorts than rehab programs. While the standard of care in such facilities is often quite high, the cost of providing extras such as organic meals, equine therapy and acupuncture can add up quickly.

Alternative Options For The Cash-Strapped Patient

While the luxury rehab facilities portrayed in the media definitely exist, they do not serve as the only option for the desperate patient looking to kick drugs for good. Several programs are available on pricing scale that is far more modest than one might suspect. Ultimately, patients hoping for more affordable options will need to do their research, checking out the websites for a variety of rehabilitation programs and then asking representative detailed questions about financing and insurance coverage.

Health Insurance and Rehabilitation

In many cases, the biggest determiner of rehab affordability will be the willingness of your insurance provider to cover the cost of inpatient care. In such circumstances, a low premium plan is actually a very bad thing, as you will find your copay for the rehabilitation visit far higher than what you'd prefer. No matter the nature of your premiums, you will need to determine which rehabilitation centers are in your provider's network and what type of care your health insurance plan will cover. Fortunately, when it comes to insurance coverage, you do have recent health care legislation in your favor. The 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act should be viewed as a God-send, for, before this legislation was passed, insurance providers had the ability to completely deny coverage for those suffering from issues related to mental health and addiction. Now, your insurance plan must provide coverage in no more restrictive a manner than what they would for standard medical and surgical procedures. Of course, if your provider's coverage is shoddy for these standard procedures, you will still find yourself paying quite a bit out of pocket, but if you've traditionally had little trouble obtaining coverage for standard medical issues, paying for rehab might not be as difficult as you anticipated.

The Impact Of Obamacare

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act is not the only legislation impacting health insurance and rehabilitation. Also influential is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, more commonly referred to as Obamacare. If you currently lack health insurance, your search for adequate coverage will be benefited by the fact that, under Obamacare, you cannot be denied due to pre-existing conditions. Your rates may be high as a result of diagnosed mental illness or addiction, but at least you have the option to obtain health insurance -- an option that likely would not have been available on the individual insurance market prior to 2010. While certain drug rehab programs cost upwards of $2,000 per day, you should not immediately cast off all facilities as being unaffordable. By choosing the right facility and applying health insurance to the bill, you may be able to emerge from rehabilitation paying very little out of pocket -- and more importantly, freeing yourself from the shackles of addiction.