If you're worrying about a loved one experiencing a drug relapse, one of the things you need to know is that there are ways to reduce the risk of its occurrence, including therapy and family support. You should also recognize that your worries are understandable, given that drug addiction is a real problem in America, and the stats prove it.
Around 47.7 million people aged 12 years or older were current illegal drug users in 2023, according to the NCDAS. If these numbers aren't horrifying enough, think about the fact that a lot of people who get help for their drug issue relapse due to the chronic nature of addiction.
While it's a normal part of the process to relapse, it's still devastating for both the family and the user themselves.
It's for this reason that you, as a loving family member or friend, should know more about how you can prevent your loved one from relapsing and instead, help them get over substance addiction.
Why Does Drug Relapse Happen In Addicted People?
A lot of modern drugs are chemically altered and made so potent that they become extremely addictive. It's hard to overcome the urge to go back to the drug, especially if the addicted person doesn't have a good support structure around them.
Additionally, the chronic nature of addiction means that relapse (the return to drug use after stopping for a bit) is part of the process. It's important to understand this, especially for the family members of addicted people, so they don't blame them for relapsing.
What Are Some Relapse Prevention Strategies?
The most important way to prevent relapse is through changing the environment and structure of the addicted person's life so they aren't constantly coming into contact with people, bars, or other parts of their old life that remind them of their drug addiction. It's about removing every reminder of their old self.
You can make this happen through targeted, affordable sober living homes like Gambit Recovery, where men and women in early recovery are provided with such homes to support long-term change. These homes provide daily structure, drug-free living, a tremendous support structure, particularly from their peers, and more.
Preventing Drug Relapse Through Therapy
This is one of the main ways you can prevent relapse, but there are other methods as well. Behavioral therapy programs are put forth as a way of helping addicted people move away from their addictions and into better, more life-affirming habits.
These therapies are all about changing deeply rooted behaviors and ideas about themselves, so they can move forward into a different way of life. It takes time and isn't just a weekend job. It will take months, maybe even years of therapy, to get over all of those negative self-beliefs that have been ingrained in the addicted person from the time they were children.
There are many different kinds of therapies available as well, like:
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
- Rational-Emotive Behavioral Therapy
It's important to try the various kinds of therapies to see which one works best for the addicted person, since every person is unique in the way they respond to treatment and therapy. They also need to trust the therapist before they can start speaking their truth in sessions and start making progress.
Familial Support Is Crucial
It's not easy to overcome addiction, and relapse is common, but that doesn't mean that the addicted person should give up the good fight. The most important thing for an addicted person is definitely the support that comes from their family members and loved ones, their colleagues, maybe, and friends, if they have any left.
It's also important that the family understands how expensive (sometimes) relapse recovery can be, and to be prepared financially and emotionally to support their addicted family member.
It's not easy to deal with someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol. It takes courage, patience, and a lot of faith. Relapse prevention is possible if all the tools above are used in conjunction with each other.
A holistic, multi-pronged approach to relapse prevention will be more successful than if you just try one or two things at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Fastest-Growing Drug Problem In America?
Interestingly enough, the most important drug problem in America has to do with prescription drug abuse. It might seem like a very upper-middle-class problem, but it's truly not. For example, someone who receives pain medication for an injury or after a vehicle accident ends up addicted to those pain meds.
It's important to remember that prescription drugs can be as addictive as any synthetically created street drug out there. Be careful with your usage of prescription drugs, sticking to the doctor's orders and not taking more without consulting with your medical professional.
What Is the Most Drug-Addicted City in America?
The top three cities in the United States that have the biggest drug problems are Phoenix, AZ, Mesa, AZ, and Las Vegas, NV. There are many reasons for this, but mostly due to the prescription opioids and synthetic opioids like fentanyl becoming extremely popular and commonly used among the population.
What Percent of Gen Z Do Drugs?
Even 12-year-olds aren't exempt from drug or alcohol use in America. The numbers have gone down over time. In fact, a study found that 13% of eighth graders reported alcohol use in 2024, compared to 46% in 1997, according to Newsweek.
It shows that Gen Zers are not as interested in alcohol or drugs as their predecessors were. Maybe this is a sign of good things to come in the fight against drug abuse in young people.
Recovery Support Crucial In Preventing Relapse
It's not easy for anyone to watch their loved one go down the terrible path of drug addiction. It's even harder to watch them beat the drug and then relapse a few months or years later, throwing their hard work down the drain again.
That's why drug relapse prevention is so important, and using a multi-pronged approach to it is essential.
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