Should I Go Back To Rehab? Returning To Rehab

Sometimes, a person may relapse back to one of these stages, as they struggle to maintain their recovery. After disregarding emotional and mental relapse symptoms, physical relapse becomes likely. Usually, physical relapse occurs in a window of opportunity for drug or alcohol use².

A “going back to rehab” is usually when a person has slipped into misusing a drug or alcohol. When a “slip” occurs, the person typically sees this as a negative and doesn’t continue on a path back toward addiction. At Resurgence, we always treat your total health, not just your addiction. That includes addressing your mental health and working with you to find the right treatment options to reduce the symptoms of your mental illness. The idea of having to go back to rehab may make you feel a range of negative emotions, from sadness to frustration to anger. If you have a history of mental illness, these emotions can be even more powerful and difficult to get rid of.

Why Do People Relapse?

The ultimate goal in recovery is not to cure addiction but to find strategies that help manage addiction, reduce harm, and promote a path toward healing. Returning to treatment can help you reestablish your systems of support. While returning to alcohol or substance misuse usually happens in the physical stage of relapse, mental relapse is a huge warning sign that you should take seriously. It can be extraordinarily challenging to stop thoughts and desires about using without external support.

However, many people who relapse end up getting stuck back in the cycle of addiction–a cycle that only a treatment program can break. Because relapse puts you at risk of physical injury, legal issues, and even overdose-related deaths, you should always return to rehab after you experience a physical relapse. Going back to treatment can provide you with the support and tools that you missed out on the first time around, further preparing you to maintain long-term recovery.

Do I Need Rehab After A Relapse?

This means that starting a rehab program is and won’t be all you need to do to maintain recovery. Long-term success requires you to stay vigilant and have a solid plan for how to stay on track. If you’ve already received drug or alcohol treatment, there’s no reason you can’t try again.

At the same https://ecosoberhouse.com/, behavioral therapies can help patients understand where they went wrong and what led them to relapse. Then, therapists can help patients cultivate relapse prevention strategies so that they don’t relapse again in the future. Addiction treatment can be very effective when it is facilitated in a way that meets a patient’s specific needs. However, even the most effective treatment programs will see some patients relapse. People in recovery must continue to treat their addiction on a day-to-day basis. If someone fails to follow through with their aftercare plan, everything they learned in treatment will prove to be useless.

Digital Track

You may also begin to experience a less robust normal release of dopamine in response to natural rewards like eating, exercise, or sex. Addiction is a complex, chronic medical condition that can significantly impact our brains and behavior.1,2 As part of this complexity, relapse is an ever-present risk. But going back to rehab does not necessarily mean you have to go back to residential or PHP care. You can join an alumni group or aftercare service that allows you to work with counselors and a sponsor and exposes you to others who are also in recovery.

You will also be asked to reflect upon the emotions you felt leading up to, during, and after your relapse. By addressing and analyzing these feelings, you will be able to explore new ways to cope with future triggers so you can stay sober. Rather than beating yourself up, try to think of it as an opportunity to learn more about yourself, get more therapy, and grow as a human being. The best way to determine if you should go back to rehab after a relapse is to look at how severe your relapse was and how likely you are to continue using substances.