Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is one of the most common substance use disorders in the U.S. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, around 15 million Americans have AUD, and only 10% enroll in a drug addiction treatment program each year. Since AUD is a lifelong condition, a significant number of those who manage to overcome alcohol addiction relapse.
Alcohol Addiction Relapse Statistics
Alcohol relapse statistics show that only one-third of people with alcohol misuse problems manage to stay sober for the rest of their lives. Studies show that up to 85% of all former alcohol addicts have relapsed at some point in their lives.
Most people relapse within their first year of sobriety. Thus, the longer you maintain sobriety after initial recovery, the higher the chances you won’t relapse.
How Can Thoughts and Cravings for Alcohol Lead to a Relapse?
Anyone who’s dealt with alcohol addiction understands that the thoughts and cravings for alcohol never truly go away. However, how you deal with these thoughts and cravings determines whether you’ll return to alcohol consumption and abuse.
What Are the 3 Stages of a Relapse?
Relapse is a part of the recovery journey for alcohol addiction. It’s also as much of a process as alcohol recovery. The three types of alcohol addiction relapses are:
- Emotional relapse: An emotional relapse occurs when you unconsciously start to let go of the principles you learned during recovery. According to the Alcoholics Anonymous program, you experience an emotional relapse when you stop attending meetings, isolate yourself and refuse to share your emotions with your support groups.
- Mental relapse: During the mental relapse stage, you actively think about drinking alcohol. You might progress to this step if you start to hang out with people with drug abuse problems or at places you used to frequent during your days of alcohol dependence.
- Physical relapse: The final stage occurs when you ignore previous symptoms and give in to your alcohol addiction by drinking any amount of alcohol.
What Are the Differences Between Types of Relapses?
A relapse refers to a complete return to alcohol abuse. Someone who’s relapsed returns to their former drinking patterns and re-exhibits former behaviors, e.g. lying and manipulating loved ones to hide their drinking.
A lapse or a slip occurs when you briefly start to drink again but stop before it becomes a habit. A slip may be triggered by stress or situational factors, such as being surrounded by people drinking at a wedding or a family event.
How Can I Prevent Alcohol Relapse?
It’s essential to have a relapse prevention plan in place even before you sense signs of a relapse. A well-prepared plan will keep you on the path of sobriety long after undergoing the alcoholism treatment process.
Here are some things to include in your relapse prevention plan:
- Triggers: Many people relapse due to a lack of knowledge of people or situations that can trigger their alcohol cravings. Note the physical and emotional triggers for your alcohol abuse, whether it’s a loved one, neighborhood, date, or situation.
- Warning signs: As discussed earlier, relapsing is rarely a sudden occurrence. You need to examine your feelings and jot down the emotional and mental signs of relapse. Keep this list as a reminder and take action whenever you notice yourself slipping into old patterns.
- Emergency contact: A support system is crucial to successful recovery, so make sure you have someone who can talk you out of relapsing. Save and use the number of your sponsor or other people you met through addiction group therapy. You can also call a toll-free relapse prevention hotline or a nearby recovery center to ensure you have a voice of reason whenever the cravings hit.
- Preventive programs: You should always have a place to go when you slip or relapse. This can be your local A.A. chapter, church groups or a recovery center where you can receive expert support to fight cravings.
How Should I Handle a Relapse?
Experiencing a relapse can be very disheartening. Many people go on to misuse alcohol and other drugs after they fall prey to temptation.
However, remember that relapse is part of the addiction recovery process. It might be discouraging, but it’s not the end of the world.
Take these steps when you slip or relapse:
- Try to control your emotions using the coping skills learned during substance abuse treatment to avoid going further down the shame spiral.
- Remind yourself that you successfully recovered before and can do it again.
- Call your sponsor and attend the next Alcoholics Anonymous meeting to get support during this period.
You can also call the experts at Camelback Recovery at 602-466-9880 whenever you feel you need help, whether or not you’ve already relapsed. You can also contact us online or visit our facility at 4527 North 16th Street, Suite 200, Phoenix, AZ 85016. The compassionate members of our mental health services administration team are always available to help you get back on the wagon before you hit rock bottom.
