What happens if it happens?

While rehab can lead to recovery, it is certainly not without struggle. Many recovered users experience a relapse during or after the addiction recovery process. That’s why it is important to understand that relapse is a process, not an event. In order to understand relapse prevention, you have to understand the stages of relapse. Relapse starts weeks or even months before the event of physical relapse.

Generally speaking, there are three stages of relapse:

It’s a long road back from addiction. While recovery is different for every individual, one thing remains the same: all persons in recovery need the support of others. And these others need to be intimately familiar with what it means to be an addict. Recovering addicts can experience agonizing doubt, fear, cravings and rocky instability that frequently tag along in addiction recovery. This is especially true in early recovery, but the insecurity, sense of loss and being drawn back into the addiction can also drag on for much longer – even years. Peer recovery support services are critical in both helping to conquer addiction, and greatly reducing the chance of relapse.

Substance Abuse Disorder and Recovery.

Peer recovery support services are designed and delivered by people who have experienced both substance abuse disorder and recovery. They know what it’s like to be an addict, to struggle with the daily pressures and stress, to overcome the guilt, sadness, confusion, to try to find a job, rebuild careers, relationships, and self-esteem.