When asked about the meaning of success, most people give an answer that centers on achieving goals. If you get to the goal and stick with it, you succeed. Anything else, by that definition, isn’t success. And the opposite of success is failure. This type of thinking, however, can negatively impact the recovery journey, where success is anything but linear and relapse may be an opportunity to move forward with mental health treatment.
What Is Relapse and Why It Happens
Relapse is the return of symptoms or illness after a period free of symptoms. In the case of a substance use disorder, relapse refers to using substances again after a period of sobriety. It can happen at any stage during recovery. For many people, relapse is a response to underlying stressors, emotional triggers or unmet needs that haven’t been fully addressed yet in the recovery process.
Understanding why relapse happens can help individuals and their support systems respond with insight instead of judgment. While every person’s experience is unique, common relapse triggers include:
- Increased or poorly managed stress. Without tools to manage stress or in the face of extreme stress, individuals may return to old coping mechanisms.
- Mental health symptoms. Anxiety, depression or trauma can resurface and lead to substance use as a form of escape.
- Isolation. Lack of support or connection can increase feelings of loneliness and hopelessness.
- Overconfidence in recovery. Feeling like they might be “cured” can lead some people to skip therapy or stop using coping strategies.
- Exposure to high-risk environments. Being around substances or people from past drug use can reignite cravings.
- Poor self-care routines. Inconsistent sleep, nutrition or structure can wear down emotional resilience.
Challenging the “Failure” Narrative Around Relapse
Recovery requires commitment and concerted effort on the part of the person going through it and their entire support network. It’s somewhat natural to feel like something “failed” if relapse occurs. However, this is an inaccurate way to look at recovery and relapse because treatment for addiction or mental health is rarely linear.
Whether you look at it as circling back or experiencing bumps in the road, it’s more the rule than the exception. Consider this fact: Relapse rates for opioid use disorder are as high as 65% to 70%. While reported relapse rates for other types of substance abuse disorders may vary, most people do face post-rehab struggles that require some level of personal, professional or support network intervention.
By framing these relapse challenges as opportunities rather than failures, individuals and their support systems can reduce negative feelings like guilt, which can drive addiction behaviors and contribute to poorer mental health. It also opens the door for individuals to seek continual improvement via evidence-based practices rather than a single “slam dunk” win that isn’t feasible for many people.
In some ways, you can compare the recovery journey to a physical health and weight loss journey. Most people who engage in fad diets that shed pounds quickly in a seeming “big win” end up struggling with health and weight in the future. That’s because the easy fad diet didn’t address underlying issues like nutrition, health, balance or other medical concerns.
How Relapse Can Signal Deeper Issues Needing Attention
Relapse after perceived recovery can indicate the need for mental health work. For example, if you complete a drug or alcohol rehab program but move through inpatient and outpatient stages without addressing trauma that might have caused you to abuse substances to begin with, you leave a door open for use in the future. In this case, relapse can indicate there’s still work to be done to heal that trauma and better close that door.
Relapse often acts as a sort of warning light or early alarm that a deeper emotional, psychological or physical process is occurring. Relapse could be an opportunity to work on:
- Unresolved grief or loss. If someone hasn’t fully processed a loss, emotional pain may resurface and lead to substance use.
- Undiagnosed or untreated mental health conditions. Conditions like bipolar disorder or PTSD can drive relapse if not properly managed.
- Lack of coping skills for daily life. If a person hasn’t developed skills to handle conflict, boredom or disappointment, they may default to substance use.
- Unrealistic expectations about recovery. Believing recovery means never struggling can lead to discouragement and avoiding help.
- Environmental instability. Housing insecurity, unsafe living situations or financial stress can trigger overwhelming emotions and relapse.
- Lack of purpose or direction. Without goals, structure or meaningful activity, someone may feel aimless or hopeless, increasing relapse risk.
Using Relapse as an Opportunity for Recovery Growth
If you experience relapse, avoid thinking of it as a failure or a return to the beginning of your journey. This negative framing can cause you to spiral into guilt, sorrow and other feelings that don’t support continued growth. And you certainly aren’t returning to the beginning; you’re facing this new step in your recovery with all the work you already did behind you.
Instead, work on identifying what contributed to the setback so you can work on adjusting your strategy for recovery.
The Role of Rehab in Strengthening Long-Term Recovery
Rehab can play a critical role in turning relapse into an opportunity for growth and deeper healing. Returning to treatment is an opportunity to address what’s missing in your current recovery plan. Many rehab programs offer evidence-based therapies that help people reframe how they see setbacks and better understand the root causes of substance use.
For example, cognitive reframing therapy teaches individuals to identify unhelpful thought patterns and replace them with more balanced, realistic thinking. Narrative therapy for addiction helps people reshape the story they tell themselves, reclaiming agency and shifting the focus from shame to growth.
Encouraging a Compassionate, Resilient Approach to Setbacks
At Restore Mental Health, we know recovery is a long-term journey and every person’s path is unique. We offer compassionate support throughout the recovery journey and can work with you toward a positive outcome for your relapse opportunity.
If you’re struggling with mental health concerns, addiction or a relapse, call us today.
