Recovery Center Explores Heroin Addiction Relapse

Abingdon, VA - ReVIDA® Recovery recently released a new blog post discussing the reasons behind heroin addiction relapse. With multiple facilities throughout the Appalachian area, their goal is to provide resources and education to the communities about addiction.

“Returning to use isn’t something that happens overnight. There is a good chance that various circumstances led to someone picking heroin up again. Return to use typically occurs in three stages: emotional, mental, and physical. At the emotional and mental stages, preventing a relapse from occurring is more possible. While preventing relapse at the physical stage is not necessarily impossible, it is much harder. This is because, at the physical stage, you have likely already decided to use heroin again. Learning the signs of the earlier stages of relapse can help lower the chances of relapse,” the article reads.

The first stage of returning to use is the emotional stage. This stage occurs after completing detox and the body no longer feels a need for heroin. However, if the person stops seeking help, going to meetings, and participating in their recovery plan, emotional stressors can cause a relapse.

The second stage is the mental stage. This is where using heroin again is a consideration. Some signs of the mental stage include fantasizing about heroin, spending time with old friends who are still using, or planning to use again. It is harder to resist the urge to return to use again during this stage. It can be useful to try to remember the negative consequences of using heroin again.

The third stage is the physical stage and at this point, the return to use is planned. This stage is considered a crisis as the person has already made up their mind to use heroin again and possibly has a plan to get it. Having a strong support system to turn to in this stage is crucial to prevent a return to use.

“A relapse can happen at any point in your recovery process, but most happen within one year. Remember that having a relapse from heroin does not mean that your recovery is not possible. The rate of experiencing a heroin relapse can be as high as 95%. This rate is for those who have used heroin for several years, maybe even decades. Someone who has not consumed heroin for several years is less likely to fall back to it because their body isn’t as dependent on heroin to get them through stressful times. Also, if you start to fall out of staying on top of your recovery, you are more likely to relapse. Not participating in your treatment because you believe you are doing well and heroin is behind you can be a dangerous thought and lead to a relapse that ends with dependency again,” the article continues.

There are many risk factors to returning to heroin use such as connecting with old friends that still use heroin, uncomfortable emotions such as being angry or lonely, stressful relationships or situations, a belief that heroin use doesn’t have an impact, withdrawal symptoms such as poor sleep, anxiety, and irritability, being in places where heroin was bought or used, and isolation from support.

ReVIDA® Recovery has been providing addiction treatment throughout Tennessee and Virginia. Their program is not only flexible, but also incorporates medication-assisted treatment for those who need it. They are an affordable treatment option and take commercial insurance as well as Medicaid.

For those wanting to learn more about ReVIDA® Recovery, call 423-631-0432 or visit their website.