People who suffer from addiction and who have quit will always be faced with the possibility of a relapse.
Addiction relapse is common and often it happens more than once.
It is all part of the recovery process, and is something that every addict will struggle with.
When it does happen, an addict will suffer with strong feelings of guilt, as they struggle to get back to an addiction free life again.
If they can accept that this is part of the process of getting clean and recommit to starting over, they will be more successful each time.
They'll begin to have an understanding of why it happened, what triggered it and will be able to recognize the warning signs much earlier the next time.
There can be many factors involved in addict's relapse.
Sounds, smells and even dreams can be part of the reason for a relapse to occur.
These things can bring back the cravings and can be extremely powerful in driving the person to losing their sobriety.
Stress or depression can also cause a person to have a setback.
These are probably two of the most common reasons, but if the addict has coping mechanisms in place ahead of time, they will go a long way in helping them to get through the tough periods.
Once the desire is triggered it can be overwhelming for the addict with no coping skills to resist the desire to fall back into old and destructive habits.
For someone who has had an addiction relapse the first thing they need to do is get back to an environment of support.
Once in a supportive environment they have a much better chance of stopping the relapse and getting back on the right track.
Others who have experienced relapses will understand and be able to help provide the necessary coping tools needed in order to prevent it from happening again.
They'll help the addict to understand that this is not unusual, and help them to prevent it happening again in the future.
If you have problems coping with, and managing stress in your life, then it's important to seek out people who can teach you techniques that will help you get through difficult times, without going back to your old habits.
It's also important to learn how to manage your negative thinking, with the help or others or with cognitive training.
Addicts must also be aware that conflicts with family or others can also be a trigger, and they need to have coping mechanisms in place in order to avoid these situations, or learn how to take it down a few levels so that they don't lose emotional control.
Realizing that just because you have stopped abusing does not mean the battle is over, will help you to understand what you need to do in order to prevent an addiction relapse.
If you understand it can happen, and become aware of what the triggers might be, then you can come up with a coping strategy for when they do occur.
These are skills that should be a significant part of any treatment program, if one expects to avoid an addiction relapse.
Once you have learned them, then they must be applied on a daily basis until they are a normal part of your everyday life.
They are an important tool in your long term recovery.
Addiction relapses happen.
They are a normal part of recovery.
If you and your family and friends are aware of this possibility, they will be part of your support group should it happen.
If it does happen, accept it and then get back on track as soon as possible.
Don't be afraid to admit it has happened and ask for the help you need.
Others will understand and will be more than ready to help get you back on the road to recovery again.