Does relapse mean treatment failure
- 1. 1/2 DOES RELAPSE MEAN TREATMENT FAILURE? thesoberworld.com/2017/12/01/does-relapse-mean-treatment-failure Relapse in most cases is not self-inflicted. Relapse-prone patients experience a gradual progression of symptoms that create so much pain that they become unable to function in sobriety. They turn to addictive use to self-medicate the pain. These patients can learn to stay sober by recognizing these symptoms as relapse warning signs, identifying the self- defeating thoughts, feelings, and actions they use to cope with them, and learning more effective coping responses. Unfortunately, most relapse-prone patients never receive relapse prevention therapy; either because treatment centers don’t provide it or their insurance or behavioral health provider won’t fund it. Relapse is not necessarily a sign of treatment failure. Between one half and two-thirds of all patients treated will relapse, but at least one half of all relapsers will find long term recovery. The belief that relapse means that treatment failed ignores the fact that, for many patients, recovery involves a series of relapse episodes. Each relapse, if properly dealt with in treatment, can become a learning experience which makes the patient less likely to relapse in the future. Chemically dependent/addicted people can be divided into three groups based upon their recovery and relapse history. One third of all patients are recovery prone and maintain total abstinence from their first serious attempt. Another third are transitionally relapse prone and have a series of short-term and low consequence relapse episodes prior to
- 2. 2/2 finding long-term abstinence. The final third, the most difficult patients to treat, are the chronically relapse-prone patients who can’t find long-term sobriety no matter what they do. Recovery-prone patients tend to be addicted to a single drug, have higher levels of social and economic stability, and do not have dual diagnosis or serious coexisting problems. They are what are often referred to as “garden variety addicts” who have uncomplicated addictions. Transitionally relapse-prone patients tend to have more severe addictions that are complicated by other problems. They have the capacity, however, to learn from each relapse episode and take steps to alter or modify their recovery programs to avoid future relapses. Chronically relapse-prone patients tend to have severe addictions complicated by serious dual diagnosis. Most chronic relapsers have either: severe post-acute withdrawal caused by the effects of chronic alcohol and drug poisoning to the brain, a coexisting personality or mental disorder, or a serious coexisting physical illness. Many fail to recover because these coexisting conditions are not properly diagnosed and treated. Even chronically relapse-prone patients are not hopeless. In 1988, I had dinner with over sixty skid row alcoholics who had completed a relapse prevention program at Alexandria Regional Detox Center. These people were previously labeled as hopeless and given short term revolving door non-medical detox. All were sober for over six months after participating in weekly outpatient relapse prevention groups coupled with twelve step programs. All of these people wanted to stay sober. Prior to relapse prevention therapy, they did not know how. Once they learned effective strategies for identifying and managing relapse warning signs, they were able to stay sober in spite of the other serious problems they experienced. Terence T. Gorski is an internationally recognized expert on substance abuse, mental health, violence, and crime. He is a prolific author and has published numerous books and articles. Recovery books, tapes and resources authored by Terry Gorski are available through Herald House Independence Press, 1-800-767-8181 or www.relapse.org. To learn effective relapse prevention strategies and techniques attend the Relapse Prevention Therapy Certification School April 16-20, 2018.