Do you, or does someone close to you keep falling back into using the same addictive drug, only to find that the addiction is even worse than before? This is called drug relapse.
A part of drug addiction is this on again, off again pattern of binging and abstaining, binging and abstaining. It can go on for quite a while and look like the addiction isn't progressing. The truth is the addiction only seems to be staying the same while it is continuing to worsen.
Periods of abstinence can be a blessing or a curse, depending on the outcome.
Getting away from the drug for a while can give an addict a chance to see the problem more clearly and to make choices for the future that seemed impossible while they were getting high everyday. These choices can lead their life into the light again and away from the grip of drug addiction.
On the other hand, taking a short "break" from addictive drugs might carry with it some dangers. With most addictive drugs, the tolerance built up by an addict's body to that substance can subside over time. So on the next relapse, the danger of over-dose is much higher because the former dosage might now be large enough to be deadly.
There are some actions to take that can reduce the possibility of reversion to drugs. Remember, drugs were once a way of life for the addict. Now life must change.
Strategy One:
1. You must surround yourself with drug-free people.
The life that the you led while getting stoned revolved around drug use and drug users. Those are not the circles a drug-free individual travels in.
But spending time with people who are not into drugs and the druggie life will do more than avoid reminders and temptations. There is a new life style to be learned and that can best be done by spending time with drug-free individuals and doing activities that do not involve drugs. Also, people who don't use and have your welfare at heart will support your efforts to stay clean. Often, friends and associates see the signs that an addict's resolve is slipping even before the addict sees it and can step in to help when it really counts.
It even happens that a drug addict gives up on himself more quickly than his friends give up on him. So these people can also be a lifeline in case apathy sets in.
Hanging around the places where the drugshttps://cornellheartsurgery.org/ are easily available is not likely to happen if the new "gang" is opposed to illegal drug use. So these people are good for your recovery, even if they do seem a bit "dorky" to begin with.
Before long, you'll start seeing the changes in yourself that your friends saw first. You're on your way to ending addiction and leaving the drug nightmare behind you.
