Challenges in Substance Abuse Recovery
Globally, about 35 million people are estimated to have experienced a drug use disorder, but only a fraction even receive treatment. Recovery from a substance abuse disorder is when someone undergoes a process of improved physical, psychological, and social well-being and health after having suffered from a substance-related condition.
Recovery is challenging and can be exhausting. Those in recovery face a myriad of challenges that can affect their social and emotional capacities and sustaining sobriety can be difficult for years. Many face stressors and obstacles in recovery. Here are some common ones:
- Cravings
Substance cravings are very intense urges to use alcohol or drugs, which trigger a desire or intent to use them. When a person stops using a substance and goes into a withdrawal phase, they can experience craving symptoms. They can be so strong that they may take over someone’s mind, making concentrating on anything else more difficult.
2. Developing new coping strategies
Recovery can be a life-long process, and knowing coping skills helps deal with life’s tribulations. To be successful, it is vital to learn how to identify triggers and how to develop positive coping skills for substance abuse that help to overcome temptations of drugs or alcohol as a means to feel better.
3. Building new relationships and repairing old ones
Having strong, supportive relationships and social networks is an essential part of recovery. Making amends with loved ones that one hurt while actively abusing substances is vital, and this process can take weeks, months, and/or years. However, it is important in recovering from addictions.
4. Relapse and boredom
During recovery, there are definitely times when one may feel emptier without the use of alcohol and/or drugs, particularly after leaving a rehab facility. Learning to restructure time to exclude substances can be tricky, and partaking in new hobbies, activities, or work becomes vital.
To prevent relapse, it is important to recognize triggers. Triggers are anything that brings emotional, social, or environmental reactions to someone about their past abuse; these often reignite urges to use substances. Common triggers that affect many people in recovery include:
- HALT: Hunger, Anger, Loneliness, and Tiredness
- Social isolation
- Places, events, foods, things, and old friends associated with drug or alcohol
- Celebrations
- Feelings of inadequacy or being overwhelmed
There are currently technological solutions that are working to help reduce relapse rates. For example, Somatix’s SafeBeing™ works with addiction recovery centers to monitor recovering users. The technology has proven value to not only reduce relapse rates, but also enhance Cognitive Behavioral Therapy interventions, increase resident safety and improve the transition of care from inpatient to outpatient.
Recovery is hard, but being aware of its challenges and solutions to them is a crucial step.
