If you’ve ever experienced a loved one or teenager relapse, it’s an unfortunate event. But what does A teen who has relapsed need to hear? Have you ever felt disappointment, anger, and even despair when someone dear to you relapses? Or are you one of the spouses, siblings, parents, children, or friends in the population whose life has been affected by one’s addiction? In this article, we will further discuss how you can best handle teens suffering from relapses.
A recent study shows that an estimated 20 million Americans struggle with different issues of substance use annually. Most teens that have had any experience with substance abuse are familiar with relapse. Unfortunately, it’s so common that it’s almost expected.
It may seem very frustrating, but these aspects will still be the essential toolkit in someone’s sobriety journey with your encouragement and support. Addiction can last a lifetime, and teenagers dealing with a drug relapse and possibly experiencing mental health issues should feel that they are not alone.
A relapse is a medical condition when a recovering patient struggling from substance addiction returns to their bad habits with the exact prevalence prior to Treatment.
If you know someone struggling with addiction, they should not feel like they have to deal with it alone. They are often experiencing a wide range of emotions from fear to anger to deep sadness, and hope can affect life’s decisions. While every situation is different from one person to another, one crucial aspect of this experience is determining how to react if a relapse occurred. Some approaches tend to be more effective, kinder, and smoother than others.
Here are proven and tested suggestions you should try saying to someone after a relapse.
I Know Your Real Intentions.
It’s highly possible for a teen that relapses to feel guilty and shameful. They may also think that everyone around is giving them a hard time and thinking the worst about them. That’s why it’s helpful to reaffirm that you will continue to support their sobriety. Showing empathy could mean the world as they overcome this battle.
But remember, this doesn’t mean that you should not hold a person accountable for the results of their wrongdoings or act as if no treatment or medical attention is required.
One of the sweetest things you can do is provide the person unconditional love, understanding, and support. It helps them fight their fears and avoid them from having assumptions that they have ruined relationships. Let them feel that you are there to support, care and love them—deterioration or not.
Expressing your care and support will make them feel that they are not alone, that you are with them as they try to become sober. Ask wholeheartedly what they need from you. There are many ways to help. You can assist them in finding an effective treatment program, accompany them to a therapist, or help them find funds so they can afford Treatment. Your utmost involvement and care will improve the person’s chances of surviving this life battle.
If you want your teen who relapsed to win the battle, embracing that optimism is very important. They might not show you that they are encouraged, and you may feel disappointed, but the most important thing is for you to be the channel of optimism. You may want to remind them that they have already won the first time, and doing it again is not impossible.
When the person sees their recovery as a waste of time, the feeling of failure may take over after a relapse. Saying words of encouragement for someone in recovery can divert the focus on the accomplishment and good experiences of sobriety and all the lessons gained from regression.
Never force someone to discuss their recent relapse; this might lead to triggering many intense feelings. Always check if your loved one is open, ready, and interested in a conversation about it by asking this question smoothly. If he declines your intention, let them know you are willing to wait for the right time and always available to listen when that time comes. Considering a teen outpatient program is a good idea, so the teenager can have devoted therapy, and the family can also partake in family therapy.
When someone is in his battle with relapse, at least try not to say any of these.
Asking questions to people battling with relapse like “How could you let this happen?” and “I can’t believe you started drinking/using drugs again” can imply to them that it is their fault and you are putting the blame on them. It’s very crucial to understand the true nature of where it began and how it all started. Addiction is curable, and it is a disease, not a choice.
It’s prevalent to be disappointed when someone you love relapses. If you let someone feel that their actions have affected you without being ashamed of them, that would be great. But it will not help if you express any rage. Do your best to understand and analyze the nature of addiction, and resist showing severe anger.
Different treatment approaches vary from one person to another, and one undoubtedly had some reflections on their chosen Treatment. The first thing that might come to your mind is that because they failed to sustain the results, the therapy “isn’t working” or is inadequate, and choosing other alternative approaches will be better.
Instead of worrying and wondering what caused the relapse, be more proactive and understand individualized warning signs. If you observe any warning signs, speak up; it will be more helpful to their recovery process. It would be best if you always kept in your mind that addiction is not a choice. Centers for Disease Control and prevention, specialized in drug abuse treatment, cited that “substance use disorder” is a medical condition that can be prevented and cured.
