There can be several reasons why addicts suddenly relapse. But in all these diverse causes, one key factor can be identified as a major trigger: a negative thought pattern. This may not be quite evident for most people, but researchers have proven that continuously feeling negative very quickly overpowers your drive to be a better person, thereby exposing a recovering addict to relapse. Let’s look at some four categories of relapse triggered a feeling of negativity in life.
Perfectionism
Perfectionism is all about setting up exceptionally high objectives for yourself; standards that are probably over ambitious, and eventually not being able to meet up with them. Such a condition creates a feeling of incompetency. It makes you feel like a total failure; someone who will never be able to successfully overcome your addiction. When such feelings are created in an addict, relapse is inevitable.
Using everything as a distraction
In the world, there are hundreds of distractions that can help you avoid the difficult process of recovery. Unfortunately, such distractions will only make the problem. Using distractions to run away from recovery will definitely lead to relapse. Recovering addicts should therefore be watchful of that.
Feeling overwhelmed
When people are addicted for a long time, leading a normal life again could be particularly challenging. Such people will very likely lose their ability to make important decisions. The thought of starting afresh (getting a job and perhaps a decent place to stay), frightens most recovering addicts. The natural consequence of this is relapse.
Social pressure
One of the very common factors that triggers relapse is addicts always getting tempted to go to the places, people or things they are addicted to. It is absolutely difficult to resist the temptation if a recovering drug addict for example hangs out with the friends who initiated him into drugs. The pressure on him to try some drugs will likely be higher than he can handle, and before he knows it, he’s relapsed.