Dangers of Addiction Relapse
By Dr.Fourkan Ali
One of the biggest fears for those in recovery
from any type of addiction is an addiction relapse. Relapse prevention forms a large part of the
recovery process, but those who become complacent during their recovery may
start to think that they could return to drugs or alcohol without any problems.
They
often get lulled into a false sense of security or believe that they are cured
because they haven’t wanted drugs or alcohol for so long. These individuals can
start to think that maybe they never really were addicted in the first place
and that their problems were caused by something else. When this happens, the
likelihood of addiction relapse becomes highly likely.
Many
people who are in recovery from addiction could be putting their lives at risk
if they were to return to drugs or alcohol. In a significant number of cases,
one more alcoholic drink could result in a life or death situation.
It
is hard to believe, but some individuals drink to the point where their livers
are so damaged that doctors will warn them that one more drink could kill them.
These people may decide there and then to quit drinking and will access
treatment programmes where they can get the help they need to overcome their
illness. By abstaining from alcohol, they are giving themselves a chance at
life. But they need to remember that returning to alcohol could reverse
everything they have worked so hard to achieve, in an instant.
In
terms of certain drugs, a relapse could mean death. Those who abused cocaine or
heroin for many years would have built up a tolerance to the drug over time.
This means that as they continued to abuse the drug, they would have had to
take more and more of it to achieve the high they desired. The reason for this
is that their body became used to the presence of the drug and adapted to it.
However,
even a few days of abstinence can dramatically reduce an individual’s tolerance
to drugs. This can mean that if the affected person were to suffer an addiction
relapse and take the same amount of drugs they were taking before, they would
almost certainly suffer an overdose.
Drug Purity
Overdose
does not just occur among those who have succumbed to an addiction relapse,
however. Drug purity also plays a major role in how a drug affects the
individual. For example, it is impossible to tell from looking at heroin how
pure it is.
Many
dealers will mix heroin with other ingredients so that they will have more to
sell. So each batch of heroin will have a different purity to the next. A user
who has been taking ten per cent pure heroin, for example, could easily
overdose if he or she took fifty per cent pure heroin.
Record Drug Death Levels
It
has been reported that drug death levels have reached record highs because
drugs such as heroin and cocaine are becoming purer. Figures from the Office
for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that, in 2015, the number of
individuals who died from drugs poisoning was 3,674, which is the highest ever
recorded.
Since
2012, the number of people who have died as a result of taking heroin and
morphine has doubled to 1,200, and there has been an 185 per cent jump in the
number of those dying as a result of taking cocaine.
Researcher
Vanessa Fearn, from the ONS, said, “Deaths involving heroin and morphine have
more than doubled since 2012, partly driven by a rise in heroin purity and
availability over the last three years. Age is also a factor in the record
levels of drug deaths, as heroin users are getting older and they often have
other conditions, such as lung disease and hepatitis, that make them
particularly vulnerable.”
Increases
in purity of both drugs are causing further problems, particularly when the
drugs are taken together, as they so often are. According to the analysis from
the ONS, “It is likely that changes in the purity and availability of heroin,
as well as increases in the purity of cocaine, are contributing to the rise in
deaths involving cocaine in recent years.”
Avoiding Addiction Relapse
While
purity of drugs is a contributing factor for many overdose deaths, addiction
relapse remains a major concern, especially when recovering addicts try to take
the same amount of the drug as before. Even those that are aware of the fact
that they have a decreased tolerance could still be at risk because drugs these
days have a higher purity. This could mean that even a small amount of heroin
or cocaine can result in overdose and death.
It
is important for those in recovery to be alert to the dangers of addiction
relapse and do everything they can to avoid it. If you are worried about
yourself or someone you love, contact us here at Addiction Helper today.
0 comments:
Post a Comment