Key Questions: « First  <  2 3 4 5 6 >  Last »

Key Question #4
If Addiction is Treatable, Why Do Some People Relapse?

Once a person goes through detoxification, withdrawal, and continued treatment, there may still be a risk of relapse, as occurs with other chronic health conditions.  Because of the changes that occur in the brains of addicted individuals that can persist long after drug use ceases, they may return to taking drugs and alcohol even though they no longer have physical withdrawal symptoms.1 Relapse triggers can include stress and associations with peers and social situations linked to drug and alcohol use. In addition, lack of safe housing and adequate employment opportunities can also contribute to recurrence of drug and alcohol use.2 Relapse does not mean people will not recover; some individuals with severe addiction histories may require multiple episodes of treatment to achieve long-term abstinence and fully restored functioning, but many do recover.3 In fact, relapse rates for treatment of alcohol, opioids and cocaine are less than those for hypertension and asthma, and equivalent to those of diabetes – all of which are chronic conditions.4

1“Drug Addiction Treatment Medications,” NIDA InfoFacts series,
http://www.drugabuse.gov/Infofacts/treatmed.html  

2 “Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations,” National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), August 2006
http://www.nida.nih.gov/PDF/PODAT_CJ/PODAT_CJ.pdf 

3Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research Based Guide, National Institute on Drug Abuse, http://www.nida.nih.gov/PODAT/PODATIndex.html

4  O’Brien, C.P., & McLellan, A.T. (1996). Myths about the Treatment of Addiction. The Lancet, 347, 237-240.