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Why is relapse considered a common part of addiction recovery?

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drug use The use of psychoactive drugs, such as pain medications or illegal substances, often results in emotional, physical, and social harm.

Relapse is considered a common part of the addiction recovery journey, affecting 40 to 60 percent of individuals with substance use disorders. Because addiction is a chronic condition, the recovery process is often nonlinear, meaning individuals may move back and forth between stages of change rather than following a straight path.12

Relapse occurs when an individual returns to behaviors associated with earlier stages of addiction. Several factors contribute to this, including:1

Stress12
Exposure to triggers that remind an individual of their addiction12
Interpersonal problems12
Peer pressure12

Because of these risks, a fundamental component of effective addiction recovery involves developing specific skills and strategies to help avoid or manage relapse behavior. Clinical treatments, such as cognitive behavior therapy, are often utilized to help individuals identify and navigate the situations that make maintaining recovery more difficult.134