Despite what many people may think, substance use disorder [1] – or addiction – is a brain disease.
This highly complex and misunderstood illness affects millions of people globally, and has the potential to ruin the lives of many more, particularly the loved ones of the addicted person.
In order to overcome substance addiction, you must not only seek support but implement a wide range of strategies that can help optimize your physical and mental health.
If you or a loved one are suffering from substance use disorder and are based in South Africa, read on to find out how you can manage relapse triggers and optimise your health.
Understanding Relapse and Triggers
When recovering from an addiction, relapsing is common to the process and even expected.
The addicted person may succumb by re-engaging in drug or alcohol consumption due to relapse triggers which present themselves in many different ways.
Here are some of the ways that relapse triggers can manifest themselves:
- Emotional: Emotional relapse triggers may occur when the addicted or recovering person is experiencing intense emotions, whether sadness, anger, isolation, and so on, which may cause the person to relapse and consume drugs or alcohol.
- Environmental: Environmental factors may include being surrounded by other people who are engaging in substances, going to a party, listening to music which evokes strong emotions associated with substance consumption, and so on. Often, many people suffering from addiction are also surrounded by friends and family members who are also consuming drugs or alcohol.
- Social: Social factors such as economic disparity, financial issues, relationship breakdown, isolation, and more also play a significant role in the severity and likelihood of succumbing to relapse triggers.
- Physical: Addicted people will also experience physical cravings for their preferred substance. Some people may experience severe withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, trembling, nausea, vomiting, and so on, which leads to them relapsing in order to momentarily overcome these symptoms.
While each of these factors play a big role in preventing full recovery, it should be noted that social and environmental relapse triggers are particularly prominent in South Africa.
Due to socioeconomic factors due to unemployment, racial tension, crime, and more, it creates an environment which makes it more difficult to recover from addiction.
Here are some of the most unique relapse triggers in South Africa:
- Cultural Factors: South Africa has some of the highest rates of alcohol consumption in the world [2]. Being in a culture which promotes and enables binge drinking creates an inhospitable environment for those who want to stay sober.
- Economic Stress: The levels of unemployment and poverty in South Africa lead to financial hardship and economic insecurity, which in turn can lead to substance use and antisocial behaviour.
- Crime and Safety Concerns: Crime rates are high in South Africa, and it’s not uncommon to experience or even fall victim to violent crime. As a result, victims may develop PTSD and mental strain from its exposure.
- Access to Substances: Not only is alcohol legal, but drugs are easily obtained if you have the connections. Once someone knows where and how to access these substances, it makes them much more likely to consume illicit drugs, especially when under the influence of peers or alcohol.
Strategies for Managing Relapse Triggers
In order to manage relapse triggers while living in South Africa, you’ll need to develop a range of strategies to help not only avoid relapse triggers but also overcome them in their presence.
Here’s some of these triggers we noted down after speaking to an addiction rehabilitation centre:
- Identifying Personal Triggers: You must understand which triggers you’re exposed to most, or which make you most. If you relapse most frequently when in the presence of friends or family members drinking, you’re susceptible to environmental triggers. If you drink or take drugs when you’re feeling angry or anxious, you struggle with emotional relapse triggers. Identifying which relapse triggers affect you the most will help you learn more about yourself and address specific issues.
- Journaling: The therapeutic effects of journaling are believed to lie in how it allows you to externalise your thoughts and feelings which can reduce levels of anxiety and anger. Typically, these journals aren’t shared with anyone else. This allows you to be completely honest with yourself and address some of the emotional issues that you’re experiencing, developing self-awareness in the process.
- Building a Support Network: It’s important to have a strong support network when you’re facing addiction. Family members, friends, and support groups can help you sustain your sobriety by offering guidance, encouraging positive habits, and so on.
- Exercise: The benefits of exercise aren’t limited to the physical. Exercise can improve mental health immensely by increasing serotonin in the brain, decreased anxiety, encouraging healthy dietary choices, behavioural activation, and more. By finding an exercise that you like, whether it’s running, hiking, swimming, or going to the gym, you can substitute binge drinking or drug consumption with healthier habits.
- Routine and Structure: Establishing a routine can help you sustain your sobriety by developing consistency. The act of completing one task after another systematically, whether it be your morning exercise, meditation, work, evening reading, and so on, can make recovery more sustainable by breaking down the day into smaller segments.
- Remember to HALT: HALT [3] – or Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired – is an effective relapse prevention strategy for recovering people. By recognising when you are experiencing one of these emotional issues, and using healthy coping mechanisms, you can overcome these negative feelings in the most constructive way possible.
- Join a Support Group: Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous [4] (AA), Narcotics Anonymous [5] (NA), SMART Recovery [6], and more can help people recover by offering a cohesive support network, recovery resources, 12-step programmes, and more. These support groups have specific branches across South Africa, and you can attend meetings in-person or online. Meetings are effective because of its positive social reinforcement, relationship building, and open communication can sustain recovery and provide emotional healing.
- Enter a Rehab: Entering a drug and alcohol rehab is the most effective way of overcoming an addiction. This is because you’ll stay in a medically-supported facility which is designated towards promoting recovery, and you’ll be under the care and supervision of medical professionals all day every day. Furthermore, you’ll have access to medicated detox programmes, personalised therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, aftercare resources, and more.
South African Resources for Recovery
There are a range of ways in which you can find addiction recovery resources in South Africa to sustain your recovery:
- Government and NPO Support: Addiction has a profound effect on our mental health state. Consider making use of Government and nonprofit organisation support such as the South African Depression and Anxiety Group [7] (SADAG), South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA), and SAFMH [8H for support and mental health resources.
- Digital Resources: There are many support groups on social media platforms that can help you maintain your recovery effort. Groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous South Africa [9]. Here, you can keep up with updates, meeting times and locations, member anecdotes, and more.
What Happens in a Drug and Alcohol Rehab in South Africa?
South Africa is home to many private addiction rehabilitation centres.
These rehab centres in South Africa vary in their prices, methods, quality, and so on.
Some of these centers cater to patients who has less money to spend, whereas others offer luxury facilities to enhance comfort throughout addiction.
But, patients can expect a similar structure when entering a drug and alcohol rehab in South Africa as an inpatient:
- Admission: After contacting a rehab admission service or centre, you’ll be admitted into a drug and alcohol rehab centre based on your preferences, but also under the guidance of professionals who have conducted your health assessment.
- Medicated Detox: If necessary, you’ll undergo a medicated detox to help overcome discomforting symptoms associated with addiction. If symptoms are severe enough, you’ll be prescribed medication from an addiction physician to ensure that you feel well.
- Therapy & Counselling: Following detox, you’ll undergo a range of therapy and counselling sessions which will not only help you overcome addiction but build healthier habits for life. Therapies such as CBT and DBT can help you develop greater self-awareness, emotional intelligence, healthy coping mechanisms, and more.
- Aftercare: Following rehab, you’ll continue to receive support in the form of an aftercare programme. You’ll have access to resources, fellowship programmes, and more which can aid your recovery during post-rehab life.
Overcome Addiction in South Africa
Addiction is a debilitating disease, and we cannot overcome it alone. We need the support of our friends, family members, and professionals to optimise our life after recovery.
Although it is a long road, we can accomplish goals by conquering each day, and by identifying and managing relapse triggers.
Developing healthy coping mechanisms and knowing how to spot relapse triggers will go a long way in sustaining your recovery and healthy life after addiction.
References
[1] Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction
[2] Creating a safer drinking environment
[3] What Is HALT? The Dangers of Being Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired
[4] Alcoholics Anonymous South Africa
[5] Narcotics Anonymous South Africa Region
[6] SMART Recovery South Africa
[7] South African Depression and Anxiety Group
[8] South Africa Federation for Mental Health
[9] Alcoholics Anonymous South Africa (Facebook)
