In the battle of alcohol addiction, recovery is not always simple. Many people, despite their best possible efforts and treatment, experience relapse. In the 1st Part, we discussed the biological reasons for relapse, but there's another side to the story - the psychological factors. It might be even trickier as it involves your mindset, behaviour, and emotions. Now, let’s explore the psychological reasons why relapse happens and how you can address them.
Cognitive Dissonance: The Internal Battle
A person experiences cognitive dissonance when their action is not in line with their beliefs or goals, which results in internal conflict. For someone in recovery, it is not like that they don’t know drinking is dangerous and goes against their goal. But, the urge to drink can create a mental battle. They might think - “Just one drink won’t hurt,” even though deep down they understand it could lead to more. The internal conflict itself can cause immense psychological stress, leading some people to justify drinking again.
Cognitive dissonance is a major psychological roadblock in relapse because the brain is working overtime to rationalize the bad behavior. When this mental battle crosses a threshold, people may give in to it, thinking they can control it this time around.
Emotional Triggers: A Shortcut in the Brain
Have you heard of the term “emotional drinking”? It’s a common reason why people start drinking initially, and it plays a crucial role in relapse as well. Negative emotions such as sadness, stress, anxiety, or frustration can lead one to alcohol once again. Why? Because drinking might have become the main coping mechanism to deal with these negative feelings. After treatment, if healthier coping mechanisms haven’t been developed, a bad event or an argument can trigger and create the urge to drink.
What makes it even worse is that, psychologically, alcohol might be mapped with temporary relief. The brain recalls for a moment, that drinking helped cope with those negative feelings, even though it made them worse afterward. This is why emotional triggers are so powerful. They create a shortcut in your brain that associates alcohol with relief from emotional pain.
False Sense of Control: Romanticizing the Past
Sometimes, people relapse as they start to romanticize their drinking days. They look back and only recall the good times when alcohol seemed exciting or relaxing. This selective memory blocks out the negative consequences including hangovers, relationships, or health issues. Hence, they convince themselves they can handle alcohol consumption in moderation this time. This is dangerous because it creates false expectations of control. In reality, if you’re recovering from alcohol addiction, any drinking can easily reignite the old behavioural patterns.
Doubting Oneself:
Low self-efficacy is another psychological factor that contributes to relapse. It is the belief in your ability to win this battle. After treatment, many people feel vulnerable and doubt their capacity to stay sober. They may think, “What if I cannot do this?” or “I’m probably going to fail again this time.” This fear of failure itself can lead to relapse because if you don’t believe you can stay sober, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Those who have tried to quit several times but experienced setbacks are more prone to this. They feel trapped in a cycle of attempting and failing, and over time, their belief in themselves erodes, making relapse more probable.
Stress & Decision Fatigue: When Will Power Erodes
Let’s be realistic. Our life can be tiring. Stress and decision fatigue could be major contributors to relapse. People experience decision fatigue when they have to make too many decisions in a day and their mental energy is drained. By the end of the day, they might not have the mental energy left to fight off cravings. This is exactly when the thought, “I can’t take this any longer” kicks in, and the urge to drink resurfaces. When stress increases over time, willpower alone isn’t sufficient to keep one from relapse, particularly if there aren’t any coping mechanisms in place.
Conclusion
Being aware of the psychological factors behind relapse is as crucial as addressing the biological ones. Emotional triggers, cognitive dissonance, low self-efficacy, romanticizing the past, and decision fatigue all play critical roles in why people slip back into alcohol consumption after treatment. The key to breaking free from these psychological pitfalls is to be aware of them and have the necessary strategies in place, like therapy, support groups, and self-awareness practices. Relapse might be a part of one’s path to recovery, but it doesn’t have to define it.
Dharshini S
Psychiatric Social Worker