The goal of most addiction treatment programs is for patients to end up with a lifestyle of abstinence. This means that they will no longer use drugs or drink alcohol at all, presumably for the rest of their lives.

The reasoning behind this is that addiction is a chronic disease, and recovering addicts are much more likely to return to full-blown substance abuse and addiction if they use drugs and alcohol even on a limited basis.In reality, many people return to using these substances at some point after they leave a treatment program. The sooner they go back to using, the more likely they are to experience serious problems as a result of it. Recovering addicts often tell themselves that they can handle having “just one drink” or doing it “just one time”. Unfortunately, this is a slippery slope that can easily lead to relapse and ending up right back where they began.

One of the biggest problems with attempting to return to limited or infrequent use of drugs and alcohol after a rehab program is that these substances impair one’s judgment. You may plan to have two drinks, but once you finish them you’re no longer completely sober or thinking as clearly as you could be. It’s then that you decide drinking more would be a good idea, and it quickly gets out of hand. Even using a substance you weren’t addicted to in the past can have the same effect. If you had a crystal meth addiction, you may think it’s safe to drink alcohol. However, once you are drunk, your judgment will be impaired, and you will no longer see anything wrong with using crystal meth. Even small amounts of drugs and alcohol can affect your thinking more than you realize, especially when your body is not used to dealing with them.

Popularity: 3% [?]