What Triggers a Relapse?

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What Triggers a Relapse?

Drug use can change the brain in lasting ways. These changes can make it difficult for someone who has a problem with drugs to stop using them. That’s why it’s very important to get medical help when you want to quit.

But sometimes, even with proper treatment, people who quit using drugs can experience a relapse. That means they go back to using drugs.

Risky reminders

Relapses are common. There are many reasons for that, and scientists call these reasons “triggers.” Triggers can include things like:

  • Being in withdrawal from drug use.
  • Experiencing stressful life events.
  • Seeing people, places, or things that remind a person of drugs, such as returning to a place connected to past drug use or seeing a stranger sell drugs.

Scientists call these reminders “cues.” Another phrase they use is “attention bias.” That’s when your brain pays more attention to some information in your environment than it does to other information. For example, people may focus on something that reminds them of drug use.

Finding clues in cues

With some drugs, a relapse can be especially dangerous, and can even lead to overdose or death. So, scientists and medical professionals want to help people avoid relapses as much as they can.

Scientists are studying how the brain processes information about drug cues and how that information can trigger relapse. They’re also learning which areas of the brain are involved in attention bias.