Reading Time: 7 minutes
There isn’t one heroin relapse rate. See what the evidence says, why Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) matter and practical ways to protect yourself. Medications for Opioid Use Disorders usually include methadone and buprenorphine.
Worried about heroin relapse? Call
800-681-1058
(
Sponsored)
now to speak with someone, and get the help you need.
Why a Single “Heroin Relapse Rate” is Misleading
“Relapse” can vary by definition, follow up window and treatment modality. For this reason, there is no fixed rate for heroin relapse.
The most widely accepted definition of relapse is a substance you want to avoid or quit, especially after a period of abstinence. Some addiction professionals will refer to a period of relapse as “return to use.” This can be a single occasion or a resumption of regular use of alcohol or drugs.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that substance use disorder (SUD) relapses are common with similar rates to other chronic diseases, such as diabetes or hypertension, which is between 40 – 60%.
How Studies Define Relapse: Time Windows
There is no universal standard for a relapse timeline. However, most studies use 30, 90 or 180 days for periods of study.
Again, this can vary depending on the study, the participants, the substance or the focus of the study. Researchers may choose shorter windows, such as 7 or 14 days, to capture early lapses, while longer periods can help identify patterns of sustained recovery or recurrence.
Some studies also use multiple checkpoints to track heroin relapse at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. This provides a more complete picture. These varying definitions highlight the complexity of measuring relapse and the importance of context when comparing research findings.
What Evidence Shows
Research on relapse provides valuable insight into how often it occurs, when it is most likely to happen and the factors that increase risk. Evidence from clinical studies helps identify common patterns while also showing that relapse is a complex, individualized process.
Chronic Disease Model & SUD Relapse Context
Addiction is a chronic condition, much like diabetes or hypertension; if you stop following a doctor’s orders, your disease worsens. When someone returns to using alcohol or drugs, they stop following their treatment plan, which impacts their recovery.
Additionally, SUD or chronic disease have overlapping causes for relapse, including environmental and behavioral triggers, such as stress, changes in overall health or other mental health challenges.
Outcomes with MOUD vs Without
In a study published by JAMA Network, researchers found that people who received MOUD as a part of their long term treatment plan, had significantly better outcomes in terms of reduced overdose and opioid related morbidity when compared to treatment without.
This was especially evident at 3 and 12 months of follow up. As well, they found that patients treated with MOUD had higher treatment retention rates and decreased relapse rates.
How to Lower Your Risk of Return to Use
Relapse can happen to anyone on their recovery journey.
For individuals with OUD, when they abstain from using opioids, they immediately start to reduce their tolerance to the drug, which can lead to overdose should they relapse. The good news is that there are ways to lower your risk.
Key Support for Lasting Recovery
- Starting or continuing Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) to treat opioid addiction significantly decreases the risk of relapse as well as overdose and overdose death.
- According to the Drug Policy Alliance, the risk of overdose death may be decreased by as much as 50%.
- When counseling is combined with MOUD, individuals have higher retention rates in treatment, which results in better outcomes.
- When used together, they provide physical and emotional support for those with Opioid Addiction.
- Several psychotherapies may be used, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Motivational Interviewing (MI), to help individuals build the tools they need to make positive changes, including trigger and stress management, relationship building skills and relapse prevention planning.
- Helping individuals to find or maintain stable housing also reduces the risk of relapse in individuals with OUD. When you consistently have a roof over your head, your stress levels are reduced. It removes you from high risk environments where the exposure to triggers may be increased and it helps to improve your self esteem, confidence and feelings of self worth.
- Peer support reduces the risk of relapse because it provides individuals with support from others who know how hard it is to maintain sobriety.
- Through shared experiences, accountability, recovery modeling, engagement and encouragement, peer support helps individuals to maintain their individual treatment goals and their relapse prevention plan.
Proven Treatment Strategies
- Carrying naloxone, which can be obtained in many states without a provider’s prescription, is another tool individuals with OUD can use to reduce the risk of relapse related death.
- Having naloxone on hand is a positive way to commit to recovery, by providing a safety net to prevent overdose death in the case of relapse.
- Having an overdose plan reduces the risk of relapse related death because it encourages safer behaviors, reduces panic and shame and establishes a plan should relapse lead to an overdose.
- Never using alone is another way to prevent relapse related death. Although this is considered a harm reduction tool, it can also reinforce accountability, keep you connected with others who understand the struggle and can save your life should you return to use.
- Test supplies, such as fentanyl testing strips, can ensure that you are not unintentionally exposed to the substance.
- Even the smallest amounts of fentanyl can be fatal.
- Testing supplies allow them to know exactly what they are taking, which can reduce relapse related death.
You don’t need to recover alone. Call
800-681-1058
(Sponsored)
to get help.
Special High Risk Moments
Certain times during recovery carry a greater chance of relapse or overdose, often tied to stress, transition or changes in treatment. Recognizing these high risk moments allows providers, peers and individuals in recovery to prepare in advance and strengthen protective support.
Clinical Triggers and Life Events
When you abstain from opioid use, even for short periods, your tolerance to the drug decreases. This puts you at high risk for overdose should you relapse. This is especially true if you return to your normal level of use.
High risk moments also include transitions such as completing detox, being released from incarceration or being discharged from the hospital.
In each case, your body’s tolerance has been reduced, but the underlying cravings and triggers often remain. Many overdoses occur in these windows because people underestimate how much their tolerance has changed.
These vulnerable times can also carry added stress, including reentering daily life, facing limited support or managing physical and emotional health challenges. Without consistent treatment or follow up care, the combination of reduced tolerance and heightened stress can quickly increase the risk of relapse or overdose.
During these periods, cravings can be at some of the highest levels during the recovery process, creating a time of high stress and emotional deregulation. Both situations can contribute to relapse as a way to ease the distress or uncertainty.
Getting Help Today
Individuals on their recovery journey should not look at relapse as a failure, but as a signal that their treatment plan should be adjusted.
By working on healthy coping mechanisms, understanding triggers and how stress can play a part in relapse, you are better able to handle the future.
In some cases, it may mean taking a step back and reevaluating your treatment. Maybe your MOUDs need adjusting, maybe you need to add other psychotherapies or continue in a more intensive counseling program.
Perhaps you are not leaning on your support system enough and need to attend more meetings or call your sponsor more often.
Whatever the “cause” for relapse, know that you are not alone. Many people working on recovery will relapse at least once in their journey. This doesn’t mean that you have to start from the beginning, seek out the help you need and get back on the road to a brighter future! Call
800-681-1058
(Sponsored)
today.
FAQs:
What’s the Typical Relapse Timeframe from Treatment?
Relapse after treatment for heroin use disorder most often occurs within the first few weeks to months.
Research shows that the risk is highest immediately after detox or treatment discharge, when tolerance is reduced but cravings remain strong. Long term outcomes vary depending on whether medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and continuing support are part of the treatment plan.
Do People Ever Stop Using Long Term?
Yes! Long term recovery is possible. The use of MOUD, along with a comprehensive treatment plan, increases the chances of avoiding relapse and living a life in sobriety.
Why is Overdose Risk So High After a Break?
After a break in abstinence, the overdose risk is the highest. This is because your body quickly loses tolerance to the drug, even within days to weeks after it was last used. Individuals may return to their “normal” dose, leading to overdose because the body no longer needs the same amount of the drug to experience the same ”high”.
Heroin relapse is all too common. Don’t let it happen to you; Call
800-681-1058
(Sponsored)
today, and get the help you need.
