The goal of substance abuse treatment in sober living is never to drink or use drugs again. Some people may struggle with relapse. Why does relapse happen? There are many potential causes of chronic relapse, but in every situation, trying again is best. Our team at Alina Lodge can offer you the guidance and support you need to minimize these risks through comprehensive and specific chronic relapse treatment.

What Is Chronic Relapse?

Drug and alcohol addiction treatment is not a simple straight path. Many people will relapse. It’s also important not to think of relapse as a failure. Instead, think of it as a part of the recovery process. When relapse occurs, it means you need more treatment or a different form of treatment.

Chronic relapse means a person has struggled to remain sober for a long period of time. Most relapse occurs in the initial thirty to ninety days after leaving therapy. When a person gets treatment, relapses, and gets treatment again, that’s going to reinforce therapies and solutions. If relapse continues to occur, it’s deemed chronic. That does not change the goal of care, but it does change how it is treated.

How Much Therapy Prevents Chronic Relapse?

There’s no way to know how many times relapse will occur. Yet, the longer people receive care, the more likely relapse will not happen. For example, it’s common for people to receive 30-day treatment. Once they complete treatment, they feel motivated to get back to life. Then, suddenly, they relapse. The key factor is that they did not receive enough treatment in those thirty days.

It’s often families that struggle with this pattern of chronic relapse. It can be frustrating for families, and it may seem as though treatment isn’t effective. However, that’s not the case.

What Type of Therapy Can Prevent Chronic Relapse?

The better way of looking at addiction and relapse is to see that more treatment isn’t necessarily the answer. You may also need a different level of treatment. Residential treatment is critical for most people who have a habit of chronic relapse. This type of substance abuse treatment may also include a more extended stay in detox to allow the body to more comprehensively remove toxic substances.

From there, you should engage in relapse prevention programs. These programs teach very specific tools and strategies to help you to remain sober. These relapse prevention strategies may include how to communicate your needs, manage stress more effectively, and reduce the number of triggers impacting you.

Some people may need additional treatment, such as family therapy, especially when one or more of the triggers a person has relates to relationships. Treatment therapists may also need to look deeper to determine if an underlying mental health disorder may be causing these relapses to occur. It’s common for these to go unobserved in some cases, especially if the treatment facility isn’t specifically looking for them.

Building a Stronger Sober Living Experience

How can you avoid chronic relapse? A new, extended stay treatment program may be necessary. You may also benefit from more extensive help when you leave therapy, such as more frequent recovery aftercare. This allows you to continuously work with your therapist even after you leave formal inpatient treatment at Alina Lodge.

It’s time to put your best foot forward. We offer a wide array of programs depending on your treatment plan, including:

  • Drug and alcohol detox center
  • Long-term treatment programs
  • Men’s rehab programs
  • Women’s rehab programs
  • Dual diagnosis treatment programs
  • Haley House sober living

Are You Ready to Get Healthy? Learn More by Calling Alina Lodge Today

Chronic relapse may be impacting every part of your life right now. You’re frustrated and overwhelmed. We understand your feelings and can offer help for substance abuse. At Alina Lodge, we offer relapse prevention tools and all the support you need for sober living. To learn more, call us at 833.685.1700 or connect with our team online.


For over 60 years, Alina Lodge has been at the forefront of addiction treatment, and today is widely considered to be among the top residential addiction treatment programs in the United States. Our 90-day and long-term treatment programs allow us to take the time to understand the root causes of addiction and ensure that once our “students” graduate from our program, they have the tools they need for lifelong recovery. It is this kind of attention to the unique needs of each of our students that has earned us the reputation we have today.To learn more about our treatment programs visit https://www.alingalodge.org today.