Recognizing The Early Signs Of Heroin Relapse As A Gay Person

Recognizing The Early Signs Of Heroin Relapse As A Gay Person

As a gay person, you may be humming along in heroin addiction recovery for months or even years when, seemingly without warning, you find yourself returning to heroin. The word “seemingly” is key, as relapse from heroin addiction is most often a process, not an event. Prior to that moment when the decision was made to return to heroin, there were probably warning signs flashing signs that may have been dismissed or blatantly ignored.

For many gay people, even those with a solid recovery under their belt, the heroin addiction can begin to re-emerge incrementally. The risk for relapse grows steadily if proactive steps are not taken to take back control. By learning the early signs of heroin relapse, you are better equipped to recognize the dangers and to act on them.

What To Know About Heroin Relapse As A Gay Person

Relapse following heroin addiction treatment happens when a gay person stops maintaining their goal of abstinence of heroin and resumes their use of the substance. Years of chronic heroin use rewire the brain, and when the gay person starts recovering from the addiction, the brain doesn’t automatically transform back to its original state prior to addiction. In fact, it takes considerable time for the brain to repair itself after heroin use.

During early recovery, the recovering gay person is trying to cope with life without the substance. Without the familiar crutch of heroin at their disposal, they can struggle mightily as they live day to day. There will be times where the gay individual starts justifying why using heroin might be OK. The gay person may say things to themselves such as the following:

• Just one more time won’t hurt me
• I’m just really stressed right now
• All my gay friends are still using
• I’m very depressed right now. I need a pick-me-up

While it is completely normal to experience these thoughts early in heroin addiction recovery, it is not helpful to dwell on those thoughts. If a gay person early in recovery fails to address these feelings as they happen, they grow to the point where they are too powerful to ignore. As a result, they will more than likely return to regular heroin use, and the cycle of addiction becomes more pronounced.

What Are The Early Signs Of Heroin Relapse As A Gay Person?

No gay person in heroin use recovery is shielded from the possibility of experiencing a relapse. However, heroin relapse doesn’t just happen; it typically evolves over a period of weeks. The earlier these early signs of heroin relapse are detected, the sooner the recovering gay individual has to take action. The three stages of heroin relapse in a gay person are as follows:

Emotional Relapse

The first stage of relapse is emotional heroin relapse. During this first phase, the recovering gay individual may not be thinking about using, but their emotions and actions point toward a possible relapse down the road. Early warning signs of heroin relapse in this phase include;

• Bottling up emotions
• Suicide
• Angry outburst
• Increasing isolation from others, including gay friends and family members 
• Mood swings
• No longer attending heroin support group meetings

Mental Relapse

The second stage of heroin relapse in a gay person is mental relapse. In this phase, there is a growing inner battle between maintaining sobriety and using heroin. During mental relapse, the gay person starts fantasizing about using heroin again and finds ways to rationalize their use. Common warning signs seen in a gay person in this phase include:

• Increased cravings for heroin
• Constant thoughts of heroin use
• Minimizing the consequences of past heroin use
• Spending more time with those who actively use heroin 

Physical Relapse

If the early warning signs seen in the first two stages are not addressed, the gay person in recovery ultimately moves to the physical phase of heroin relapse, where they actually resume the use of heroin. When a gay person starts using again, they may feel a great sense of remorse, shame, and guilt. One gay person who physically relapses has the opportunity to regroup, figure out what went wrong, and work hard to get back on track. On the other hand, another gay person who relapses may stay stuck in shame and guilt and continue to use, thinking they aren’t worthy of recovery. 

Turn Back Heroin Relapse WIth Help Of Pride Detox 

Are you a gay person newly in heroin addiction recovery, and you feel that your sobriety is slipping away from you? If you are noticing the early signs of heroin relapse, now is the time to act. Pride Detox is a top-tier treatment facility specializing in all forms of detox programs and addiction treatment, including heroin detox and addiction treatment. Our wide selection of programs features evidence-based outpatient relapse prevention services that are extensively tested and proven to work. Whether you struggle with heroin addiction or any other substance use disorder, the compassionate and experienced treatment staff at Pride Detox will give you the support you need to rise above relapse. Call Pride Detox today at 1-562-545-3289 to make your sobriety your top priority.