Could a video gaming joystick help you stay sober? That’s what researchers are looking to discover in an ongoing study in Berlin. Study participants were asked to use the device to push away alcohol-related images and pull images of water and non-alcoholic beverages closer in an attempt to prevent relapse.
Before the training, the majority of participants associate alcohol with ‘approach’ but, after the training, alcohol is associated with ‘avoid,’ according to the press release. Along with conventional addiction treatment, the joystick therapy was found to lower relapse rates.
The Signs of Relapse
Unfortunately, relapse is a pretty normal part of recovery – and just the image of alcohol can be enough to trigger some people with alcohol use disorder to start drinking again. But a relapse is more than just returning to using – and, in fact, there are warning signs of long before the first drink occurs.
Unfortunately, relapse is a pretty normal part of recovery – and just the image of alcohol can be enough to trigger some people with alcohol use disorder to start drinking again. But a relapse is more than just returning to using – and, in fact, there are warning signs of long before the first drink occurs.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, when people who have had a stable recovery and have done well begin to relapse, they:
- Return to addictive thinking patterns
- Engage in compulsive, self-defeating behaviors
- Seek out situations involving people who use alcohol and drugs
- Think less rationally, and behaving less responsibly
- Find themselves in a situation in which alcohol use seems like a logical escape from pain
Aftercare Planning at Hope Academy in CA
Young adults are particularly vulnerable to relapse during the first 90 days after treatment, but sobriety is a never-ending battle. At Hope Academy, we offer our clients support groups, transitional living options, aftercare programs and sobriety-college living. To learn more about how we can help you or someone you love get and stay sober, contact our credentialed addiction specialists today! Call 866-930-4673.
Young adults are particularly vulnerable to relapse during the first 90 days after treatment, but sobriety is a never-ending battle. At Hope Academy, we offer our clients support groups, transitional living options, aftercare programs and sobriety-college living. To learn more about how we can help you or someone you love get and stay sober, contact our credentialed addiction specialists today! Call 866-930-4673.
