STAY AWAKE –
Jan. 13, 2026 – If you’re supporting someone in their journey to recovery, help them stay sober by recognizing triggers, risks and signs they may return to use.
“It’s common for people to return to use at least once during their recovery,” says Kimberly Kabernagel, DO. If their friends and family understand what can cause them to return to use, it helps them stay sober.”
When someone in recovery returns to using a drug or consuming alcohol — that’s considered a relapse. The preferred term is “return to use.”
A person in recovery might return to use once or multiple times. Of course, losing progress on the path to recovery is challenging and frustrating.
When a person in recovery returns to use, it can lead to accidental overdose. When you take a drug often, you build up tolerance. During recovery, your body loses that tolerance. If you take the same amount of the drug as before, you might have an extreme, unexpected — even fatal — reaction.
“That’s why it’s so important to recognize the signs of a return to use,” says Dr. Kabernagel.
