The recovery process from a mental health condition rarely moves in a straight line. Sometimes symptoms can come back, which can cause people to think that they’ve failed or have to start all over again.Â
Experiencing this cycle of relapse within recovery can feel devastating and demotivating. However, experiencing a relapse – or a return of your previous symptoms after a period of improvement – is often misunderstood and can cause unnecessary shame. It’s a clinical pattern that usually has identifiable causes, warning signs, and strategies to manage and reduce how often it happens. It’s also a normal part of the recovery process.Â
To help you better understand relapse within recovery, this page will discuss:
Relapse versus recurrence in psychiatry describes two important yet different phenomena:[1]Â
Relapse tends to happen earlier in the recovery process, usually within the first few months after your symptoms have decreased. It could signal that:[2]Â
Why symptoms keep returning in these cases usually has more to do with incomplete treatment than a given condition’s severity. Recurrence, however, emerges after a disorder goes into remission, sometimes months or years later, as is commonly seen in disorders like major depression or bipolar disorder.Â
Both patterns are common enough that anyone with a notable mental health history can experience them. Therefore, recurring mental health episodes are something that effective, long-term treatment planning should account for in the lifelong recovery process.Â
Relapses in mental health can often be traced to a trigger. And triggers, thankfully, are mental health relapse causes that can be planned and accounted for in advance in treatment.
While no two people share the same trigger profile, certain categories are consistent enough across conditions and populations to be examined carefully. These include:
Catching a relapse early is possible and preferable in the recovery process. The earlier an emerging episode is identified and responded to, the less severe it tends to become. Most adults who have experienced previous mental health episodes have recognizable, trackable early warning patterns.
We cover these patterns for some common conditions below.
Early signs of depression relapse are sometimes very subtle. Changes in sleeping patterns (either increases or decreases) sometimes arrive before any mood changes are obvious.Â
Additionally, you might notice yourself starting to lose interest in doing things you enjoy and withdrawing from others, or you might have an increase in negative self-talk.Â
Managing recurring depression effectively means treating these potential signals as something to pay attention to and act on. It is likely not a good idea to wait for the full weight of a depressive episode to confirm what the early warning signs may be telling you.[3]Â
Anxiety relapse prevention starts with recognizing the physical signs that come before a full return of your symptoms. Muscle tension, stomach issues, and a lingering sense of unease that doesn’t seem explainable are all common early markers.
Additionally, avoidance behaviors and patterns can start to return, along with sleep becoming more difficult. Increased rumination over events is also a common relapse symptom.Â
Bipolar relapse warning signs can look different depending on whether it is mania or depression-related symptoms that are returning.Â
A depressive episode usually starts to become apparent with the signals described above:Â
Manic or hypomanic episodes, on the other hand, tend to produce the opposite – a decreased need for sleep, elevated mood, rapid thinking patterns, and lessened insight into what’s happening.Â
However, when it comes to having an insight into slipping into previous patterns, people close to someone with bipolar disorder may be better placed to notice this. Early warning signs of a manic or hypomanic episode could go unnoticed by the person experiencing them until they become a full-blown episode.[4]Â
PTSD relapse symptoms usually come about in response to a very specific trigger, such as an anniversary, a sensory cue, a life event, or a reminder of the initial trauma.Â
As a result, people might experience:Â
Relapse prevention strategies for adults are most effective when they’re built into your daily life. While it’s not possible to eliminate all the risks, you can build a life that supports ongoing stability while also increasing your self-knowledge about catching early warning signs before they turn into a full episode.
To start with, a written relapse plan developed in tandem with a clinician should name your personal triggers or known mental health relapse causes. It should also identify early warning signs specific to your history and a unique response plan for what to do should those signs appear.Â
It’s important to create the plan during a time of general stability, and not in the middle of an emerging episode when your judgment might be compromised.Â
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Ongoing maintenance treatment shouldn’t stop when your symptoms do. Preventing relapse in mental illness is much harder to do without the proper clinical support. Research across several conditions shows that discontinuing treatment during remission increases relapse risk, yet it remains one of the most common decisions people make when they start feeling better.[5]Â
Maintenance therapy, even at a reduced frequency, gives you a clinical relationship that can help catch early signs and respond before they get worse. What’s more, making sure you engage in exercise, social connections, and prioritizing sleep are all protective factors against relapse.Â
You can also utilize structured, self-monitoring tools to track your baseline over time. The Flourishing Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and similar instruments can be used on an ongoing basis to measure how your symptoms manifest themselves over time.Â
AMFM is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
As painful as they can be, relapses can also be a normal part of the recovery process. And repeated relapses usually point toward a gap between the care you’re getting and what your needs are.Â
For adults whose relapse patterns are driven by additional diagnoses or unresolved trauma, outpatient-based care might not be the best fit. Repeated relapses should prompt the question of whether or not your diagnosis has been fully examined, and if there are other reasons for this happening. It’s also worth considering whether there are additional biological factors in play.Â
Sometimes, the answer to this pattern is a more intensive level of care. Residential treatment can provide the structure, accountability, and support you need to get back on the right track and engage in your recovery process with a plan for the long term.Â
Recovery is always possible when it comes to mental health. Choosing the right level of care, with the right clinical team and a treatment plan that views the bigger picture, can help you or a loved one overcome a relapse with a considered plan for moving forward.Â
AMFM (A Mission For Michael) Mental Health Treatment offers a full spectrum of care and holistic, evidence-backed interventions for many different kinds of mental health challenges. Your treatments are always individualized, accounting for what works best for you and what you need for long-term recovery.Â
Our well-appointed locations in California, Minnesota, and Virginia provide a healing environment and accept most major insurance providers. To check your insurance coverage for treatment, simply complete our confidential online form or call our caring team at 866-478-4383.Â
If you’re looking for stability, AMFM Mental Health Treatment is here to help you get there. Reach out today to learn more about our admissions process and find out how we can support your lasting recovery.Â
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If you’re experiencing relapses in your recovery, it’s normal to have some concerns about why this is happening. To help, we’ve provided the following answers to questions we’re commonly asked.
No, not necessarily. Treatment that produced results did something for you, even if your symptoms have returned. But a relapse after a period of stability can tell you that the conditions supporting that stability might not have been enough to hold up without additional, ongoing support.Â
Yes, because the psychological weight of relapse can be incredibly distressing. You might feel as if you’ve lost your hard-won progress, or that recovery is impossible.Â
It’s important to remember that recovery is always possible, and that experiencing a relapse is often a normal part of healing. Make sure you connect with a professional to help you examine what happened and come up with a plan for addressing things moving forward.
It can be hard to talk about a mental health relapse. But try to reframe the experience around the fact that you’re noticing important early warning signs. Identifying and naming what you’re noticing can give your therapist important information to collaborate with you and pinpoint potential next steps to take.
At AMFM, we strive to provide the most up-to-date and accurate medical information based on current best practices, evolving information, and our team’s approach to care. Our aim is that our readers can make informed decisions about their healthcare.
Our reviewers are credentialed medical providers specializing and practicing behavioral healthcare. We follow strict guidelines when fact-checking information and only use credible sources when citing statistics and medical information. Look for the medically reviewed badge on our articles for the most up-to-date and accurate information.
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