Hello! I hope everyone had a fun, sober weekend. I’m going to start tackling some of the topics that people have expressed interest in reading about on this blog. Once again, if you have anything you’d like to read about, leave a comment! I’ll get around to all suggestions eventually.
We’re going to start with relapse. I think relapse is such an important topic because people don’t often like to talk about it. No one in recovery plans to relapse, but everyone is at risk. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been sober or how happy you are without drugs or alcohol - you can never cure the disease of addiction. As long as you acknowledge that relapse is a possibility, you can do things to prevent it.
Relapse isn’t, however, a singular event. It might seem like the decision to use drugs or alcohol again is spontaneous, but the decision is actually a long time in the making. Perhaps you’ve heard it said that relapse is a process. The process starts when you have a problem that you don’t get help with. Usually that problem is general stress, and instead of taking steps to relieve yourself of stress, you just silently deal with it. You aren’t honest with yourself about how you’re feeling. You don’t ask for help. Your emotions begin taking over.
In order to prevent relapse, you have to be honest about how you’re coping with those feelings. When you notice yourself exhibiting any relapse warning signs, talk to someone in your support system about it (a sponsor, counselor, sober friend, trusted family member, etc.). Here’s a list of some of the most common relapse warning signs to look for:
Isolating yourself by ceasing to attend meetings or therapy, or by not staying in contact with members of your support system.
Boredom
Avoiding dealing with problems or stress
Straying from your treatment plan by quitting therapy, stopping medications, or not accomplishing other treatment goals
Dwelling on the past, negative emotions, or unresolved issues
Returning to “people, places, and things” that you used to associate with using or drinking
Major (especially sudden) changes in life, both negative and positive
Feeling overwhelmed
Changes in routine, such as eating habits, sleeping habits, or activities
Changes in health or hygiene
Conflicts with other people, such as friends or significant others
Feeling confident in your recovery and believing you no longer need support or treatment
Obsessively thinking about using drugs, drinking, or other negative behaviors
Criticizing yourself for not meeting your own expectations or not being “good enough”
After you seek help for your problems or emotions that could lead to relapse, you need to come up with a plan to tackle them. At least one person in your support system should be able to help you. For example: If you notice you’re feeling bored more often, decide on a new activity to try in your free time. Then, make sure you follow up with that person on your progress. Talk about how your plan is working, and don’t stop until you’ve solved your problem.
Sometimes your problems are easy to solve. And sometimes you have problems that will never completely go away - the key, however, is that you never stop acknowledging them and never stop trying to solve them. Your problems and stress will lead to relapse when you ignore them.
When I attended detox/rehab in late 2010, I went to the Caron Treatment Center in Pennsylvania. Caron published a short booklet called “Relapse & Recovery: Behavioral Strategies for Change” that I recommend if you’d like to read more about relapse prevention.
What relapse warning signs would you add to this list? How do you deal when you know you’re dealing with problems and emotions that could eventually lead to relapse?
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