Relapse
is the ever-feared return to using your drug of choice and again experiencing
the devastating consequences as addiction takes over and your life spirals out
of control. While no one wants to return to using after entering addiction
recovery, the fact is – slip-ups happen and relapse is often viewed as a characteristic of addiction
recovery.
But
does a night of drinking or drugging mean you are doomed to months of use and
despair? One-time slips are definitely serious and can lead a
person back to full-blown drug addiction, but you do not have to end up that
way if you handle it properly.
What happens if I Relapse? Using after
months or even years of sobriety leads to overwhelming feelings of failure,
shame, and guilt -- feelings that can cause you to give up on recovery
completely and continue using. Often when a person relapses they feel weak -
they feel that they have let themselves, family and friends down, and may think
they do not deserve a life in recovery. But if you think that one lapse will
inevitably lead to continued use, and means that you have lost all that you
have gained in recovery, it is simply not true. You have a choice. There are
steps you can take after a slip-up to prevent the downward spiral of addiction
and get yourself back on the road to recovery.
Steps to take after a Relapse: It is important
to act immediately in response to a relapse. Thinking that a slip-up means the
end of your recovery, and using feelings of failure as an excuse to continue
using is detrimental. Instead, take the following steps:
Step 1: Take responsibility: Admit to yourself that you
slipped up. It is difficult, but you cannot help yourself if you do not admit
to your mistake. Say to yourself “I slipped up, I used again, and I now have a
choice.” No one is in control of your behaviour but you. Just like when you
entered recovery treatment the first time, you have to admit and accept
that you are powerless over your addiction. Be honest with yourself and take
responsibility for your actions.
Step 2: Make a 24 hour
commitment: Make
a commitment to not use again for the next 24 hours. After an initial slip-up,
you are going to feel bad about yourself, and the easy choice is to give in and
use again. Instead, make an immediate commitment not to use again for the next
24 hours. Remember that your recovery is a day-to-day process. Go back to taking it one
day at a time, and in the first 24 hours – take it hour-by-hour.
Step 3: Admit your lapse to
someone else: Once
you have admitted to yourself that you slipped up, and made a 24-hour
commitment to yourself, it's important to admit your lapse to someone else. Do
not put this off! Immediately call a sponsor, friend, or family member who has
been supportive thus far in your recovery. It will be tempting to sulk in
isolation, or pretend your lapse never happened, but those are two sure-fire
ways to enter a full-blown relapse, rather than getting back on track. If you
simply cannot muster up the courage to make a phone call, send an email and ask
someone to meet with you face to face.
Step 4: Attend a meeting,
counselling session, or seek out other support: After admitting your slip to
someone, they will probably also recommend you surround yourself with support.
If you are a part of AA or another recovery group, go to a meeting - preferably
within 24 hours of your slip. Call an addiction counsellor and ask for an
emergency session.Surrounding yourself with supportive people is essential to
avoid falling further into relapse.
Step 5: Acknowledge and deal
with difficult emotions: There is no doubt that after a relapse you will experience a
wide array of difficult emotions. It is possible that stress and overwhelming
emotions are what led you to use drugs or alcohol again in the first place.
You
likely feel shame and guilt for letting yourself and others down, sadness and
depression, and maybe resentment towards others you believe should have
supported you more. Take a few deep breaths as you consciously acknowledge the
weight of these feelings. Remind yourself that feelings are temporary, and you
do not have to act on them by using more drugs or alcohol. If you remember that
addiction is a disease, not a moral failing, you can more easily acknowledge
and let go of shame, guilt, and resentment. You are not a bad person or a
failure, rather you suffer from a chronic disease.
Acknowledging
and then letting go of your shame and guilt is easier said
than done. You may need some help from a therapist or support group to
accomplish this, and it won't happen overnight. But dwelling on those feelings
is self-deprecating and not at all helpful in getting back on track in your
recovery.
Step 6: Learn from your
experience: You
relapsed for a reason, whether or not you were aware of the warning signs. But
a slip up doesn't have to turn into a full-blown disaster. You can learn from
the experience and become aware of the areas of your recovery that need
improvement.
Look
at the situation leading up to your lapse. Did recovery take the back burner,
instead of being most important in your life? Was there a shift back to old
patterns of thinking and feeling? Did you overconfidently put yourself in a
high-risk situation?
Identify
what coping mechanisms were working well before the slip and start using them
again right away. Make a detailed relapse
prevention plan listing what you will do when
faced with similar circumstances in the future.
Relapse and Recovery : If you experience a slip in your sobriety, or even full-blown relapses, where you return to using
your drug of choice regularly, remember that recovery is still possible and you
are not beyond help. Nor are you a failure. After a slip-up you have not
unlearned all that you gained from previous treatment and recovery. You can
take action to get back on track and learn even more about what you need to do
to be successful.
Drug
or alcohol relapse is serious, and if using your support and healthy coping
skills is not enough to get you back on track after a slip; you may consider
re-entering an addiction treatment centre. Even if you have been through
alcohol or drug rehab before, there is always more to learn about addiction and
recovery.
(These articles are the sole property of “The Cabin Chiang Mai”, they are its original authors.)
No comments:
Post a Comment