Two Pieces Of Advice For Coming Back From Relapse
After a relapse, you are faced with two choices. You can either continue using or you can ask for help and come back to recovery. Most people who relapse find that the sayings they hear in recovery are true- it gets worse, it doesn’t get better.
Relapse is normal. It happens to many people in recovery. Some people find that their relapse was necessary to give them the perspective they needed to realize they absolutely cannot manage their drinking and drug use. Relapse is not a necessary part of the journey. While it can happen, it does not have to happen. If it does, understand that it is normal and it is okay to come back to recovery.
Invest In Your Recovery First
Relapse is a brief visit to active addiction. During active addiction, addicts and alcoholics are liable to make a number of poor decisions, fueled by an altered state of mind which blurs the ability to make rational decisions of good judgment. Sometimes a decision is made with good intention but leads to negative consequences. Addicts and alcoholics are not liars, cheaters, and thieves. They can, however, be inspired to lie, to cheat, and to steal. It is possible that during your relapse you stole from people you care about, in more ways than financial means. You might be encouraged to overcompensate for your relapse by hurriedly trying to do whatever possible to pay people back. Recovery teaches you to invest in yourself first. Before you get overwhelmed with stress, shame, and guilt, trying to pay people back, you need to invest in your recovery. After getting stabilized in sobriety, you will be in a better position to start making amends.
Don’t Lie
Lying about a relapse in recovery has a snowball effect. Does alcoholism cause the lying or does the lying cause the alcoholism? Addicts and alcoholics, like all people, have defects of character which can be deficits to their ability to act honestly. Honesty is a necessity for successful recovery. From the minute someone admits that they need help to overcome a drinking or drug problem, they realize they need to stay honest throughout recovery. Addiction and alcoholism are deceptive diseases. The very chemical process of addiction in the brain includes the brain sending out mixed signals about cravings for drugs and alcohol when there is no need to consume them. Lying about relapse can be the starting thread for a web of lies which could result in another relapse. There is no controlling how other people will react to news of your relapse. Your recovery belongs to you and you only. You are empowered to decide how you want to move forward. The best thing you can do is be honest about your relapse, ask for help, and get back on track with recovery again.
Hired Power is here to help you get back on track. We know how hard it can be to come back from a relapse. You are not alone. From finding treatment to getting to treatment safely, our recovery services empower you to focus on healing. For information on how our dynamic staff can support you, call us today at 800.910.9299.