While we would all like to believe that a person enters treatment for alcohol or drug addiction, their recovery is a straight line—improving every day—this is not always the case. All forms of alcohol and drug intervention carry a risk of relapse. It is uncomfortable to think about, but planning for the possibility of “falling off the wagon” as it is sometimes called is an important part of staying sober in the long term. It is often said that “Recovery is a process and not an event,” and with that in mind, preparing yourself for what to do in the event that you do succumb to the strong temptation of alcohol or drugs is vital.
Preventing Relapse
The best thing that you can do is to learn to see the signs of faltering commitment when they first crop up; if you can prevent yourself from succumbing to temptation, that is a much better situation than going out and having to start all over again. The early warning signs of someone about to succumb to their addiction once more is a lack of self-care, and actively going through the process of engaging in self-care can be a powerful way to prevent yourself from succumbing. When you feel better about yourself, you are better able to resist the temptation to start drinking or using drugs again. Some examples of self-care include:
- Eating three balanced meals per day
- Getting enough sleep
- Exercise (going for a walk, or doing yoga)
- Doing something fun or creative (writing, art, music)
- Meditation or prayer
- Spending time with family
- Going to church
- Participating in service (whether charity or within a substance abuse support group such as AA)
This is not an exhaustive list, but it does provide some ideas for things that you can do to feel better about yourself, to improve your mindset overall, and to prevent yourself from relapsing. The most important thing to do is to take yourself out of the mindset and the situational factors that contribute to the desire to drink or use drugs.
If You Relapse
You may not catch yourself before it’s too late; in many cases, the symptoms of a pending relapse into active addiction are subtle and slow to arise, which can make it difficult to know that you’re on the path to using again. In other cases, even when you know you’re on edge, it can be difficult even when you’re taking the best of care to keep yourself from making the mistake of trying to drink or trying to use. While this can be devastating, it is vitally important to remember that you quit before, and you can absolutely do it again.
If you’re involved in a 12-step program or attending meetings for addict support groups such as AA or NA, it’s important to continue working your program. While it may be a blow to the ego to have to walk in and pick up another “white chip” for first-day sobriety, consider that the blow to your ego is much less important than staying alive—and that your addiction, if left to its own devices, will absolutely kill you. There are many people who have “gone out” and started anew, and they will be sympathetic to your situation. “Keep doing the next right thing” is a major idea in recovery—embrace it and continue going to meetings, and staying engaged in your recovery effort. If you think that you are a danger to yourself in your addiction, contact the rehab facility you worked with before—or contact a drug treatment facility if you’ve never been through treatment. Treatment facilities can offer a safe space, and can help you get through the psychological pain of relapse.
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