You Relapsed… Now What?
If you worked hard to stay sober but ended up relapsing, you are not alone. It happens frequently to people in recovery — for many people, more than once.
Now that it is behind you, a relapse can become an incredible opportunity to improve your quality of life in sobriety as you move forward. How? Here are just a few of the things you can do after a relapse to grow stronger in recovery and keep it from happening again:
· Count your blessings. Relapse can be deadly. Many people do not survive, either because of the choices they make while under the influence or due to the overwhelming nature of their drug of choice after a period of relapse.
· Do a “post-mortem.” Get together with your therapist and hash out everything that happened leading up to the relapse. How were you feeling? What was happening in your life? Do you feel like it was related to a certain progression of events or an underlying feeling that you have not been able to shake in recovery? Relapses are not sudden and do not strike out of the clear blue sky. There is a development, an evolution to them, and if you identify it, you will be able to recognize it should it happen again.
· Create a plan. Now that you are starting to understand what triggers and amplifies cravings, you can create a plan to minimize those triggers and connect with coping mechanisms to get them under control if you start to feel cravings.
· Believe in yourself. You can do this. Millions of people have done it before you, and many, if not most, of them relapsed. You can come back from this.
· Remember that relapse can end your life, not just your recovery. Do not take relapse lightly. It is not a frivolous thing that you can choose to engage in as if it will not have a negative impact on your recovery. You were given a gift in surviving this one. Take that gift and use it well, refocusing your energy where it belongs: on making healthy choices.
Back to Basics
If you do not know which way to turn after a relapse, the safest route is to connect with a first responder-focused treatment program like the First Responder Lifeline Program at American Addiction Centers. Our unique program is offered in locations across the country with treatment consultants on standby 24 hours a day to assist you in the process of finding the best place for your recovery journey. We offer the following locations to police officers and other first responders:
- Clinical Services of Rhode Island in Greenville/Portsmouth/South Kingstown, Rhode Island
- Greenhouse Treatment Center in Dallas, Texas
- Desert Hope Treatment Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Laguna Treatment Hospital in Aliso Viejo, California
- Sunrise House Treatment Center in Sussex County, New Jersey
- Recovery First in West Palm Beach/Hollywood, Florida
Where should you start your road back to stability in recovery? Call us at (855) 997–6542 today to discuss your options.
