Do I Have to Relapse?

When you attend recovery meetings, you hear people talk about their relapse and what happened to them. The problem you have is that you feel like everyone has relapsed in their story, so you are afraid that you will also have to experience a relapse. If everyone else was jumping off a bridge, would you follow them?

The consensus would be that you would not jump off the bridge unless you were under the influence and displaying uninhibited behaviors. Under this reasoning, you may choose not to relapse because you will see that staying sober is the much better choice.

The point to make about relapse is, no, you do not have to relapse. There will be times where you will feel weak and think about the possibility, but that is when you will want to pick up recovery tools and use them to your advantage. You should know that relapse is shared about in recovery meetings, but relapse does not have to be a part of your recovery.

You should remain steadfast in your sobriety because you will hear that getting sober after a relapse is more complicated than initially getting sober. With this useful knowledge, you may not want to put yourself through something that you already know from others is not a great experience.

You Undo Everything You Have Worked For

A ton of rewarding work goes into staying sober. Not to mention that you will be throwing away the days that you have remained abstinent. Even though staying sober is supposed to be one-day-at-a-time, losing the days you worked to stay sober will nonetheless be disappointing. Not only will you undo everything, but you will also start back right where you left off in your addiction.

You View the Research Instead of Testing It

Obviously, you would never want to wish ill will on anyone but learning from someone else’s mistakes really resonates. Instead of doing something you might regret, trusting that other people’s demise was painful can keep those experiences a “yet” for you. Do not feel bad that you are letting others show you what not to do. Think of it as a blessing and then be of service to them if you can. Thank them for sharing with you and start sharing with them right back. You both can help each other to stay sober.

You Gain Strength from Not Picking Up

The more you stay sober and reach for your tools, the easier it will become to stay away from drugs and alcohol. Strength comes in numbers, and although recovery is a one-day-at-a-time process, the more you acquire in sober days, knowledge, and confidence, the more likely you will collect more days at a time. Continuing to gain these small victories in recovery will help keep your eye on the prize of sobriety instead of slipping towards a relapse.

You Respect Others Who Come Back

When you hear of someone relapsing, you are so thankful when you see them come back into the rooms. Addiction is cunning, baffling, and powerful, and can lead people to jail, institutions, and death. Having them in your presence gives you a chance to welcome them back and tell them how courageous they are to keep coming back. Showing their face to others who they have regard to in the program is really tough.

Rather than allow their pride to take over and tell them they are not good enough; they are being a great example of suiting up and showing up. Their model of what to do when relapse occurs can spark some more determination in your program to keep fighting the good fight in recovery.

You Can Be an Example of Not Having to Relapse

Fitting in is important for most people to feel part of the group. Even though many in your recovery may have relapsed, you still do not have to go that route. Instead, you can be a shining example of what it looks like to continue working your program and not allow relapse to be part of your story. You could be the inspiration that someone needs to see with how better life gets without ever having to relapse.

For all the shameful things you did under the influence, setting a realistic expectation of what recovery can be like without bragging or judging others is a humble gesture. Practicing the principles in all your affairs is not just for you as much as it for everyone else to see that the program works if you work it.

Relapse should be taken into careful consideration because no one is immune. Having a relapse prevention plan should be a part of your recovery to make sure that you comprehend what to do when the urges start to develop. You are going towards the drink or the drug, or you are going toward your recovery. The best gift you could ever give yourself is to live in your recovery.

Valiant Living will assist you in getting sober from drugs and alcohol and provide with a relapse prevention plan that is personal to your recovery. Through evidence-based therapy options and the endless adventure of Colorado, Valiant fosters connection, encouraging clients to get connected to themselves, their peers, their families, and their higher power. With the power of recovery, clients are restored to full health and experience life-changing healing. Get started with us today: 303-536-5463