Relapse Prevention

Relapse is considered a normal, expected part of the recovery process. If you have relapsed, try not to let yourself feel discouraged; it may feel as if you've taken a step backward, but every day of sobriety, every craving that you resisted, and every phone call from someone in your old circle of friends that you ignored was a step forward.  Call your sponsor, a relative, or someone else in your support network and be honest about what happened; it may be to your advantage to return to support groups (like the 12-step programs Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous) or psychotherapy if you have stopped these since completing treatment at your residential rehab facility or outpatient program. These can help remind you of how to cope with stress when you encounter environmental triggers or experience a craving.

Family and friends are often, understandably, distressed by signs of relapse; if you suspect that someone you know has relapsed, it is important to keep in mind that relapse is common and not necessarily an indication that the person is not still committed to recovery.   Alternately, what an outsider might perceive as signs of relapse may actually indicate a phenomenon known as cross addiction, which occurs when a recovering addict transfers his or her addictive tendencies to another substance or behavior. Cross addiction may or may not represent a threat to recovery depending on what the substitute behavior is.  But regardless of what exactly is causing the problem, new signs of addictive behavior should be investigated further with sensitivity to the recovering addict’s state.