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Endings & Beginnings

The conclusion of something is better than its beginning, and a patient attitude is more valuable than a proud one. Ecc 7:8 (IVS)

The Summer season is ending soon, and another season will be beginning. That is how recovery can be for some. You made it through recovery treatment. You were doing well staying stopped on your addiction. And then one night, a coworker asks you to go somewhere you should not go after work. “Just this one time.” It won’t hurt, you tell yourself. That’s the last thing you remember when you wake up the next morning, remembering and regretting what you did.

A relapse (“lapse,” “slip,” “setback”) is one of the most frustrating and humiliating experiences you can face during addiction recovery.  It leaves you feeling guilty, ashamed and tempted to throw in the towel and just keep acting out addictive behaviors. Unfortunately, relapse is also common.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 40 to 60 percent of people who in addiction recovery relapse at least once. In fact, many people have multiple relapses before finally achieve sobriety

Don’t be too hard on yourself relapse is part of recovery. But how do I begin again? Here are some tips:

Forgive yourself. For many after a fall, a person’s guilt, shame and humiliation come back tenfold. Prepare yourself for these feelings. Commit to use them as motivation to get back on track rather than as an excuse to hide away in disgrace if you do relapse.

Ask for Help. Whether it’s after a brief relapse or if in the middle of a longer relapse, you should contact your addiction counselor, recovery coach, or other recovery accountability supporter to schedule a face-to-face meeting.

Call on supportive loved ones. This step may be particularly tough, especially if you’ve hurt your friends and family members with your addiction in the past. But support from the most important people in your life is very important.

Consider returning to treatment. Whether or not you should return to treatment will depend on the severity of your lapse and the circumstances surrounding it. If the relapse consisted of a few hours or a few days, you may be able to get back to your recovery path somewhat easily. Longer relapses may require more intensive treatment.

Think of relapse as a steppingstone. Instead of viewing your relapse as a step backward, think of it as a step on your road to recovery. Think of each attempt at sobriety as steps to getting closer to your end goal — a lesson in your journey to recovery, so to speak — your relapse won’t be in vain.

Don’t get trapped in a revolving door. While recovering from addictive behavior, some people get caught in a pattern of repeated relapse and rehab, sometimes called “revolving door syndrome.” In most cases of revolving door syndrome, indicates the person is not fully committed to obtaining and maintaining sobriety, which makes going back to substances or behaviors too tempting to resist.

Look on the bright side. A relapse may feel like the end of the world, but really, it’s an opportunity for grow and reinforce recovery tools that need more practice. Many people come out from relapse with fresh insight concerning what they are up against, as well as a deeper commitment to becoming sober. This renewed motivation can help you come back from a relapse even stronger than you were before.

Father,

I have fallen into a habit I never thought I would
I have reached the point where my body keeps craving for this drug
It seemed harmless at first, but I have let my guard down and now I am in trouble
I do not want to die and leave this world prematurely
I want to be well again and fulfill my potential
I know you can help me overcome this

Please strengthen my spirit to resist the weakness of my body
Take this craving away from me and restore my strength
Restore my body and make it more perfect than it was before
Heal me of my depression and help me break this deadly cycle
Hear my cry, oh Lord, and give me the grace to overcome this in Jesus name

Amen

©Wanda Currie

Vision of Recovery believes in and practices a non-denominational Christian perspective to Addiction Recovery/Mental Health Care. Vision of Recovery integrates biblically based information with coaching and counseling interventions to treat the whole person: Spiritually, Emotionally and Physically.

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