Relapse and alcohol use problems
cont. from
Expect that you may have a lapse, or slip, from sobriety during your
recovery. A lapse is the first episode of alcohol use after you have quit. A
lapse can be just that, a one-time slip for which you take responsibility and
take steps to prevent it in the future. If you have a lapse, recognize that it
was one mistake, not a slippery slope.
If you slip, stop drinking at once, and find support immediately. Get rid of
the alcohol, pour it down the drain, or leave the bar or party. Ask for help.
Call someone who has supported you in the past or anyone you can reach that will
help you at that moment. Once the immediate crisis is over, try to identify the
triggers that caused you to lapse, and use the situation as a learning
experience.
A relapse is the failure to stay sober over time. Realize that relapse is
also a common part of recovery. It is most likely to occur in the first few
months after a person stops drinking. While you are sober, it is important to
develop a strategy for managing a relapse. Enlist the help of your friends,
family, or another support person. An important part of recovery is reducing the
frequency and intensity of your relapses.
If you are in relapse, you can still turn yourself around and get back into
recovery. Get help immediately. Check into a short-term treatment program, go to
an Alcoholics Anonymous or other support group meeting, or call your sponsor,
your doctor, your counselor, or a crisis hot line. Take the first step back to
recovery as soon as you can.
To prevent relapse, it is important to identify triggers that cause you to
want to drink. Recognize the high-risk situations where you have typically used
alcohol: at social activities or parties, after work, during stressful events or
crises, on holidays, or when you feel lonely. Next, prioritize the most risky
situations and develop a strategy for how to handle them without alcohol. These
strategies may include avoiding certain situations or people, rehearsing what
you will say when you are offered a drink, practicing meditation or other
relaxation techniques to manage stress, or using prescribed medicine to help you
stay sober.
You may have several relapses, whether you have tried to quit drinking on
your own or have had treatment. However, as time goes on, relapses usually occur
less frequently and are shorter. It is also possible to never have a relapse
after treatment for alcohol dependence.
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Reviewed: 03/2006
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