Relapse is NOT Part of Recovery
If you have been in recovery at all, I'm sure you have heard the phrase “relapse is part of recovery.” That concept has always been a cliche that I have had a hard time wrapping my head around. It gives addicts the ultimate excuse to continue using. It also gives them a lost hope. Why would you continue going to rehab knowing that you are just going to relapse because it is part of the recovery?
Relapsing sucks. There is no way around it. I am not saying that you should feel like a terrible person because you relapsed, but it is normal to feel some sort of guilt. The issue is too many addicts justify it to the point where it becomes okay to relapse and it is not. Obviously, you go into treatment telling yourself that this is going to be the last time and unfortunately that is not always the case.
Addicts feel like failures when they relapse. Yes, you have failed but that is okay because you can DO something about it. The first thing you have to do is swallow your pride and tell someone. Anyone that you trust will help you get back on track. It can be a friend, family member, or former counselor. You could even pick up the phone and give us a call. I can promise you that no judgment will be passed here.
The next thing you need to do is what everyone doesn't like to hear and that is to get back into treatment. I understand the embarrassment of doing this, especially if all of your friends and family know that you have relapsed. I can promise you that it is much more embarrassing to destroy your life—we all know that is inevitable if you succumb back into doing drugs.
The other thing I want to stress is that you need to do it QUICKLY. When it comes to addiction, time is always of the essence. I know from experience on both sides of it that each relapse gets worse and worse. Messing with tolerance levels can get into dangerous territory, and will ultimately lead to death. If treatment is not successful I have found that relapses will typically happen pretty quickly. Just because you just got out of rehab does not mean you can't go right back in.
Lastly, if one type of treatment has not worked for you it may be time to try something different. There are other types of treatment out there. If you do not agree with the program then it is not the right program for you. You need to find something that actually makes sense to you. We do not use the 12 step model here and if you would like more information on how the program works, please give us a call 1-877-959-2702.
