Continued from Part 1: Stages of Addiction Relapse
Physical relapse is the last stage in addiction relapse, where a person succumbs to their temptations and uses or drinks again. To ensure that this remains a one-time experience, there are steps you can take after an addiction relapse. Here is a guide for what to do after addiction relapse.
Analyze the Relapse
When did you first notice signs of relapse? What caused the urges to come up? What could you have done to prevent or avoid the relapse? You need to assess what happened so you know what to watch for in the future. You can do this assessment on your own, with a therapist, or with your sponsor. Look at it from every angle so you know the situation inside and out. This will make it easier to catch a future relapse in its earliest stages.
Work with Your Therapist
If you have a therapist or sponsor, talk to them about your relapse. Explain how you were feeling before, during, and immediately after the relapse. Be honest about this, even if you do not fully understand what happened. You didn’t want to relapse – no one wants to relapse. But it happened. Your therapist can help you assess the situation to prevent it from happening again.
If you do not have an addiction therapist, now is the time to get one. This person can provide advice specific to your addiction, your lifestyle and your past. At MHR Memphis, we have several addiction therapists on staff who provide drug addiction treatment, alcoholism recovery, substance abuse treatment, and other counseling services. Your therapist will be a key member of your support system, with knowledge of tested and proven addiction recovery techniques. You’ll get the personalized care you need to overcome your addiction from the source.
Call (901) 682-6136 to schedule an appointment with an addiction therapist in Memphis, TN.
Tell Someone You Trust
It’s important to verbalize what happened. This makes you assess the situation and realize the consequences of your actions. Tell someone you trust, whether it be a family member or a sober friend. This person will make you more accountable, and accountability is a cornerstone of long-term recovery. You may not want to face the disappointment of others, but it’s a conversation you need to have. In the end, the support you get will outweigh the disappointment.
Avoid Social Isolation
At this point, you probably feel embarrassed about your actions. You want to distance yourself from others because you fear their reactions. It is critical for you not to do this though. Social isolation is part of emotional relapse, which is the first step toward physical relapse. Keeping to yourself will make you more susceptible to relapse in the near future. Plan to be with friends and family members who keep you away from addiction triggers.
Remember, Relapse Does Not Make You a Failure
You may feel defeated right now, but you must remember this. Relapsing does not make you a failure. It does not mean that your treatment failed, and it does not mean that you will relapse again. Does one car accident make you a bad driver for life? No. Does one bad grade make you a bad student? No. What matters most is how you recover from your mistake.
Take care of yourself and build a strong support system for addiction recovery. Work with a therapist you can trust, and find personalized addiction treatment solutions that work for you. The team at MHR Memphis is here to support you every step of the way.