Battling a drug or alcohol addiction can be difficult. It can be especially hard to deal with a relapse. Many times you feel you’ve done everything you could to stay clean and sober, but relapsed. Relapses are even a problem after you’ve completed a rehab program.
While relapse does happen, it doesn’t have to be like a merry-of-round of failure. The most important thing is not to give up. There is still a path to recovery. Relapse happens. It happens to people who completed a rehab program and those who haven’t.
Relapse can happen to someone with one-week of clean and sober time or someone with 20 years. Just because you’ve entered a treatment program, it doesn’t guarantee lifelong sobriety. If you’ve been through a rehab program but relapsed, you might be confused about what to do.
Don’t Get Down on Yourself
If you’ve relapsed, even after completing a rehab treatment program, you are not a failure. Some feel that a relapse means you wasted your time. You did not. Everything you learned in your first attempt to stay clean and sober is still there.
The symptoms that spawn an addiction can take years to uncover. There are thousands of alcoholics and drug users who fail the first time they attempt to recover. An important thing to remember is not to get down on yourself.
Pick yourself up and start over because you’re worth it. However, just like that first choice you made to get help beginning with a rehab program, don’t try to continue on by making your own decisions about what you need to prevent subsequent relapses.
Avoiding the tendency to get down on yourself and beat yourself up after a relapse is so important. The feelings of guilt and remorse can be overwhelming. Sad are the stories of addicts and alcoholics who felt so bad about a relapse, they made permanent life-altering decisions.
Just because you’ve relapsed after completing a rehab program does not mean there is no hope. On the contrary, since you were wise enough to try something different once, going back for help again is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of good judgment.
Reaffirm Your Commitment
You need to realize that one failed attempt at a treatment program does not doom you to a miserable life stuck in a spiral of relapses. You made one excellent choice when you made a commitment to a treatment program.
Reaffirming that commitment is critical after you’ve experienced a relapse. Since you initially began your journey by wisely asking for help and using the knowledgeable advice of an addiction specialized, do it again.
This is the point where you will set down with someone who has the experience to guide you after a relapse. Trained addiction professionals have helped thousands of drug addicts and alcoholics recover after a relapse.
You are not unique to having slipped. Recovery can be a challenge. It takes effort on your part. However, deciding what to do after a relapse can be tricky. One of the first things you will discuss with a counselor is the trigger or triggers you sense may have helped cause you to relapse.
You may have simply lost your recovery. Sometimes you can just pick up from this point and continue forward. However, it is also wise to reassess your rehab program. For example, if you have only experienced a basic outpatient program, something more intense may be necessary.
If you have tried multiple outpatient treatment models, it could be time to consider seriously an inpatient residential program. The key point to remember is that once you relapse you must avoid trying to determine the cause or the path forward without professional guidance.
If you’ve participated in a rehab program, but relapsed, you’ve already accomplished a vital first step in recovery. You have been willing to ask for help. Don’t be discouraged if you completed treatment a relapsed. Be thankful you can choose to have a second chance.
Keep that critically important thought in your head. Not every alcoholic or drug addict gets a second chance. When you relapse after completing a rehab program, it’s not the end. However, you do need to seek the guidance of a professional to determine what to do next.
If you think you have a problem with drugs or alcohol, but have never asked for help, take that first step today. Reach out for help, because there is a way out. Ask for help today, because tomorrow could be too late. Call us at 302-842-2390.
