Drug addiction and alcoholism can be a horrific struggle. The consequences of continued abuse can be tragic. Often, treatment is the only viable way to build a foundation for a clean and sober life. Part of nearly every treatment program is drug counseling.
Drug counselors are gifted with the experience and knowledge to help you through the inevitable challenges of recovery. One of the biggest trials is avoiding relapse. Relapse is more common than not, but it does not have to happen.
Get Back to Work
What you do when a relapse occurs is far more important than the actual relapse. Something compelled you to give up whatever period of sobriety you had acquired for another high.
Drug Counseling can help to pinpoint the symptoms that opened the door to the idea another drink or drug was a good idea. When we experience the disappointment of relapse, the first inclination is to quit.
Any alcoholic or addict who relapses will be left with two choices. One is to continue down the road of destruction, and the other is to get back to work. If you stick with your drug counseling program, you’ll find someone who can give you the strength you need to get back to work.
A Keen Eye for Problems
One of the biggest assets a drug counselor can bring to your recovery is experience and knowledge. You are probably not the first person they have offered recovery guidance. Drug counselors identify with the triggers that can fire a relapse.
You must bring total honesty to the table when talking with your counselor. If you do that, they can see problems that you may never even envision as being prone to trigger a relapse. For instance, a counselor can spot environmental danger spots that you should avoid.
Sometimes, the most innocent looking stuff in the eyes of an addict or alcoholic can produce a baffling, subconscious urge to drink or use. If you discontinue your drug counseling because of a relapse, you will be giving up this valuable insight.
Guidance Towards Better Decisions
When alcoholics or addicts experience a relapse, there may be immediate decisions to make. Cool-headed guidance when making these decisions can be the difference between a bump in the road of recovery and a tragic spiral. One of the first things you will need to consider is additional treatment.
If you have never been in treatment or hedged against the idea for various reasons, a relapse may signal that counseling isn’t a sufficient solution. For those engulfed in addiction, repeated relapses may point to a need for another attempt at treatment or a more intense treatment plan.
If you’ve completed outpatient treatment, a relapse may indicate a need for a residential commitment. Drug counselors can help you find more intense group therapy sessions that can help. Counselors appreciate the importance of meetings, and they can be helpful in exposing you to other like-minded people in recovery.
A Compassionate Viewpoint
Your drug counselor will not sign off on bad behavior. However, they are skilled in presenting a compassionate ear for the challenges that recovery can present. Staying clean and sober is going to require a lifelong commitment.
While you may not remain in drug counseling forever, having a caring and compassionate friend to confide in is essential in early recovery. One immediate response to relapse is to condemn yourself as weak or unworthy of recovery.
Your counselor knows that relapse is often part of recovery. Addiction is a cunning and baffling quagmire to navigate. It can virtually impossible to navigate through the pitfalls of recovery without such a person.
Your drug counselor is not like a crutch to lean on when you are able to walk through your recovery on your own. However, they will be able to provide a compassionate viewpoint, especially if you’re struggling through the disappointment caused by a relapse.
When relapse occurs, many addicts and alcoholics may be inclined to just give up. Relapse does not mean you should give up, but that you should continue to work harder. Counseling is important to strong recovery. Therefore, if you relapse, you shouldn’t stop going to your drug counseling.
On the contrary, since it can help prevent continuous problems with relapse, you should actually look to increase the level of drug counseling in your recovery. The important thing to remember is, if you quit your drug counseling because of a relapse, you will be giving up this key part of your recovery. Call us today at 772-266-5320.
