When you are fighting alcohol addiction or substance abuse, you need to always be aware of the risk of relapsing. In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimates that roughly 50% of all people who are working towards sobriety will relapse at least once. If relapsing is so common, is it technically part of the recovery process?
Yes, it is probably healthiest to view relapse as just part of your recovery, rather than some terrible setback. The truth is that your recovery isn’t over just because you had a relapse. It is always up to you to decide to keep fighting your addiction the next day. Don’t think of relapse as a failure or something that you absolutely had to avoid in order to gain lasting sobriety. See it as a steppingstone in recovery and learn from it.
Why Relapse Happens
Just because relapse can be seen as a part of your recovery doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to avoid it. If you can stop a relapse from happening, then you should. Knowing what causes relapse is a good way to stop it.
People who relapse tend to be those who:
- Do not have a support system in place that checks in on them and offers genuine help when it counts.
- Do not have enough information about what can happen during and after recovery treatments, so they feel overwhelmed later.
- No longer feel like their sobriety is as important as it really is.
- Try to stop using a substance because someone else told them they should quit, not because they want to quit for their own reasons.
Stay focused on yourself, and know that sobriety can be achieved, even after a relapse. You are stronger than your addiction, and you deserve a happy, healthy tomorrow.
For help fighting addiction in Georgia, call The Carter Treatment Center at (470) 616-7274. We have a variety of programs, therapies, and treatment options. Find those that work for you by contacting our drug and alcohol rehab center today.