How to Avoid Relapse: Staying Aware of the Triggers
Relapses can occur after staying clean or after returning from a 30 day rehab program. If you’ve been able to stay sober or drug-free for a certain period of time, this shows that you have this power within you. This can be a light inside of you to guide you. By being aware of the moods, settings and situations that are potential triggers, you’ll have a higher chance to not fall into this.
Who are your friends? Do they still get involved with doing drugs and drinking? Why put yourself in a situation where this is a constant temptation? If you want to still see some friends who are involved in drugs or drinking then you should go to a public place like barnes and nobles or a coffee shop to meet and just catch up. However, it is best to make new friends through a recovery group and people that have the same type of determination to change their lives around.
Be aware that if you are angry, frustrated or not getting what you want that you may be tempted to do drugs again or drink. These are times that make people vulnerable. When things don’t go away we can fall into self-pity, a depression that is deeper than the situation warrants and a sense that things will never go my way. Try in those moments to make a list of things you can do or change. Look at the accomplishments you’ve already broken through this year as well. Have someone you can call for support.
Relapsing can happen when our feelings and thoughts pull us down into dark places of hopelessness. We get addictive cravings then to numb the pain and think alcohol, cocaine, pot or prescription abuse can fix it. Learning to live with certain frustrations while also having hope and seeing that things can be changed will build your strength and inner capacities. Addictive substances aren’t the way to get beyond the parts of ourselves that hurt and feel disappointment. Working daily on changing our perspective and looking at life’s challenges is the way to stay calm in the midst of the ups and downs we go through. Each time you can do this you develop an inner muscle of strength, emotional calmness and spiritual depth.
How common is addiction relapse? My best friend is pregnant and she used to do alcohol rehabilitation in long island but now has a troubled marriage and I am worried she may go back to the drinking problem while being pregnant.
I know it’s good to change my friends to stop relapsing back into using pot again but they are my friends and it’s a little hard to all of a sudden make new friends. Everyone at my job is a lot older.
If you ever spent time in chemical dependency rehab, especially around the holidays, you also get motivation to not regress. Being away from people you love is hard. By the way, intervention rehab worked for my step-mom and get her to admit she had issues.
IT IS IMPORTANT FOR RECOVERING PERSON THAT LIFE BRINGS OUT WHAT IT WANTS NOT WHAT YOU WANTS.EXPECT THE BEST AND BE PREPARED FOR THE WORST.