Relapse Prevention

Are Relapses A Part Of The Recovery Process?

The Relapse Myth-Let’s be clear: we reject the idea that relapse is an "essential part" of recovery. Words matter, and labeling a setback as an inevitable milestone creates a dangerous escape route. It offers a pre-packaged exit strategy for when the cravings get loud and the work gets hard.

But we also live in reality. We know that for many, the road from moderation to absolute sobriety is fractured. Relapses can and do happen. If you’ve stumbled back to square one, the time for excuses is over: you must halt the downward spiral immediately and confront the raw truth of your situation.

The Collateral Damage- A relapse is an emotional wrecking ball. You are likely drowning in shame, feeling like the ground has been cut out from under you.

But look around. Your family is standing in that wreckage, too. When "one more time" happens again and again, their empathy often transforms into despair, exhaustion, and legitimate anger. They are fighting for your life alongside you, and they are tired.
You and your loved ones must have a concrete, unwavering protocol for handling a slip-up so you can resume your recovery immediately—not next week, and not after a month-long bender.

Support for the Home Front: Your family needs their own tools. Direct them to Craving Sobriety 4 Families so they can find the grounding they need while you find yours.

Do the Hard Work of "Why" Sobriety is not just the absence of a substance; it is the presence of self-awareness. It is imperative that you stop looking at the bottle or the pill and start looking at the wound.

You cannot fix what you refuse to face. To move forward, you must:

Expose the Roots: Uncover the exact reasons you chose to numb out.
Process the Pain: Stop running from the past and deal with it.
Execute Forgiveness: Forgive those who failed you, and then do the hardest thing of all--forgive yourself.

Forgiveness is not a pass to relapse again; it is the fuel you need to ensure this was the last time. Stand up, take accountability, and keep moving. Just focus on getting back on track and moving forward!

“Don't stay too long in the shame-filled grounds of relapse. Fertile soil awaits your return and your recoverying.”
― Holli Kenley, Mountain Air: Relapsing and Finding the Way Back... One Breath at a Time

Videos About Relapsing

Relapse Solutions for Those of You Struggling with Substance Abuse

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Relapse can leave us feeling discouraged and powerless. Learn why you relapse and what you can do to break the cycle of addiction.

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Bad thinking is one of the most prevalent addiction triggers. This is why managing your thinking is the most effective relapse prevention of all the recovery strategies.

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This is not your ordinary relapse prevention plan, this is a studied, proven way to ensure your recovery is sustainable while going beyond that, helping you achieve a clean life filled with health, friends, independence, happiness, and self awareness like never before.

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Dr. B wants you to think about the term "relapse" differently. This his advice on what you should do if you've relapsed on drugs or alcohol recently. Dr. B has a different take on relapse compared to the AA method.

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Video by Dr. Dawn Elise Snipes on integrative behavioral health approaches to improving mental health and reducing mental illness. Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) in Addiction Recovery

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Relapse Prevention and Awareness Activities to assist in preventing relapse from anxiety, addiction, depression and autoimmune issues.

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When struggling with an addiction, where do I turn? In this video, Mark provides five biblical helps for overcoming addictions.

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Practical Ideas for preventing relapse. Taught by Dr. Dawn Elise Snipes. Taught from the perspective of how therapists can help their clients.

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Learn the stages of relapse and how to recognize the early warning signs of relapse. Learn coping skills to prevent relapse in the future. By Dr. Steven M Melemis MD PhD.

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Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome is a leading cause of addiction relapse. Find out all science and tools you need to know in order to overcome PAWS and avoid relapse.

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This lecture summarizes the most current neuroscientific research about addiction. It explains how the brain constructs pleasurable experiences, what happens when this process goes wrong and how this can have a dramatic impact on our ability to make proper choices.

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Garry Reifers, Founding Program Director of Oxford Treatment Center, translates current research on addiction from a practical treatment perspective in a series of three free evening workshops starting with The Hijacked Brain Part 1: Understanding the Disease of Addiction.

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The Hijacked Brain Part 2: The Power of Denial. Focused today on training and education, Garry developed the clinical content of The Oxford Centre’s residential program and provided supervision for all counselors and therapists.

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Overcome it, avoid relapse, and regain your happiness. Anhedonia, or the inability to experience pleasure, will occur in the early stages of recovery from drug addiction / alcoholism. In this video, addiction counselor Rob Mo goes over all the information you need to not only understand anhedonia, but also to survive it.

“No! Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.”
― George Lucas, The Star Wars Trilogy