Beating a chemical dependency is challenging. While some people who get treatment achieve full recovery and never look back, many others suffer from one or more relapses on their way to better health. It can be frustrating and disappointing to encounter setbacks, but as we tell people at our Sacramento drug rehab, it’s important to keep in mind that relapse isn’t failure, it’s just a hurdle on your way to the finish line.
Getting Back on Track after a Relapse
Here are some proven strategies for refocusing your recovery efforts if you relapse:
1. Identify the cause. It may feel like your relapse “just happened,” but if you carefully consider the circumstances, you are almost sure to see when and why your recovery was derailed. It may not be pleasant to look back at the events that led to you using again, but it’s important to do some soul-searching.
2. Be gentle with yourself. Punishing yourself for “failing” is not fair or effective. The best way to get back into recovery is to forgive yourself and refocus your efforts. Energy devoted to being angry with yourself is energy wasted.
3. Revisit your triggers. In starting the recovery process you likely created a list of things — people, places, activities — that make you more likely to use. After you relapse, it’s a good idea to review that list with the new insight you’ve gained. Maybe you need to add to the list or make a mental note about how certain triggers amplify one another, for example.
4. Have a conversation with your supporters. It’s important that you talk with your counselor, family, and trusted friends about your relapse. It may not be a conversation that you want to have, but it’s critical that you have it so they know where things stand and that you need their support more than ever.
5. Realize it will take time to regain lost ground. It took time to get to where you were before you relapsed, and it will be a while before you can retrace your steps and make it back to that point. Be patient.
Here to Help You Recapture Your Forward Momentum
We understand that relapse is often part of the recovery process, and we know how to help you start moving forward again. Contact us today at (800) 205-6107 to find out about the services we offer at our Sacramento drug rehab.
Content medically reviewed by Vicky Magobet, PMHNP-BC, on November 18th, 2017.
