Recovery from drug or alcohol abuse or a process addiction isn’t always a neat and tidy process. Relapse is common and many addiction professionals believe it to be a natural part of the process. Just like people with chronic conditions like hypertension, asthma and diabetes slip up in their ongoing recovery regime, so do people […]
A Sobering Look at Addiction Relapse Rates Read More »
Relapse is often a normal part of the recovery process because of the chronic nature of addiction. About 40% to 60% of people in recovery from substance abuse will relapse at some point. Watching a loved one slip back into destructive behaviors after getting sober is a gut-wrenching experience. Anger, sadness, exasperation, disappointment, resentment, fear
What to Do When Your Loved One Relapses Read More »
“I relapsed.” If you find yourself saying these words despite spending time, money and effort on your addiction recovery, you are likely feeling demoralized and distressed. How could you have jeopardized all that you worked for? How could you have let down not only yourself, but your family and friends? The tough truth about drug
4 Things It Helps to Understand About Addiction Relapse Read More »
You know the feeling: Your gut clenches, your thoughts race, and you feel a cold sweat all over your body. You’ve been here before — too many times, in fact. Your typical response is to head straight for your drug of choice. Stopping the knee-jerk reaction to use may seem impossible, but there are things
Monitoring Emotional Triggers to Help Prevent Relapse Read More »
Relapse is a part of recovery for most addicts, but it doesn’t signify weakness or failure. If you love someone in recovery, you need to know how to be sensitive after a relapse. There are things you should and shouldn’t say, and the distinction may not always be obvious. What to say to her after
What Not to Say to Someone Who Relapses Read More »
No matter what they’re addicted to, all addicts lack the ability to tolerate frustration. They become easily dysregulated and are unable to self-soothe, which leads them to depend on substances, people, or processes (self-injury, cyber porn, video games, compulsive sex) to stabilize themselves. Because of this dependence, addicts don’t develop internal support and healthy coping
How to Help an Addict Develop Frustration Tolerance Read More »
In 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, each of the 12 steps contains words such as “we,” “us” and “ourselves.” These words help to remind each individual in the program that recovery is not a solo journey and that together we can do what none of us can do alone. In order
Asking for Help in Addiction Recovery Read More »
Dual diagnosis is the term used to describe the overlapping combination of diagnosable substance use disorder (substance abuse/addiction) and separately diagnosable mental illness. In the U.S., millions of people have some form of this condition, which can present tremendous challenges during treatment and recovery. In a study published in September 2014 in the Journal of
How Do People With Dual Diagnosis Avoid Relapsing? Read More »
Getting sober can be a scary experience. In order to live a life that doesn’t include drugs or alcohol, you have to give up the substances that have been giving you at least some degree of relief from the uncomfortable feelings that often happen in life. You may also have to give up habits, such
Facing Fears in Addiction Recovery Read More »
Mindfulness is a mental state characterized by heightened awareness of changes in your thoughts, feelings and physical sensations, as well as in your surroundings. Current evidence indicates the training in basic mindfulness principles can improve substance treatment participants’ ability to establish a pattern of drug or alcohol abstinence. In a study published in August 2014
Mindfulness Helps Reduce Long-Term Relapse Rates Read More »