You’re not alone. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports about 90% of people in recovery for alcoholism are likely to relapse at least once over a four-year period. If you’ve had a relapse, try not to beat yourself up. There is still hope for long-lasting recovery and you can be the feather that lifts that hope.

Having a relapse may just be the crisis you need to motivate yourself to stay sober. It was probably easy to slip. You were overly stressed, pressure was mounting at work, someone close to you said they have a fatal illness. Everything in your life compounded and you felt by skipping meetings you could get caught up. Putting your sobriety first didn’t feel like a viable solution to all the problems life was throwing your way.  

Learning to recognize the signs of relapse can help prevent another relapse. The acronym HALT means hungry, angry, lonely and tired. When you feel these things it’s a good idea to pay really close attention to your sobriety and get yourself to therapy and a meeting.

You can place positive and reinforcing signs all over your house, like I can handle anything sober. The saying, Each Day a New Beginning is an especially good. If you slipped, well then the next day you commence with your recovery. You don’t have to say you’re starting all over, because you’re not. You’ve already learned so much about yourself and your limits. People in the program will welcome you back with no questions asked. They will be motivated by your humility, and know if they slip, they, too, can come back.

Consider taking up a hobby. You may think you don’t have time for anything new. Your plate is already full. Making time to enrich your life can only help your chance for long-term sobriety. Sure, it takes motivation and planning. You can even learn to say no things you think you should do.  Learning to play a musical instrument, taking lessons in a sport you love, gardening, studying climate change—giving attention to this part of yourself can help bolster your self esteem. Moderation is the clue.

You’ve taken responsibility for slipping, become aware of the signs of relapse, gotten back to regular meetings, reinforced your goals in therapy, and given yourself an opportunity to enrich your life and have some fun. Not so bad, eh?

Evidence-based and built with passion. Our primary purpose at The Kimberly Center is to assist those who are suffering in finding recovery. Restoring a healthier, happier, more productive life, graduates of our program find themselves free from substance dependence and destructive behavior. Call us today for information: 855-4-KCENTER (855-452-3683)