As I described in my article “What to do after a fall”, relapse prevention is not about strength or willpower, it is about the work we have done, leading up to that point. If our recovery is strong we are not as vulnerable to dangers as if we were not in recovery at all. Part of having a strong recovery is also about staying away from dangerous people, places and things. We are not invulnerable and, as the saying goes, if you keep going to the hairdresser you’ll get a haircut. If we keep hanging out with our using-buddies and going to the parties we used to go to, we will end up doing what we did there before. Recovery is not about adapting to be safe in the dangerous places we’re used to, it’s about changing our lifestyle. When I entered rehab I deleted my Facebook account and got a new cell number. Leaving rehab I moved into a shared sober house. I went to meetings and I hung out with recovery people after meetings. I did this until I was strong enough to reintegrate myself into “normal” society. And when I did I sought out and built a new lifestyle.
So the crux of what I’m saying above is that our starting point and direction (intent) are the foundation of a strong recovery. Continue reading “Staying on the wagon”
Category: Relapse prevention
What to do after a fall
Take positive action after a fall
After / during a relapse we can feel overwhelmed by shame and guilt; this is the usual reaction BUT we don’t need to beat up on ourselves, it is ok. Through self care and harm reduction we make our way back to recovery.