Many people new in recovery and some that have been around for awhile may believe that relapse is an event. In other words, they believe that one they JUST all of a sudden they used drugs or drank alcohol after having some period of abstinence. The fact is that relapse is a process. This means that before a person returns to drug or alcohol use there are warning signs. This warning signs show up in ones behavior, attitude, thinking, or feelings and can show up in all four at once. Therefore, it is important to incorporate in your recovery a way of monituring your relapse warning signs so that you can prevent yourself from progressing through the phases and ultimately returning to your addiction. Most useful is to take a daily inventory or doing a nightly check off of the relapse warning signs and then incorporate a stratergy to work your way out of the phase that you may be in. It is important to know that it is possible to go from one phase to the last phase, where drinking and using has begun, in a short period of time.
"A day in which an addict or alcoholic does not drink or use is a good day. A day in which an addict or alcoholic does not drink or use when their head tell them to, is a GREAT day." Tony J.
PHASE 1(internal change) During this phase you look good on the outside. 1.Increased stress 2.Change in thinking: you begin to feel that your recovery program is not as important as it used to be. Begin to feel that you don't need to put forth as much effort now that things seem ok, or the program doesn't seem to help so you say "why bother." 3.Change in feeling: start having unpleasant feelings that you don't like, like thins are going your way when you know they aren't. feeling depressed, like nothing is working out. 4.Change in Behavior
PHASE 2 (Denial)you stop telling other what you honestly are feeling or thinking.
5. Worrying about yourself: you feel uneasy about the changes in your thinking,feelings and behavior. you feel afraid that you won't be able to reamin sober but don't want to think or talk about it. 6. Denying that you're worried
PHASE 3 (Avoidance and Defensiveness)you avoid anyone or anything that will force you to be honest about you.
7. Believing I'll never use alcohol or drug : over confidence 8. Worrying about others instead of yourself 9. Defensiveness 10. Compulsive Behavior 11. Impulsive Behavior 12. Tendencies toward loneliness: start feeling uncomfortable around others and start spending more time alone.
PHASE 4 (Crisis Building)You start having problem in sobriety.
12. Tunnel Vision 13. Minor Depression 14. Loss of Constructive Planning 15. Plans begin to fail: Tend to overreact and mismanage each problem in a way that creates a bigger problem.
PHASE 5 (Immobilization)You begin to feel trapped or can't get started doing what you know you need to do.
16. Daydreaming and wishful thinking 17. Feeling that nothing ccan be solved 18. Immature wish to be happy: have a vague desire to be happy or have things work out but don't set up any plans to make those things happen. Wishing magically that something will happen to rescue you from your problems.
PHASE 6 (Confusion and Overreaction)you have trouble thinking clearly, irritable and tend to overreact.
19. Difficulty in thinking clearly 20. Difficulty in managing feelings and emotions 21. Difficulty in Remembering things 22. Periods of confusion 23. Difficulty in managing stress 24. Irritation with friends 25. Easily angered
PHASE 7 (Depression)you stop doing the things you usaully do. You think life is not worth living.
26. Irregular Eating habits 27. Lack of desire to take action 28. Difficulty sleeping restfully 29. Loss of daily structure 30. Periods of Deep depression
PHASE 8 (Behavior loss of control)you are out of control but not willing to admit it.
31. Irregular attendance at AA or treatment meetings 32. An I don't care attitude 33. Open rejection of help 34. Dissatifaction with life 35. Feeling of powelessness and helples
PHASE 9 (Recognition of loss of Control)you realize how severe your problems are, but have become so isolated that you feel there is no one to turn to.
36. Difficulty with physical coordination and accidents 37. Sel-pity 39. Thoughts of social use 40. Conscious lying 41. Complete loss od self confidence
PHASE 10 (Option reduction)you feel no one can help you and that there is only three options; insanity,suicide or self-medication with alcohol and drugs.
42. Unreasonable resentments 43. Discontinue all treatment or AA 44. Overwhelming Loneliness, Frustration, anger, and tension. 45. Loss of behavioral control
PHASE 11 (alcohol and drug use)you return to alcohol and drugs,try to control it but once again you realize your addiction is destroying your life.
46. Attempting control use 47. Disapointment, shame,guilt 48. Loss of control: problem use begins 49. Life and health problem
Watch a sunset Go to the beach Be positive Sing a song Pet a dog Tell a joke Listen to music Blow bubbles Take a nap Dance a jig Take a walk Write a letter Have a cup of tea Ask for help Smile Take a break Do it now! Stretch Keep a journal Hum a tune Practice patience Get up early Meditate Do Tai Chi Play a drum Prioritize Give a hug Throw a ball Play with a child See a movie Plant a flower Say "No" Set Limits Eat a snack Read a book Practice kindness Light a candle Laugh out loud Lie in the sun Walk in the rain Run in the park Talk to a friend Take a bubble bath Avoid negative people Take a deep breath Ask for what you need Go to bed on time Walk a labyrinth Give a compliment Clean a closet Go barefoot Give a blessing Watch a sunrise Say a prayer
Many of the things I do are on that list i never really even gave much thought to all the things I do to relieve stress. Sometimes I have to take some calming pills there just magnesium but they smooth me out a bit and calm me down just enough for me to keep my head on straighter.
I have learned what most of my limits are its taken a long time to figure things out and I never think I have it all figured out cause God know anything can happen all I know is whats working today and been working for 20 something months now so I keep doing it, this is a lot of repetition but its working and I am fairly happy with how things are , for now :)
Thanks Wendy thats a very detailed and ACCURATE list above , sings and signals, flashing red lights we have to be aware of ourselves at all times. Hell out of the blue a few days ago using sounded good, it just popped into my head it was a hot day and a cold brew sounded real good, thinking it out I never stop with one I get obliterated that where I like to beso the thoughts vanished swiftly .
But maybe theres other things going on inside that brought it on rather then the warm weather, more then likely there is since theres alwasy some kind of crap raoming around in my head LOL.
Awesome insights Wendy, thanks... One of my new sponsees who has just had a relapse and is struggling to stay clean now... I couldn't help but think of him all the way while reading through your post... I need to pass on this information to him I guess... might help him
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"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
I like the Post as well. I can see many of the phases that led to my last relapse. I try to be aware of the change in my habits especially if the changes are stressing me out. The thing I noticed before I relapsed was that I would wake up feeling angry with everyone and everything. So I try to avoid these type of feelings especially in the morning.
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God is the only one you can depend on in recovery.
A relapse can be prevented at any point of time...
This gem of a line from our NA literature is what was my transformation point to my recovery. Once I had read this during my early struggles to stay clean, I opened my mind and came to believe that this is true since it has been written by addicts in NA who were as hopeless as me once. "When they have actually lived this line in our Basic Text, then it must be surely possible for me too..." is what I kept saying to myself during that phase when I found myself relapsing again and again after a few hours, days, weeks or months clean.
I used this wisdom from our literature in action when I had got my drugs on the third day of my last relapse, and was about to use them. I chose to reach out for help. I asked another member to throw away all my drugs and take me to a meeting instead. I'm 4 years into recovery now as a result.
That's when I understood that our Basic Text, our whole literature is not just for reading or for quoting, but to be lived. Like on of our predecessors shared once that now we have our own NA literature in written book forms but all this is useless unless we practice them to our benefit, or something like that I'm grateful for the IP and the chapter in the Basic Text called "Recovery and Relapse". I read that a lot as a struggling member and tried to take what is written there to my heart by personalizing and identifying to it all, and then by becoming willing enough to try it all out, IT WORKED!
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"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
