Browsing all posts in "Relapse".

Thoughts On Hope

"Hope…is not a feeling; it is something you do." – Katherine Paterson, American author of children’s novels (born 1932) What do we mean when we talk about having hope in recovery? Does it mean that we hope we don’t relapse or that we hope that we’ll be able to withstand whatever obstacles may come our [...]

The Insidious Creeping of the Bad Old Days

Beware of those tentacles reaching out from the past because they have one thing in mind, leading you back to a drink or drug.  I’m talking about an insidious creeping in of old behaviors and attitudes that can take down anyone, no matter how much time you have in sobriety. I used the picture of [...]

Do You Know Your Relapse Warning Signs

When I was in rehab back in the 80s, I remember very well the therapists words of warning:  if you notice you are not taking care of your appearance, not caring about how you dress etc. see that as a warning sign for you.  They noticed during those 30 days that when I was struggling, [...]

The Risks of Relapse after a Decade of Sobriety

Relapse is always a traumatic and dangerous thing – who’s to say the person will make it back? I’ve always felt I never want to test it – I’d rather not find out that I don’t have another recovery in me!  I have written in the past about a friend who died after years of [...]

Making Excuses to Drink Again

Sometimes I hear about someone starting to drink again, and I wonder immediately: what did they start to tell themselves about alcohol a few days, weeks, hours before drinking? What excuses did they make to open the door to the possibility of drinking? I know humans have an infinite ability to rationalize almost any behavior [...]