Perhaps there was a time in your life when you realized that you needed to take control of your addiction problem. You got the help
you needed and you followed the program to the letter. With each of your accomplishments in your journey toward healing, you
celebrated. You vowed that you would never again return to a life of being a slave to an addiction.
Some time passed, and you began to feel confident in your new life. That confidence level increased to the point where you felt that
you can use once in a while or act out in a more controlled manner because you had control of your addiction now. In one brief moment
of poor judgement, you gave in, and like many others who have gone before you, you relapsed.
Why Do People Relapse?
You might be feeling as though you are all alone in your relapse back into active addiction. However, be assured that you are not.
Relapse rates in addictions are similar to those found in other chronic diseases such as Diabetes.
There are many reasons why people relapse after they’ve been sober from an addiction. For some of them, it could be that they no
longer have a good support network that they can depend on. For others, it’s a matter of putting themselves in a place or a
situation where the temptation to use or act out is there. Many people who relapse don’t intend to fall back into their old pattern
of addiction. They wrongfully believe that they can use or act out one time, and never again. One of the less recognized but extremely
common reasons for relapse is the fact that unresolved trauma (psychological, physical, and sexual) is the fuel for most
addictions. Although in early recovery the focus in treatment is getting sober and not in healing the trauma, at some point in time,
it is absolutely critical that the underlying issues are treated
Overcoming Your Shame
If you have relapsed after having been sober for a period of time,you may feel quite a bit of shame because of your actions. It’s
possible that you struggle with feelings of low self esteem, or even a feeling of dread that’s telling you that you’ll never truly
be free from your addiction to substances or behaviours.
Here at Toronto Addiction Counselling, we want to assure you that you are not alone, and that although relapse doesn’t have to
happen, it certainly often does. While it might seem as if you’ll never overcome your addiction, getting back on the road to recovery
in a better and stronger way can certainly become a reality if you reach out for help.
Taking that first step after a relapse is difficult but you’ll be glad you did.
