Mark Houston Recovery

3 Critical Drug and Alcohol Relapse Triggers

Regardless of how long you’ve been in recovery from alcohol or drugs, there are several symptoms which can lead to relapse. Though it may seem frightening that relapse could be just around the corner at any time, the positive aspect to this is that we can choose actions that are not conducive of drug and alcohol relapse.

3 Critical Relapse Triggers

Slipping into the Victim Mentality

The moment you begin feeling as if you have no control over your life is the moment that you’re at risk of relapse.

Relapse Prevention Action: When you begin feeling self pity, stop and rearrange your perspective. Ask yourself what you may have done to bring about your situation and use the outcome as a learning experience.

Trying to Control Everything

One common problem that addicts have is that they believe that they are the center of the universe. With this flawed way of thinking, anything negative that happens must have been the result of the universe conspiring against them. Trying to control everyone and every situation is simply not possible and will certainly lead to disappointment, frustration, and often, relapse.

Relapse Prevention Action: Enjoy the fact that you do not control everything and everyone. When we learn to relinquish control and let the universe unfold as it will, life becomes much more peaceful and less stressful.

Overconfidence

After years of success in alcohol or drug recovery, it can be tempting to begin to believe that you probably could handle a splurge every once and a while. This is similar to a schizophrenic who feels fine on medication believing that they are well enough to stop taking medication. Once you an addict, always an addict. This kind of thinking will put you on the fast track to relapse.

Relapse Prevention Action: Remain humble and accepting that you have a disease called addiction Remind yourself daily that your strength in recovery comes from continuing to live by the 12 Step program and resign to the fact that this will be a part of your life forever.

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