Current articles
| oxycontin |
| heroin |
| hydrocodone |
| cocaine |
| Percocet |
Magazine Issues
| Alcohol Rehab-Drug Rehab- Drug Addiction Treatment |
10 Myths About Drug Relapse
| 10 Myths About Drug Relapse |
 |
 |
 |
| Drug Addiction for Friends and Family | |
10 Myths About Relapse:1. A relapse occurs suddenly and without prior warning. If you look up the word relapse in a dictionary it is defined as a waning, deterioration or degeneration. These words all imply a kind of process that is occurring and continuous; there is nothing sudden about a relapse. 2. As long as you don't use alcohol or drugs you are on the path to recovery. Abstinence is not a cure but a precondition for recovery. Many addicts abstain but do not change anything in regards to their behavior or ways of thinking. For example, many alcoholics will stop drinking but continue to frequent bars or socialize with people who use. Despite abstaining, they remain miserable and highly prone to relapse. 3. If you stop your using for a short period of time and then begin using again, you have relapsed. Relapse can't occur until the addict acknowledges the addiction and makes a conscious decision to maintain addiction recovery utilizing an addiction recovery program. Abstinence alone or periods of abstinence that occur prior to this decision are just part of the disease process. For example, some people abstain solely to appease family or work. 4. Relapse occurs because addicts drop out of addiction treatment or stop going to Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings.Recovering individuals often stop attending AA because the relapse process has already started to occur. Simply attending meetings does not ensure long-term addiction recovery. There are other issues that must be addressed in order to keep one's addiction in remission. 5. Switching to a different drug is OK and not considered a relapse. Use of any mood-altering drug (not including those prescribed and monitored by a physician) is considered a relapse, even if the chemical was not the addict's original drug of choice. For example, a person addicted to pain medication who switches to abusing alcohol is considered to have relapsed. It is important to note that use of another drug (in this case alcohol) affects judgment and can lead to a relapse of the original drug of choice. Understanding this is key. 6. Addicts are consciously aware that they are in relapse mode. An addict or a person in addiction recovery often cannot consciously recognize the warning signs that may indicate a relapse. (Rarely do addicts admit their problem without some outside help.) It is easy for them to be in denial and to convince themselves that they are fine and be baffled when a relapse occurs. 7. People who relapse aren't motivated to recover and must hit bottom before they begin to recover. Relapse-prone individuals are often motivated and try to to recover from drug alcohol addiction but the relapse syndrome is sometimes so strong and painful that they cannot on their own. Family members can help the addict through this. Pain is a motivation for many to seek help, but too much pain can sometimes become crippling even for the most tolerant and as a result, some people end up using again only because they want immediate relief. 8. Talking or thinking about relapse will bring it about. Thinking and talking about relapse are key ways for an addict to recognize their problem and take appropriate actions to prevent it. 9. There are positive addictions that can be substituted for negative ones. There is no such thing as a positive addiction.It may seem like some are less destructive than others, but substituting one bad habit with a lesser one doesn't make things better. Substituting work or exercise for addiction may sound like a good idea but if done obsessively and compulsively, will cause you to neglect other aspects of your life and can likely lead to problems and an eventual relapse. 10. Any episode of relapse will result in an immediate loss of control. For some this is true, and is always a risk for all addicts and their family members. For others, total loss of control is gradual and can be interrupted before they hit bottom. Getting help soon is a sign of sanity and the best course of action.
|
| Random Content | |
