humblestudent

If you've relapsed, was it a turning point for you in your recovery? Did you 'get it' afterwards?

least

I think relapsing is part of the addiction, not recovery. I've relapsed more times than I care to remember but now at over four months I feel like I finally 'got it right'. You can too, just don't give up on yourself.

flutter

I had a lot of 'false starts' for a few months until I really decided that I was done, and did something about it (I chose counseling to aid in my recovery).

From what I understand, relapse is not part of recovery, but part of active addiction.

Every time I chose to drink again, things got worse for me, until I decided it was time to get some help and fully surrender to the fact that I could not drink again, ever.

yeahgr8

Relapse is not part of recovery as said it is part of the *insert any word you like*...

Using the word recovery, to me, suggests that someone is making significant changes in their life to recover...provoking a drastic personality change...otherwise, like me, on all the times i didn't get any f2f help you just drunk again because you are an *insert any word you like*...

If you can accept that you are different to non-*insert any word you like* then you stand a chance of recovery providing you are willing to get help and willing to do some work on yourself...

There you go not even a reference to AA or alcoholic...oops;-)

Aysha

I really dont like it when I hear people say that.
It is never a part of recovery IMO.
That sounds like the perfect excuse to do it just 1 more time.
Who wouldnt if they were told that relapse is what made them finally get it.
That 1 relapse may be the one that takes you out.
Everyone has their own path to recovery. Some do need a relapse to find out it didnt get any better out there. Some never made it back to let us know if it did or not.
All I can do is remember why I stopped in the first place.

Chops

I needed to drink every drink I needed to drink....plus for me booze was the final convincer, I needed to be beat into a place of reasonableness that only pain could do...so far me it was part of recovery.

Tell me a stove is hot and I will still touch it to find out for myself....

RobbyRobot

Hmmm. Well, i "got it" before and after i attempted recovery, otherwise why make the intial choice to recover? As for a turning point, the turning points i discovered were specific times i met my goals in recovery, not my failures in addiction. Having another drink never taught me anything i already didn't know about recovery. Relapse is always about the addiction cycle and never about the recovery from that same addiction, imo.

Rob

tabfan

My recovery is better this time around, that's for sure!

CAPTAINZING2000

I've never had to relapse. Watching the people come back in crawling under the door, made me think it wasn't a good idea to try and drink again!

Toronto68

This almost seems like a semantic thing, or does the week start on Sunday or Monday? I know I have seen people talking about "planning a relapse," and that has me wondering about my 6 months coming up; whether the needless worrying about it is also the "planning" of it. But then I just remind myself that I could have gone to the store and bought alcohol on any day since I quit in Nov, yet I didn't; so I focus on that fact and realize there is a reason for it, and move on. I don't know if I will have a relapse. I have stopped drinking before ever so briefly, but I see those times as different somehow, maybe it's just because it wasn't time yet. (I am honest when I say today I don't really know if I have the spiritual awakening we have been hearing about, but I consider myself different this time.) This is about stopping and trying to make it stay that way. So it is a process of recovering and a road toward something you think you need. If you drink again, then maybe there is something that needs looking at in how you are thinking. Not really sure how else to address this.

Zencat

Unfortunately a relapse can happen wile someone is in recovery. Even to those that have many years in recovery. However as a component of recovery, like it has been said here already, relapse is not a part of recovery.

Boleo

I myself relapsed dozens of times till I learned that it is not an "Achievement". However, not everybody needs to exhaust their self-will like I did.

"Sometimes quickly - sometimes slowly..."

Mark75

Relapse is not recovery. It may be part of your journey, though. For some, it isn't.

loveon2legs

I think when I relapsed before, I just wasn't ready to really surrender to the fact that I was an alcoholic, and that drinking for me wasn't an option...each and every time I quit and went back to drinking things in my life just became worse.....to the point where I just couldn't ignore it anymore....I do believe for me that it was part of my journey to get me to where I am today...3 months sober and darn happy to be!!!

scoob

I think relapse is a setback to recovery.

Washburn

My personal experience with relapse...3 or 4 years ago I got a DWI. That was in September. I was so determined then to quit (with the help of AA and a doctor I saw every few weeks) and actually made it for a few months (the longest i've gone in 14 years, i'm 28). That New Years a few months later, I had one beer (a Guinness) to celebrate the new year. Next drink after that was a few months later at a Ski Trip, I drank quite a few more. Slowly but surely, my drinking increased to point i was doing it everyday and even more before my got my DWI. I spent the next 3 years, trying to plan my next quit date. I set one every morning, and broke it every afternoon. That was until I hit my next bottom...a few days ago. Im on Day 4 today...

I know what relapsing will do to me, so its not part of my recovery. I can't have even have a sip, or ill be planning my next quit day every day of my life...

Chops

so if knowing what relapse will do helps you stay sober then how is it not part of your recovery?

I guess I don't get it... experience is either your experience or not.

hahahahahaha I am getting bothered by posts on an internet forum, I love it.

shaun00

mmm.

depends how you use the word.......ive heard some use it as an excuse and justifcation for going on the razzle.

every illusion that i could drink with any form of control had to be smashed.
so i went out regular to smashed it...

until i felt a level of desperation only other alcoholics can identify with..imo.
then and only then was i ready......the mind opened......

scoob

In my view, because whether it's a relapse, your first bottom, or just a bad drinking memory, all it is is knowing what you were like before.

For me a relapse means a break in your recovery.

NEOMARXIST

Don't worry about it! Just make sure that you never ever take that first drink ever again 'just for today'.

Then you will never relapse. Simple.