Relapse is so very dangerous
 

I was at a meeting last nite and a man came in after relapsing having been 3 years sober. He had received 40 stitches from injuries to his arms and legs during a black out. He was a mess. I didnt know what to say to him to try to make him feel a little bit more human, but it certainly was a reminder of how relapse is a daily event in the lives of alcoholics and it is the next worst thing to death.

I think relapse without any reprecussions might be far worse, because you will continue drinking. The worst part of my relaspe was when nothing bad really happened and I slipped back into the progression of alcoholism. If I would have had a really bad experience I think I might have let the relapse last one night instead of saying, "see nothing happened, you can do it again tomorrow". Just a thought.

I know we don't have to relapse and it doesn't have to be part of recovery, but I consider my relapse a very important part of my future recovery, because I now know that even with all the information I had learned over my months of sobriety that my mind is still able to get back into drinking mode if I am not vigilent daily. It was kind of a tough love type of thing but also helped me to realize that I will never be able to find the buzz again that I enjoyed when I initially started drinking 28 years ago.

My last relapse (my last) was only for two days of drinking but when I woke up on the third day I was so sick I thought/wished I would die.:( That was 14 months ago and the memory of it is still fresh in my mind. I want to keep that memory fresh and bitter as it's a reminder of how badly I'd feel if I drank.:(

I appreciate both of these outlooks. Being new to this game, I certainly haven't put a ton of thought into this issue.

When I drank other people would get stitches...

Thank you for that thread...it scares the living crap out of me....and it helps me stay sober!!!

Cathy

I think it's important we remember our last drink/drunk.

Lest we forget...

Funny you mentioned a meeting. I had to drag myself to a meeting last night, because I was so exhausted and the big storm was coming, but I did, oh how god works in such mysterious ways. It was the most powerful meeting I have ever been at. A woman walked in after being away for 4 years boozing like crazy, well she left the bar and got an aggrivated DWI, the pain in her face was like looking at myself in a mirror, but this time it wasn't I who had all the pain. A man talked of how he wasn't being honest as he could be in AA and talked of how his wife was going to divorce him after he just got out of rehab and was trying to get his life together, he just did too many horrible things when he was still attached to the bottle, but he didn't drink over this! Even a guy who has 3 years sobriety who was on the verge of ending his life yesterday found his way into the room. I even found out I have more time clean than a man I thought pretty highly of, such strange things happens when the program and God begin to click, very powerful things. Even with today being very, very hard trying to deal with an ex-gf who can be so devastatingly sadistic when she chooses, to having to wait for another week to get my license back because of this storm, I find that the drink rarely crosses my mind, and if it does I use all my tools to kick that idea back fast, and it works! I can't but we can.

I agree that relapse is dangerous and we all need to remember the pain and all the bad things that happen when we pick up a drink or a drug, but relapse is part of the disease and remember no one should ever be put down because of a relapse. Im sure most of you know this already but I just wanted that to be said, yes its scary but it can happen and the best way to handle it is to learn from it. AA says all the time progress not perfection. If your relapses can become shorter and farther apart, thats progress. It's important to focus on the tools you didn't use when you relapsed, what caused you to go down that path and what you can work on to make sure it doesn't happen again. Don't be ashamed of a relapse because it will keep you from coming back from the program, I guess thats all I'm trying to say. Relapse isn't a good thing, but no one should be punished for it, its all part of learning to live a completely new life and its scary and sometimes that anxiety can be overwhelming especially for us considered dual diagnosis. I used to make myself feel better when I wasn't feeling well physically and/or emotionally, I went through 6 weeks of treatment and I'm no where near ready to deal with those issues on my own and I probably never will be. Thats why I need meetings and AA. Sorry for the rant I guess my main point is - Obviously do everything you can not to use, but if you DO use go right back to the program you're going to feel ashamed and embarrassed at first but you WILL be accepted back and NO ONE will look down on you. "You don't have to ride the garbage truck all the way to the dump"

Alcoholism left untreated will mean the alcoholic will drink again and their drinking will get progressively worse...a 43 year old guy just died that used to come to meetings, it happens, most don't die so young they manage to exist in a living hell of their own making well into sixties...that's a reality for an alcoholic who doesn't get sober...most don't make it...does it shock me or upset me anymore, nope! Would i want every alcoholic to get sober, yep! is it up to me, nope!

Thanks for this, eddie. I was once 3 yrs sober & during a moment of weakness decided to have a few glasses of wine. (Was going to continue with my sobriety the next day.) This led to another 7 yrs. of heavy drinking - and this time my life became chaos, complete with DUI's & other terrible things. It was much worse to start up again after being sober. Not sure why.

Ive heard that too heavyn, you go at it worse for some reason. I think the big thing I have learned in the past 4 months of going to meetings is that alcoholism and alcohol never ever in history has a happy ending. We just have to stay away for 1 day at a time and make the most of things around this strategy

Prayers going out for all those still struggleing and suffering.

I will never forget the end of my drinking days. I am lucky to be here.

And, yes, prayers for healing and hope for all those who are suffering.

I am almost coming up 2 years sober, it's still a journey. I don't ever want to touch an alcohol drink.

After 44 days I drank, I felt awful physically and mentally, I used it as a reminder of the reason I wanted to quit after 27 years. This is day 3, I am not concentrating one the day I drank, but the 44 I didnt and how good I felt without it.