Did I just relapse?!
 

Earlier today I was at the beach and I picked up a beer almost instinctually after I drank it I realized I didn't drink any more and I said well I already had one may as well have another so I did, I drank seven solo cups of beer give or take on or two enough to give me a slight buzz and then I stopped got food and came home because o didn't want to drink anymore. I feel like tomorrow I'm going to feel guilty and hate myself for it but is that considered a relapse? I stopped when I could have got drunk and I came home to prevent it. I feel responsible and guilty at the same time?

I don't know. If I did that I would call it a relapse for myself, but I can't tell you what a relapse for you would be.

Is that a relapse, you know the answer to that question. Lets us know how you feel tomorrow.

Well in my eyes a relapse for a alcoholic would be any alcohol at all. But at the same time I didn't take it over board and get completely drunk off my a s s.. So you can look at it in two different ways. I've read threads on here with people saying different things about relapsing. Hopefully when I wake up tomorrow I will feel fine and continue my sobriety, because that's what I want.

Yeah, I think that's the key. Don't worry about it too much, but just try to stay focused on not drinking. Remind yourself of your past history of alcohol use. Does alcohol use usually end up being harmless like it was this time? I'm guessing not, so don't try to convince yourself that you're now safe to drink in moderation. :)

"may as well have another" is the kind of thinking that always led to my demise. That would have been a relapse for me, FLA.

It's taking up a lot more of your mental energy than I would be comfortable with...

I have heard it said that for a relapse to be a relapse, you have to be recovered first. You are still drinking.

Maybe you just haven't got this thing yet. If everyone got it the first time, there would be no SR, AA, AVRT...

You can do this. Whatever you have done, isn't working. Try something different!

It doesn't matter what term you use for drinking again, but it helps that you didn't go overboard. Just don't let that be an excuse to keep trying to "moderate" again in the future. There is not much else to say about the 7 beer test you just had, because you probably already know that drinking like that is not a good thing.

Very true. Thank you for all of your opinions. I made it 14 days with no substances at all (except cigs). Even tho I messed up I am glad I did not take it over board. I will learn from this and move on.

just a blip mate, i wouldnt worry yourself too much about it and try not to feel guilty...just get back on the wagon thats what matters :) god knows i had plenty of 'blips' before i finally got the message, its cool that you didnt go overboard though and end up right back into alcoholism, i think you had a lucky break there, learn from it...
best wishes

Well... After 10 days in the hospital in 2010, which followed three weeks of torturous withdrawal, upon release I went home, bought a pint of brandy, and drank it in order to sleep.

Was it a relapse? No...I was still in the active phase of my addiction, after a month of so-called sobriety, and still drugged up with a host of prescribed psychotropics.

I wasn't sober to being with, and drinking that night was continuing my downward spiral.

So to ensure I had a sobriety date, which many worship, I picked a date a month after my release from the hospital and a week from the night I returned home and drank that pint.

I do AA, and it states that AA is a program of rigorous honesty which for me means being honest with myself.

I was released from the hospital Oct. 8, 2010, drank that night once, but still picked Oct. 15, 2010, as my "sobriety" date. Yesterday was my actual birthday, and also my 18th month of "sobriety."

Personally, two weeks after I began the withdrawal stage of my recovery -- perhaps like your 14 days before the beach beer -- I was hardly in any mental or physical shape to think I was sober.

In fact, 18 months later, without taking a drink or a hit of a joint or swallowing a benzo -- I still think I am more in the abstinence phase, and not purely sobriety, if that makes any sens to you.

Personally, I would wait until I had six months of total abstinence -- counting from those beers on the beach -- and ask yourself if it was a relapse or if you are still in the active addiction phase.

Our relationships and journeys are unique and personal but remember that many an alcoholic in recovery began a full blown relapse with some controlled drinking. If it was me, i would consider it a trip up and a lesson to learn from. There was a trigger there. Something led to the drinking and while it was under some kind of control this time, who knows what can happen the next time or the time after that. Alcohol can lure you into a false sense of security. I find it better to always have my guard up.better safe and sober than sorry.

If you picked up a beer (in a solo cup?) almost by instinct, as you say, maybe it's time to find some new people to hang out with...

I use the program of AA...Coming up on 10 months...I wasn't sure I'd make it a week. If I did what you did...I'd be picking up my 24 hour chip in the morning.

Ill take Relapse for 200 Alex.....

Personally I would tap out the catagory, Stugotz. Love that response! :c011:

I had7 months, drank one glass of sangria, and considered it a relapse. New sobriety date. It doesn't necessarily take away from the 7 months of sobriety I had, but a big part of my sobriety is being honest with myself and with others, and I definitely relapsed. Most important I think is to pull yourself up and keep going with your sobriety. You can do this!

:agree


You made a choice to pick up and continue to drink.
Reset the clock and move on

Relapse is different for everyone and if it does not change your mind on being a non drinker then I would not worry about it. Learn from it and move on. Don't need more stress on yourself when there is no need for.

A non drinker doesn't drink. Keep moving forward.

I have to say only an alcoholic would consider seven beers to be responsible drinking.

Stu!
:c011:

This is the part that troubles me about your post. I don't know many people in recovery who remember they don't drink once they have gotten to the bottom of the can/glass. I promise I am not trying to be snarky.

I guess the important thing is to consider how you want to proceed going forward.

Well, it's "tomorrow"...how are you feeling? Still questioning whether or not you had a relapse?

Since it's a One Day At A Time program, I'd concentrate more on how I'm going to not drink TODAY. I've often heard that the alcoholic is "mentally drunk" before he actually picks up the drink. Could be you had/have reservations about whether you truly are an alcoholic? No one can answer that for you but yourself...not anymore than anyone can tell you whether you should consider that you had a relapse.

BTW...do you attend any meetings? Do you have a sponsor? Exactly what else are you using to stay sober besides sheer will power?

I wish you well...and sobriety...

Congrats on 2 days of sobritey (I hope).

Yup I'm still sober but do u start over or what? Wouldn't it be day 16?

Everyone debates about that. To me, if you have a single, isolated incident like that and it bothers you too much to absolutely start back at zero, I would still consider your normal sober date but note that as a relapse. But I think technically a lot of people start from ground zero. To me that is very very difficult to do. If I had to start over at 0 today after going 22 days and having a single slip up I would really struggle with that. But it is really a matter of personal preference and how you feel in your heart. Congrats on getting back on track! LMZR

If your plan is to never drink again...what does it matter if it is day 22, day 2 or day 2022. It is simply not relevant.

If you're trying to figure out when it might be a good time to drink again then I think keeping track of the days would likely be a good thing (sarcasm alert). :)

I've had too many of those one day relapses, which made it easier to drink again (and again, and again). Today, I know what my date of my last drink was. But that's me.

You have your way, and that's cool, too! :)