Is there really a way out?
Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Michigan
Posts: 5,384
(Relapse prevention planning part 7. This will be the last part.)
Relapse prevention planning
Most relapse in addiction is unnecessary. Many alcoholics relapse because they do not understand the process and what to do to prevent it. Appropriate action on your part and the people in your life can prevent or interrupt the relapse syndrome before the consequences become tragic.
The steps of relapse prevention planning are: 1. Stabilization: Get control of yourself. 2. Self-assessment: Find out what is going on in your head, heart, and life. 3. Relapse education: Learn about relapse and what to do to prevent it. 4. Warning sign identification: Make a list of your personal relapse warning signs. 5. Warning sign management: Learn how to interrupt warning signs before you lose control. 6. Inventory training: Learn how to become consciously aware of warning signs as they develop. 7. Review the recovery program: Make sure your recovery program is able to help you to manage your warning signs. 8. Involvement of significant others: Teach others how to work with you to avoid relapse. 9. Follow up: Update your relapse prevention plan regularly.
The relapse prevention self help group
Some AA members discuss their progress with relapse prevention planning during regular AA meetings. Since they have integrated relapse prevention planning into their regular twelve step AA recovery program this is usually not a problem. Some groups, however, are reluctant to discuss relapse prevention during formal AA meetings. Although relapse prevention planning is completely compatible with the AA program, it is not a part of that program. The method itself and literature such as this have not been conference approved. As a result many AA meetings do not allow discussion of the relapse prevention planning methods.
As a result, some recovering persons have developed relapse prevention self help groups that are independent of but cooperative with AA and other twelve step groups. These persons do not stop going to AA; they simply start going to an additional self help meeting that focuses specifically upon their problems with preventing relapse.
(End of part 7. This is the final part.)
Relapse prevention planning
Most relapse in addiction is unnecessary. Many alcoholics relapse because they do not understand the process and what to do to prevent it. Appropriate action on your part and the people in your life can prevent or interrupt the relapse syndrome before the consequences become tragic.
The steps of relapse prevention planning are: 1. Stabilization: Get control of yourself. 2. Self-assessment: Find out what is going on in your head, heart, and life. 3. Relapse education: Learn about relapse and what to do to prevent it. 4. Warning sign identification: Make a list of your personal relapse warning signs. 5. Warning sign management: Learn how to interrupt warning signs before you lose control. 6. Inventory training: Learn how to become consciously aware of warning signs as they develop. 7. Review the recovery program: Make sure your recovery program is able to help you to manage your warning signs. 8. Involvement of significant others: Teach others how to work with you to avoid relapse. 9. Follow up: Update your relapse prevention plan regularly.
The relapse prevention self help group
Some AA members discuss their progress with relapse prevention planning during regular AA meetings. Since they have integrated relapse prevention planning into their regular twelve step AA recovery program this is usually not a problem. Some groups, however, are reluctant to discuss relapse prevention during formal AA meetings. Although relapse prevention planning is completely compatible with the AA program, it is not a part of that program. The method itself and literature such as this have not been conference approved. As a result many AA meetings do not allow discussion of the relapse prevention planning methods.
As a result, some recovering persons have developed relapse prevention self help groups that are independent of but cooperative with AA and other twelve step groups. These persons do not stop going to AA; they simply start going to an additional self help meeting that focuses specifically upon their problems with preventing relapse.
(End of part 7. This is the final part.)
Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Dallas, Texas
Posts: 2
As somebody who admitadly does not yet undstand the sobriety concept in the slightest, I have to state this while I'm still in my stupid and undesired state(aka, still nowhere near a place I'd call recovery)
The internal bickering that occurs within AA or other groups is a HUGE turnoff to a person who is still using or the begining stages of recovery. At least it has been for me. It kind of feels like if the people who are in recovery can't agree or get along, how does a newcomer like me have a chance in hell?
What you don't seem to understand or remember anymore is that "we", the newly trying, don't know your rules. We don't know your book entirely. Heck, I've only read 3 chapters of the BB, and it took me forever and a day to get that far. Don't you think that sometimes you're disagreements might be better taken to the side in a private message than posted as a reply to somebody's question? It really is discouraging to somebody who is fairly new to the concept of sobriety like myself.
And I'll be the first to admit that I know I may very well be violating your boundries. I understand completely that your own sobriety MUST be more important to you than mine is. (okay, so I only learned that concept tonight after a new found friend told me to stop talking about sobriety while I held a drink in my hand, that it wasn't something he was comfortable with... he explained setting boundries and the such to me which was a new concept for me.)
I guess what I'm wondering, is does my point have merit or is this yet another thing I have yet to learn? All I know is it feels like there are many people who want to want to quit. I know I have wanted to want to quit for a long time.
It was only after I was insightful enough to ask my friend mentioned above one simple question, "how?" that I realized some truth on the issue. The full question was "how do I make myself "want" to quit" and his answer was "you will never truely WANT to quit."
What I took from that was that wanting to want to quit was as close as I would ever get. That was a tough one to grasp.
Please give me honest feedback on this post. As my own recovery from this stupid disease is more important to me at this point than my pride or being "right". I want to know where I'm wrong, and to help me along, why am I wrong?
Thanks!
The internal bickering that occurs within AA or other groups is a HUGE turnoff to a person who is still using or the begining stages of recovery. At least it has been for me. It kind of feels like if the people who are in recovery can't agree or get along, how does a newcomer like me have a chance in hell?
What you don't seem to understand or remember anymore is that "we", the newly trying, don't know your rules. We don't know your book entirely. Heck, I've only read 3 chapters of the BB, and it took me forever and a day to get that far. Don't you think that sometimes you're disagreements might be better taken to the side in a private message than posted as a reply to somebody's question? It really is discouraging to somebody who is fairly new to the concept of sobriety like myself.
And I'll be the first to admit that I know I may very well be violating your boundries. I understand completely that your own sobriety MUST be more important to you than mine is. (okay, so I only learned that concept tonight after a new found friend told me to stop talking about sobriety while I held a drink in my hand, that it wasn't something he was comfortable with... he explained setting boundries and the such to me which was a new concept for me.)
I guess what I'm wondering, is does my point have merit or is this yet another thing I have yet to learn? All I know is it feels like there are many people who want to want to quit. I know I have wanted to want to quit for a long time.
It was only after I was insightful enough to ask my friend mentioned above one simple question, "how?" that I realized some truth on the issue. The full question was "how do I make myself "want" to quit" and his answer was "you will never truely WANT to quit."
What I took from that was that wanting to want to quit was as close as I would ever get. That was a tough one to grasp.
Please give me honest feedback on this post. As my own recovery from this stupid disease is more important to me at this point than my pride or being "right". I want to know where I'm wrong, and to help me along, why am I wrong?
Thanks!
Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Michigan
Posts: 5,384
I know I have wanted to quit for a long time.
Congratulations on another attempt at recovery zerohero! Another attempt is always worth the risk cause the other two alternatives are death or insanity.
I'm assuming you don't have a sponsor? I shall then be your temporary sponsor until you get a permanent one. I'm going to give you some suggestions on how to stay sober. If you don't follow all of them, don't consider yourself a failure. Try to do as many as you can.
First of all staying sober MUST be the most important thing in your life. It's got to come before family, jobs, money, and friends. I don't care if you think your a s s is falling off, you don't drink no matter what.
To start, I would like you to do 5 things everyday. I call it "The 5 Point Plan."
Just do these 5 things each day and stay sober:
1. Pray in the morning, asking for help to stay sober today.
2. Read two pages of the Big Book every day. No more, no less. Start with reading the Preface all the way to page 164. These are the instructions on how to stay sober. Forget the personal stories for now. You get enough of those from meetings.
3. Call your sponsor everyday. In our case I would like you to post on this thread everyday. It will be hard to get too personal cause of this open forum. Just make sure you check in and let me know if you made it another day sober. If you want to talk about anything else that you're comfortable enough with, feel free to. Or you can talk about the two pages that you read that day. Daily contact with another alcoholic is one of the most important things to do, especially if you're struggling with your recovery.
4. Go to an AA meeting.
5. Say a prayer of gratitude at night for having made it through another day sober.
If you can't do all five of these things on some days, do at least three.
Congratulations on another attempt at recovery zerohero! Another attempt is always worth the risk cause the other two alternatives are death or insanity.
I'm assuming you don't have a sponsor? I shall then be your temporary sponsor until you get a permanent one. I'm going to give you some suggestions on how to stay sober. If you don't follow all of them, don't consider yourself a failure. Try to do as many as you can.
First of all staying sober MUST be the most important thing in your life. It's got to come before family, jobs, money, and friends. I don't care if you think your a s s is falling off, you don't drink no matter what.
To start, I would like you to do 5 things everyday. I call it "The 5 Point Plan."
Just do these 5 things each day and stay sober:
1. Pray in the morning, asking for help to stay sober today.
2. Read two pages of the Big Book every day. No more, no less. Start with reading the Preface all the way to page 164. These are the instructions on how to stay sober. Forget the personal stories for now. You get enough of those from meetings.
3. Call your sponsor everyday. In our case I would like you to post on this thread everyday. It will be hard to get too personal cause of this open forum. Just make sure you check in and let me know if you made it another day sober. If you want to talk about anything else that you're comfortable enough with, feel free to. Or you can talk about the two pages that you read that day. Daily contact with another alcoholic is one of the most important things to do, especially if you're struggling with your recovery.
4. Go to an AA meeting.
5. Say a prayer of gratitude at night for having made it through another day sober.
If you can't do all five of these things on some days, do at least three.
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