In treating addiction for the last 40 years, Clearbrook has seen relapse happen. If it’s addressed early enough, disaster can be avoided. Below we point out some signs that a person who is in recovery may be headed back down the wrong path.
Stop Going To Meetings | If you are someone who using a 12 step program you need to keep going to meetings. Many people go to a meeting every day. Most people who are successful went to 90 meetings in 90 days. An alarm should go off when someone is attending fewer or no meetings. It is a sign that something else has taken precedence to their recovery.
Lose Contact With Their Support Group | A support group is a group of people who can objectively take a look at each other and point out some potentially hazardous and dangerous behaviors and attitudes that go against the grain of the solutions and principles of recovery. When someone begins to lose contact with their group a lot of times they are hiding something. Even more dangerous, their minds can tell them that “I can handle it this time.”
Talking About Substituting One Drug For Another | In early recovery, it can be a normal thought for someone to think that they can use a substance other than their drug of choice. With complete abstinence as the model to recovery, the alcoholic/addict should not use any mind or mood altering substances.
Replacement of Addictions | As addicts, we are “feel good junkies”. What we are looking for in active addiction is relief from reality and we believe the chemicals we use will provide that. First of all, they don’t. Secondly, even when we put down the drugs and alcohol, our brain will still seek relief. Many times the signals of replacement are getting overly involved in relationships, obsessive working, eating or exercise. There is nothing wrong with the previously mentioned but we all have to find a balance. When this activities take the place of meetings and recovery, the disease of addiction is given an opportunity to creep back in.
