It's A SLIPPERY Slope: The first 4 Common Relapse Traps
Many conversations are currently centered around how the coronavirus mitigation effort demands social isolation. A hefty consequence for anyone in recovery. Our addiction and traumas were born and raised in isolation. Part of our recovery management has been to find a community with others, connections. Outside of ourselves, outside of our homes. TODAY we are being asked to self-quarantine and keep our social interactions on an emergency-only basis…keeping 6 feet apart, etc. It feels like a nightmare or some dystopian novel come to life (Mad Max anyone?)!
Social isolation means we have to work harder to make the connections we require and CRAVE in recovery. There are many online options as well as phone-bridge meetings and more are being offered on a daily basis.
I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some of the common relapse triggers we are all prone too - but that may be even more evident NOW! There are 17 that I want to cover, so I am breaking it down over the course of four entries to save readers time. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about these traps!
Trap One: Not Following Directions. You asked for help, were given directions, and now you feel you can treat your problem without outside guidance. Hmmm….Tell me again how you got to where you are now? The truth is that recovery from any compulsion, addiction, or trauma requires a change in behavior first, thoughts/feelings second. The other way around got you to where you are. AND if you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got!
Trap Two: Failure To Self-Diagnose. This one has always been tricky for me. This is when you may not believe your disease is chronic or progressive even though you are in treatment. The truth is that recovery is a life-long NEED because this is a life-long DISEASE, one that requires a lifestyle change.
Trap Three: Experimenting with Control. Chances are, if you are anything like me, you may have fallen prey to this one a time or two. You may blame past use on factors outside of your control. You may feel there were one or two “big” factors that caused you to slip, lapse, or relapse. The truth is the “little” warning signs are just as BIG as the “big” warning signs.
Trap Four: Maintaining a High-Risk Lifestyle. You may believe because of your willpower, intelligence, education, therapy, determination, or just plain “luck” you do not need to make all the LITTLE changes in your life. Your thoughts may sound something like: “I know I should make a change, but this situation is only temporary. I’ll change as soon as _______”, “You can’t expect me to change everything at once. I can only do so much at a time”. These errors in thinking are DANGEROUS!