What is Alcoholic Relapse and What to Do After

Manage emotional triggers during recovery by exercising, resting, seeking therapy or counseling, meditating, and spending time with positive people – these activities can help you feel more in control and support. For the majority of people, drinking alcohol after being sober can lead to relapse. Therefore, it is not recommended to have even one drink while in recovery. Write out both your recovery plan and your relapse prevention plan. Next to each, add the techniques you and your therapist or support team have come up with to manage it. After not drinking for a while, the body can’t process alcohol the same way, and the drinker’s tolerance lowers.

If someone tells you that it’s fine for recovering alcoholics to drink in moderation, consider why this person is telling you this information. Are they a well-meaning friend who doesn’t really understand alcoholism and everything you’ve been through? Maybe they want to have a fun night out with you — like you used to have with them before you got sober. This person likely misses the camaraderie you used to have when alcohol was involved; they probably do not care whether you actually drink.

I could just get sober again

There are many reasons a person in recovery may decide to drink again. The drinker may have been in recovery for a while and became too comfortable. They debate if they can drink casually after spending time away from alcohol. Casual drinking is impossible for someone who has an alcohol use disorder (AUD) because alcoholism reactivates cravings and makes it difficult to avoid old drinking habits. For people in recovery, it is impossible to reintroduce alcohol into their new lifestyle, as they could only achieve stability once they stopped drinking. Having a comprehensive treatment plan that includes relapse prevention is important since recovery doesn’t end when you leave your substance use treatment program.

In a separate 2014 study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, researchers reported relapse rates of 506 people who had maintained recovery from alcohol use disorder for one year. When physical relapse happens, people in recovery from liver damage risk a recurrence of alcohol-related liver disease. For people who have established a sustained period of sobriety, relapse doesn’t occur overnight. In a 2015 article published in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, Dr. Steven Melemis described three stages that occur during relapse. Relapse can be averted if friends or family members intervene and convince the person to go to recovery meetings or alcohol counseling.

Get Help With Alcohol Addiction

When a person regularly consumes alcohol, these brain functions may alter to adapt to its presence. As any substance abuse counselor will affirm, goal setting https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/best-alcohol-abuse-recovery-diet/ during recovery is critical. The feeling of achievement when accomplishing goals is what motivates us as humans to keep propelling ourselves forward.

However, just because a relapse occurs doesn’t mean someone has failed recovery. Relapse can be part of the recovery process, and it can strengthen someone’s dedication to long-term sobriety if it occurs and is properly handled. drinking again after sobriety However, it is important to realize that the threat of alcohol relapse is always present. For this reason, a recovering alcoholic should stay involved in aftercare options like Alcoholics Anonymous to stay focused on sobriety.