Relapse Warning Signs and Prevention

[caressa]

Relapse Warning Signs (in order of the descent into relapse)

1. Apprehension about well being.
2. Denial
3. Adamant commitment to staying clean.
4. Compulsive attempts to impose staying clean on others.
5. Defensiveness
6. Compulsive behavior
7. Impulsive behavior
8. Tendencies toward loneliness
9. Tunnel vision
10. Minor depression
11. Loss of constructive planning
12. Plans begin to fail
13. Idle daydreaming and wishful thinking.
14. Feeling that nothing can be solved.
15. Immature wish to be happy.
16. Periods of confusion
17. Irritation with friends
18. Easily angered
19. Irregular eating habits
20. Listlessness
21. Irregular sleeping habits
22. Progressive loss of daily structure
23. Periods of deep depression
24. Irregular attendance at meetings
25. Development of an "I don't care" attitude.
26. Open rejection of help
27. Dissatisfaction with life
28. Feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness
29. Self-pity
30. Thoughts of social using
31. Conscious lying
32. Complete loss of self-confidence
33. Unreasonable resentments
34. Discontinuing all treatment
35. Overwhelming loneliness, frustration, anger and tension
36. Start of "controlled" using
37. Loss of control

Relapse Prevention Planning

1. Stabilization - stabilize your sobriety
2. Assessment - Do you believe relapse can occur? Are you ready for relapse planning?
3. Education about the relapse process - review 37 warning signs
4. Warning sign identification - list 10 personal warning signs
5. Review recovery program - if not in the process of recovery, you are in the process of relapse. Are you doing what is necessary?
6. Inventory training - focus on daily personal inventory.
7. Interruption of relapse warning signs - Develop, plan and work it.
8. Involvment of support group - set up your support system and use it.
9. Follow-up and reinforcement - Practice, practice, practice

This was originally posted in '05 and I snagged it for my site. Couldn't find it to bring it forward, so copying it again.

[caressa]

Was talking to my son yesterday about how he need to connect with other people, recovery couldn't come from me. He totally agreed with me. What does he do? Relapsed on crack last night. Really an excuse, always uses me as an excuse for a relapse, can't be around me because when he is, he uses when he comes to Hamilton.

[SunnyGirl]

I just can't follow your son's logic on blaming you...

Can he honestly say he was totally clean and sober
when he was living out of town? Every where you
go there are temptations!

The two of you are in my prayers.... SG

[caressa]

He has never had more than 7 months at a treatment center, he relapsed when he came here to Hamilton, because he felt guilty of living away from me and not taking care of me. He said, "See mom, I can't live here, when I come here I use." When in B.C. he was lonely, and he didn't like it, now his story is that he came home because he was worried about me. It is a disease of perception. I have always told him to do what was good for him. He said, "I didn't tell him I had fallen and had been in the hospital." I think I did after the fact or on FB and made light of it. Now he is here it is a big do and he is worried and sees my pain and thinks I have been hiding it from him and want to know what he can do. The pain has always been there, just that in today, the pain is more intense due to the new medication. The fibromyalgia is the worse it has ever been.

He wanted to talk to me and he had had a few beers and we know you can't talk to an alkie when he has been drinking. He wasn't drunk, he just smelled.

[majestyjo]

Don't pick up, no matter what. Stay safe.