Alcohol Freedom Blog

As recovering alcoholics or problem drinkers, relapse is only a drink away.

That next drink will not be our last drink and our better judgment tells us this even if we disregard it. When we stop drinking, unless we follow a strict treatment and recovery regimen and remain vigilant, we could easily slip back into our old destructive habits. There are some warning signals we should be aware of that can alert us to a potential return to drinking behavior.

If we can recognize the signs of relapse, we will be in a position to counter any setbacks before they become an issue. As soon as we notice these signs, we should do the right thing and go to a meeting, call our counselor, our sponsor or talk to a trusted loved one. Most important, we should separate ourselves from the possible relapse inducing situation quickly.

If you begin to have doubts about your ability to keep your sobriety you must act quickly to reaffirm your commitment to recovery. If you find yourself becoming increasingly isolated and unable to handle stressful situations without over reacting you should be careful. If you begin to live in the past or start yearning for happiness without understanding what happy really is, you should consider these as signs of slipping.

If you begin to doubt yourself and your ability to be successful with whatever you are trying to achieve this could be a problem.

• Are you having a difficult time sleeping? Either too much or not enough sleep is a signal of something bothering you, giving you an active mind.
• Did you used to drink yourself to sleep to quiet your active mind?
• Do you become preoccupied with menial tasks that separate you from others?
• Do you lose your patience easily with family and friends?
• Do you give up easily on problem solving or quickly blame yourself when things fail to go your way?

Minor depressions can set in and need to be checked swiftly. These things put you on the path to destructive and addictive drinking and must be countered at all cost. Remember when you started drinking excessively, when you drank for all the wrong reasons? By “remembering when” you will keep an open mind and be aware of the damage that can result from a relapse into drinking once again. Try and be mindful of that drinking thinking that previously got you in trouble.

If certain actions feel like déjà vu, then they probably are. Listen to your instincts when it comes to your inner voice telling you to be careful - if it feels wrong, then you should avoid the situation. If you were experiencing a particular low point in your life and are vulnerable, now would NOT be the time to be around others who are partying or drinking. You should avoid situations where it would be easy to have a drink.

If you are feeling emotionally vulnerable you need to get some experienced guidance or professional support to pull you through this rough patch. If you continue to feel emotionally vulnerable and experience periods of unhappiness or listlessness, there may be other psychological problems you need help with. Many of the signs of relapse are also signs of depression.

A mild depression or some other medical condition can be camouflaged by excessive alcohol use and if left untreated, can result in a major health crisis. If you are in recovery from alcohol abuse and seemingly doing well only to start to slide emotionally and you feel like something is not right despite your best efforts to remain sober, you should seek out medical assistance immediately.

Quite often clinical depression is misdiagnosed or alcoholism remains an obstacle to getting proper treatment for depression. Only an experienced professional will be able to assist with proper diagnosis and treatment. If you have followed all the “rules of recovery” and still find yourself slipping there may be an underlying condition that needs attention.

It is a point of fact that if you are suffering from some form of depression it is highly unlikely you will be able to maintain your sobriety. You may have been self-treating yourself through the misuse of alcohol in an effort to relieve yourself of the symptoms of depression in the first place. This is not the case with every alcoholic or problem drinker but many can certainly trace their misuse of alcohol to some form of self-medication for depression.

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