Recovering from alcohol abuse is something that needs to be worked on one day at a
time. In each moment, you make a choice to stay sober or to relapse. If you or someone
you care about is struggling with their addiction recovery, know that they do not have to
face it alone.
Are you wondering if someone you know has relapsed back into alcohol abuse? We at
(Facility Name) relapse prevention in North Carolina would like to share with you the
most common signs of an alcohol relapse. If you are in recovery, examine your current
state of being and see if the following sounds like you.
Signs of an Alcohol Relapse
Becoming More Isolated: A Relapse Symptom
Are you beginning to feel more and more uncomfortable being around your friends and
family? Perhaps you fear that they will notice how deeply you are missing alcohol, and
they will figure out that you have begun to head towards a relapse. Whatever your
reason for isolating yourself, realize that it does not serve your sobriety to do so. Share
with others how you are feeling so that they can help you stay on track.
Romanticizing the Past
The grass always seems greener on the other side. Perhaps at times, you find yourself
thinking about, or telling stories of when you had fun drinking with your friends. Doing
this only makes it seems like those were the “better days.” Yearning for the past is not
conducive to living in the here and now and embracing sobriety. When you romanticize
your alcohol abuse, you encourage a relapse.
Stopping All Support Group Meetings
Attending support groups regularly is a critical part of staying far away from alcohol
abuse. Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous provide a way for you to share
your feelings with people who are going through similar situations as you.
Part of attending a support group is admitting to others, including your sponsors when
you fall back into relapse. When you stop going to support group meetings, that is a
good indication that you may be hiding what is really going on with your recovery.
Experiencing Depression or Anxiety
A part of living your new life sober is to stay busy and spend time doing activities that
you enjoy so that you don’t become bored or preoccupied with thoughts of alcohol. This
is important so that you don’t slip back into relapse. If you are having negative feelings such as depression, anxiety, anger, defensiveness, or intense mood swings, you simply may be experiencing residual withdrawal-related stress that that is all part of the detoxification process.
Not Taking Care of Yourself
Along those same lines, have you stopped taking good care of yourself? As you likely
learned in rehab, it is critical to care for your health in the best ways possible so that you
feel good enough to resist temptation. For example, you should be exercising, eating
right, and getting enough sleep at night. If your personal hygiene is slipping as well, this
is often a clear sign that relapse has set in.
Neglecting Responsibilities
When your mind and body have become preoccupied with drinking again, it becomes
difficult to complete daily responsibilities effectively or do them at all. Are you making it
to work on time, or showing up at all? Taking care of household responsibilities or other
tasks becomes difficult when you have fallen back into relapse.
Relapse Prevention in North Carolina
We at Asheville Recovery Center in North Carolina understand that relapsing
after a period of sobriety can be incredibly discouraging. We know the triggers that so
often cause people to relapse in the first place. If you haven’t relapsed yet but you fear
you might, we are here to help you. Call us today to speak with an addiction specialist.
