Relapse isn’t the End of the World

So you’ve used again. After all the hard work you put into your detox, recovery, and sobriety, you’ve hit a snag and relapsed back into substance abuse. It seems like the worst thing in the world. All that work just wasted. Right?Wrong.The work you put in to get clean and sober was and never will be a waste. That’s a valuable investment in yourself and will help you climb out of the relapse you now find yourself in. Relapse can hit the ego pretty hard and seem like the end of the world. It’s discouraging, yes, but it’s not the worst that can happen. In fact, you must understand that relapse is a part of the recovery process. Some falter a little and some falter in such a way that returns them to drinking or using again. Rehab isn’t a magic cure for addiction. It helps, absolutely! But real recovery is a lifetime of making new choices and getting back up each time you fall down.If you’ve slipped on the ice and fallen into a relapse, it’s okay. You aren’t a failure and your sobriety isn’t doomed. You just have to get back up. This means getting back into a secure environment, be that a rehab program or a family member’s guest room, and fighting through the detox again. Get the drugs out of your system and start a fresh new day.Each time you relapse, and we all hope it’s not often, you get a little bit stronger and a little bit better at bouncing back. Don’t look at this as a failure. See it as an opportunity to reinforce your resolve to beat this thing, little by little, over time.At The Last Resort, we always hope you leave here and never see the bottom of a bottle again but that’s not always the reality. When a relapse does strike, we offer the help and resources to pick you back up again and get you on your feet. Don’t give up on the war when you lose one battle. This is a long term fight for the quality of the rest of your life. Whatever you do, whatever happens, don’t give up.