Why Relapses Happen In Sobriety

Dishonesty with self would be the No.1 cause for relapsing in sobriety. Self-deception denies your disease, dodges your responsibilities, neglects the fundamentals of your recovery program, rationalises unwise actions and fails to evaluate you (or your good or bad traits) honestly.

H.A.L.T. don’t get too hungry, angry, lonely or tired. If you get too angry you are likely to reach for the bottle for solace. If you get too hungry, you might just let your guard down and have a wine with your meal.

Loneliness is a prison and once we get inside our head for too long, we’re behind enemy lines. It’s dangerous inside our mind and we need to get outside into the sunshine and talk to people.

Tiredness can play tricks on us. We think we’re not coping with life when, in fact, we’re doing too much and at the end of the day, we’re too tired to go to an AA meeting. That can be dangerous.

Any of the above can make you vulnerable to relapse, so be sure to guard against each of these.

Don’t let yourself get too thirsty. Finding yourself thirsty and looking at ads of frosty cold beer can be extremely risky.

Avoid such situations by being sure that, whether you are sailing a boat, cheering your favourite team at a ball game, or playing a sweaty set of singles on a tennis court, you are well-supplied with frosty sodas, juice or ice water.

Allowing negative feelings to enter your life is another risky past time. Resentment, ingratitude, self-pity (telling yourself you are the victim of bad luck rather than someone who has made poor choices), pessimism (your glass is always half empty rather than half full), impatience (you crave instant gratification – one day at a time isn’t good enough), frustration (“why can’t everything go just the way I want it to go?”), are all attitudes that can undermine recovery. If you don’t acknowledge these feelings and deal with them quickly and constructively, they will inevitably lead you over the edge of a relapse cliff.

Unrealistic expectations. Expecting too much too soon (a trait typical of alcoholics/addicts) can lead to disappointment and resentment, which in turn, can lead to the nearest bar or dealer.

In early recovery, it should be enough that at the end of each day you can say, “I’ve stayed clean and sober today.” When you put your head on your pillow at night, ask yourself: “what have I done today to improve my life?”

Unresolved issues. If problems in your relationships, your work or other aspects of your life still have not been adequately faced and resolved, they will make negative feelings simmer and eventually come to a boil. If this is the case, deal with these issues now. Most long term sobriety people agree that they can’t afford the luxury of “emotional litter” in their lives. Dealing with emotions rather than ignoring them keeps that litter from piling up.

Renewing old friendships. Once recovery seems well established, it may seem silly or over-cautious not to see an old friend you used to drink or use with. “He called and sounded so friendly and asked me out on a date.”   What would I say to that statement? Don’t walk where it’s slippery. Don’t set yourself up for a fall.

Remembering the good old days, otherwise known as “romancing the drink or the drug”. Putting a shine on the bad old days can make those days seem like the good old days. Don’t dwell on the past or you will drown in it. If someone else tries to romanticize your drinking, put on the brakes with your own memories. Go back and look at your Diary when you wrote what it was like, what happened and what you are like today.

Supplements to help the dopamine neurotransmitter could benefit the alcoholic/addict/emotional overeater by balancing the brain chemistry and relieve the need to search for satisfaction and reward.

I recommend amino acids to help balance brain chemistry and a good liver tonic to help repair liver damage. Specific amino acids are essential for the liver to breakdown toxins and drugs and also for efficient metabolism in the liver.

l-Glutamine. This amino acid is required for phase two detoxification in the liver and is required in increased amounts by those who consume excessive alcohol. It is able to reduce the craving for alcohol.

l-Glutamine supplementation is helpful for intestinal disorders such as peptic ulcers and leaky gut syndrome. Leaky gut is the term used to describe an inflamed condition of the lining of the bowel, which makes the bowel too permeable, so that toxins and incompletely digested food particles can be absorbed from the bowels directly into the liver. This increases the workload of the liver and may cause many health problems.

l-Glutamine is essential for the white cells to fight viruses such as hepatitis B and C. Glutamine is converted in the body into glutamic acid, which, along with the amino acids cysteine and glycine, is converted into the powerful liver protector glutathione. Glutathione is essential for liver phase two conjugation reactions used during detoxification of drugs and toxic chemicals.

Our Ultimate Gut Health Powder would be a great glutamine supplement.

LivaTone PLUS is a natural liver tonic containing the liver herbs St Mary’s Thistle with the benefits of Turmeric and Selenium. It also contains all the B vitamins and the amino acid Taurine, as well as the antioxidants vitamin C and vitamin E.

The LivaTone PLUS formula contains the clinically proven dose of silymarin (a daily dose of 420 mg of silymarin). LivaTone Plus is designed to support step one and two detoxification pathways in the liver, essential in helping the alcoholic’s liver to return to normal.

The liver is the main fat burning organ in the body and regulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism. A healthy liver will take fat in the form of cholesterol and pump it via the bile into the intestines where it will be carried away in the bowel actions provided the diet is high in fibre.

Tyrosine Mood Food - Tyrosine is a natural amino acid - one of the building blocks of protein.  It is required for the manufacture of the brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) dopamine and noradrenaline.  These neurotransmitters are required for concentration, alertness, memory and a happy, stable mood.

Magnesium – the great relaxant. Magnesium plays an essential role in maintaining and promoting efficient muscle function and nerve transmission. Magnesium is a vital mineral for hundreds of cellular enzymes involved in the body's energy production and metabolism. It is required by the nervous system to regulate the function of nerves and muscles. Magnesium may also assist in the reduction of stress, nervous tension, anxiety and sleeplessness.

 

I’m offering, FREE of charge, a copy of my new eBook, Recovery from Alcoholism. Send me an email at [email protected] for your FREE copy. If you would like more information about alcoholism, book a consultation with me for a Skype consultation.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.