Successful Recovery and Relapse Prevention by Bill McCausland Ph.D

Author:Bill McCausland Ph.D. [McCausland, Bill Ph.D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781524555528
Publisher: Xlibris US
Published: 2016-11-29T05:00:00+00:00

Starting to isolate is generally linked to regressing to old behaviors. You don’t have control over the disease of addiction, but you have control over the decision of raising the threshold of recovery to prevent relapse. One solid way of staying clean and sober is to stay connected. Isolation is a symptom of losing the decision to stay sober and cutting yourself off from others who can help you stay sober. It creates an opportunity to use, which may be a conscious or unconscious plan in the making. Isolation is like having the addiction whisper in your ear that you don’t need help and seduce you back to getting high … and the misery or consequences that you experienced before.

Isolation can also be one symptom of depression. Think about whether you might be having the blues that everyone experiences from time to time: depression which results from detox from alcohol or drugs, some transient depression, or that you actually might be depressed. Isolation that is associated with depression can be quite immobilizing. Get help with therapists in your recovery group to sort this out and get a plan to help you. Keep mobilized and connected, even if you don’t feel like it. Doing what you don’t feel like doing is the best remedy in this case.

Solitude is different. Think of prayer, meditation, study, contemplation, or being with yourself in all kinds of wonderful ways that are particularly nourishing for you. It is the need for personal privacy for whatever purpose. The need for solitude is not driven by addiction, but the need to have time to take things in or to rejuvenate yourself.

7. Alienating people who can help you. Alienating others is an addictive and sometimes crafty way to push people that represent recovery away. It may be preceded by drumming up some sort of resentment or judgment to justify alienating someone that could help you stay sober. “I can do it my way. They don’t really have a clue about it.” Alienating people who can help you is usually directed at others in recovery, professionals who work with chemically dependent people, and so on. You might have problems with someone and that might equate to an all-or-nothing “I’m outta here.” It is one way to develop an excuse to use. Don’t avoid problems if you have a genuine issue. For example, if your sponsor doesn’t make him or herself available enough for you, talk with your sponsor about it. You can work something out with the sponsor, or if you need to, get another one who is available.

8. Procrastination. “Why do today what I can put off until tomorrow?” Some alcoholics and drug addicts got a lot of practice at procrastination when using because they have kept putting things off because of using. One type of procrastination is “I’ll quit using tomorrow.” It is amazing how tomorrow can add up a lot of days, weeks, or years.

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