Relapse and alcohol use problems

Expect that you might have a lapse, or slip, from sobriety during your recovery. A lapse is the first episode of alcohol use after you have quit. A lapse can be just that, a one-time slip for which you take responsibility and that you take steps to prevent in the future. If you have a lapse, recognize that it was one mistake. It does not mean that you have failed in your recovery from alcohol dependency.

If you slip, stop drinking at once, and find support immediately. Get rid of the alcohol—pour it down the drain, or leave the bar or party. Ask for help. Call someone who has supported you in the past or anyone you can reach who will help you at that moment. Once the immediate crisis is over, try to identify the triggers that caused you to lapse, and use the situation as a learning experience.

A relapse is the failure to stay sober over time. Realize that relapse is also a common part of recovery. It is most likely to occur in the first few months after a person stops drinking. While you are sober, it is important to develop a strategy for managing a relapse. Enlist the help of your friends, family, or another support person. An important part of recovery is reducing the frequency and intensity of your relapses.

If you are in relapse, you can still turn yourself around and get back into recovery. Get help immediately. Check into a short-term treatment program; go to an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or other support group meeting; or call your sponsor, your doctor, your counselor, or a crisis hotline. Take the first step back to recovery as soon as you can.

To prevent relapse, it is important to identify triggers that cause you to want to drink. Recognize the high-risk situations where you have typically used alcohol: at social activities or parties, after work, during stressful events or crises, on holidays, or when you feel lonely. Next, prioritize the most risky situations and develop a strategy for how to handle them without alcohol. These strategies might include avoiding certain situations or people, rehearsing what you will say when you are offered a drink, practicing meditation or other relaxation techniques to manage stress, or using prescribed medicine to help you stay sober.

You might have several relapses, whether you have tried to quit drinking on your own or have had treatment. But as time goes on, relapses usually occur less frequently and are shorter. It is also possible to never have a relapse after treatment for alcohol dependence.