Is Relapse Part of Recovery? (E42)
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Gill discusses relapse. She explains how common it is for people to relapse, some different perspectives on sobriety, and some things that increase the chance of relapsing. You’ll learn about her experiences with going back to drinking, and a few things you can work on if returning to drinking or relapsing is an issue for you.
Key Takeaways
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says that about 90% of people relapse within 4 years of completing treatment. Other statistics are similar, less than 20% of people who receive treatment remain sober for an entire year, and for those that do, 60% will remain sober for two years. The longer you stay sober, the less chance you have of relapsing.
Our emotions and the way we handle them contribute to our risk of relapse. A 2013 study looked at body language in people attending AA meetings. They found that displays of shame while talking about a negative drinking experience predicted the occurrence of a relapse and the intensity of negative drinking-related outcomes over the next four months.
If you’ve done some sober time, but then gone back to drinking don’t consider it a failure. For many of us, it takes years of knowing our drinking is a problem and experimenting with sobriety before we actually embrace sobriety. Every time you go back to drinking you learn something. Reflect on it when you’re ready. What did you learn? How can you apply that knowledge in the future?
Sources
Alcohol Relapse Rates and Statistics. The Recovery Village Drug and Alcohol Rehab. Published December 6, 2017.
Randles D, & Tracy JL (2013). Nonverbal displays of shame predict relapse and declining health in recovering alcoholics. Clinical Psychological Science, 7(2), 149–155
Mosel S. Alcohol Relapse | Relapse Rates, Statistics, Prevention & Help. DrugAbuse.com. Published February 26, 2021.
Cite this episode
Tietz, G. Episode 42: Is Relapse Part of Recovery? Sober Powered. 2021.
