If you’re trying to stop drinking and have made some progress, but find yourself drinking again (relapse) for a night, for a week or longer, here are some tips for getting back on the wagon and reclaiming your recovery:
- Get right back on track. Stop drinking – the sooner the better. Every second, every minute, every hour without a drink helps you get stronger.
- Remember, each day is a new day to start over. Although it can be unsettling to slip, you don’t have to continue drinking. The fact that you drink yesterday is no excuse to do it again today.
- Setbacks are common when people undertake a major change. It’s your progress in the long run that counts.
- Don’t beat yourself up. It doesn’t help. Don’t let feelings of discouragement, anger, or guilt stop you from asking for help and getting back on track.
- Get some help. Quitting drinking is hard and doing it alone doesn’t make you a hero. Contact your healthcare provider or a sober and supportive friend right away to talk about what happened, or go to a mutual-help meeting, go such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Smart Recovery.
- Think it through. With a little distance, try to understand why the episode happened at that particular time and place. What led to the relapse?
- Learn from what happened. Decide what you need to do so that it won’t happen again, and write it down. Use your relapse experience to strengthen your commitment to recovery from alcohol use.
- Avoid triggers to drink. Get rid of any alcohol at home. Avoid people, places and things that put you at risk for relapse.
- Find alternatives to drinking. Keep busy with things and activities that are not associated with drugs or alcohol.
None of us are defined by our mistakes. After a relapse, get back up again, revisit your goals and your reasons why and get ready for success. It starts now!
