Author: tearj3rker
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 5:06 pm
| Romeo wrote: |
| There seems to be this attitude that a relapse means complete and utter failure and I simply don’t agree with that. It’s as if people conclude that once we addicts relapse, we’re not good for shit after that. The truth of the matter is that the overwhelming majority of addicts DO relapse and from what I know, that’s what it takes for a lot us to get our heads screwed back on straight…..sometimes multiple relapses. I’m at slip/lapse/relapse #3 and I have learned a tremendous amount from each relapse, each one has moved me forward in my recovery. Without them, I wouldn’t be as strong in my recovery as I am right now. |
Relapse can mean so many things. As far as I know, 12-step programs are the only places where using once is considered a relapse.
One thing I found really hard in researching those studies, is that their definition of relapse isn’t clear by viewing the abstracts. It’s very hard to get a real picture of what they mean. 90% "relapse" rate could actually be successful, if it refers to a once off use.
I have my personal definition of what involves relapse, and it generally happens when I start losing the things I’ve earned in recovery. I consider anything less to be a binge, and a once off to be a slip. For me, when I find my way out of a relapse, I’ve let using rob me of something I’ve earned in recovery, whether it be getting into debt, losing my partner, losing my morals, losing my honesty. And in the past, I’ve learned big lessons from all three – relapses, binges, slips. As long as we listen to the lessons they offer, we can learn a lot from them.
As you said, people can die when they relapse. Suboxone minimises this risk significantly though, as when a person relapses on opioids, their tolerance has been propped up by the Sub, so risk of overdose is much less. But there’s other ways to die in a relapse.
Add me to the list of people who have used while on Suboxone, or even relapsed. What’s interesting about when I used on Suboxone earlier this treatment, is the relapses didn’t go anywhere near as deep as they did before, yet I’ve still heeded important lessons. My life didn’t bottom out.
