Are Your Insides in an Uproar? Part 2 of 12

My problem in my addiction was relapsing, even though I meant well. Maybe if you recognize the symptoms from this series of blog posts, you will be able to break out of the relapse pattern sooner and easier than I did.

Terence T. Gorski, co-author of Staying Sober, identified 11 phases of relapse in his book (https://www.amazon.com/Terence-T.-Gorski/e/B001JSA9K8). I hope you will find this series helpful enough to review again and again -- at once or in parts. An idea might be to checkmark symptoms in the 11 phases to see if you or a loved one is in danger of relapsing. Then take action.

Gorski's research involved 118 recovering patients who had four things in common:

1. They completed a 21- or 28-day rehab program;
2. They recognized they could never again safely use alcohol;
3. They intended to remain sober forever through A.A. and outpatient counseling;
4. They had eventually relapsed to drinking despite 1-3.

Symptoms and Warning Signs of Relapse

Phase 1: Internal Change. You may look good on the outside, but you revert to using old addictive ways of thinking and feeling hidden on the inside. For example:

𑂽   Increased stress -- You begin to feel more stressed out than usual. The source may be an easy-to-identify problem or little junk that builds up over time.

𑂽   Change in thinking -- You may think your recovery program isn't all that important. Maybe you think you've got this thing licked so you don't need to try so hard. In my case, I often hear a little voice say, "You have your drinking under control," or "Why bother?"

𑂽   Change in feeling -- You might sometimes feel euphoric, like everything is coming up roses, even though you know they are really weeds. Other times you feel depressed. Dramatic mood swings may be a danger sign.

𑂽   Change in behavior -- You fake looking and sounding good around others when you know you are letting your program slip. Deep inside, something is going wrong.

Next up: Phase 2: Denial.