Confusion Is Part of the Road to Relapsing: Part 7 of 12
I hope this series of blog posts will enable you to recognize some symptoms of relapse. I meant well and tried hard, but I kept relapsing anyway. There was often a nagging little voice telling me to go ahead and try a drink. Maybe this series of blog posts will help you or a loved one 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 Staying Sober (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:
They completed a 21- or 28-day rehab program;
They recognized they could never again safely use alcohol;
They intended to remain sober forever through A.A. and outpatient counseling;
They had eventually relapsed to drinking despite 1-3.
Phase 6: Confusion and overreaction. During this phase, you have trouble thinking thinking clearly. You are irritable and find yourself sweating the small stuff. (The typo was intentional. Confused? Read on.)
π½ Problem solving. Your mind races and it's hard to turn off. I remember lying in bed, unable to turn off my brain. So I gave in, got up, and got something to drink from my hiding place. In this phase, with your mind fuzzy, you make bad decisions.
π½ Difficulty managing feelings and emotions. Sometimes you overreact and feel too much. Other times you are emotionally numb. You may have strange feelings and wonder if you are going crazy.
π½ Difficulty remembering things. Things you want to remember evaporate within minutes. At times you forget things from the past, but at other times you remember those things clearly. You find yourself becoming...uh, I forget what I was going to write.
π½ Periods of confusion. I have these all the time, but they're not connected with relapse. π In this case, you're not sure what is right and wrong. You get angry at yourself because you can't solve problems, and trying seems to make matters worse.
π½ Difficulty managing stress. Sometimes you feel numb; sometimes you are overwhelmed by severe stress for no apparent reason. It seems as if you are so tense you are no longer in control.
π½ Irritation with friends. This also means with family, counselors, coworkers, and other recovering people. Sometimes you feel threatened when others talk about changes they notice in your behavior. Other times, you don't care.
π½ Easily angered. You lose your temper for no real reason and feel guilty afterward. Trying to control anger adds to your stress and tension.
Next Up: Phase 7: Depression
Terence T. Gorski, co-author of Staying Sober, identified 11 phases of relapse in his book Staying Sober (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:
They completed a 21- or 28-day rehab program;
They recognized they could never again safely use alcohol;
They intended to remain sober forever through A.A. and outpatient counseling;
They had eventually relapsed to drinking despite 1-3.
Symptoms and Warning Signs of Relapse
Phase 6: Confusion and overreaction. During this phase, you have trouble thinking thinking clearly. You are irritable and find yourself sweating the small stuff. (The typo was intentional. Confused? Read on.)π½ Problem solving. Your mind races and it's hard to turn off. I remember lying in bed, unable to turn off my brain. So I gave in, got up, and got something to drink from my hiding place. In this phase, with your mind fuzzy, you make bad decisions.
π½ Difficulty managing feelings and emotions. Sometimes you overreact and feel too much. Other times you are emotionally numb. You may have strange feelings and wonder if you are going crazy.
π½ Difficulty remembering things. Things you want to remember evaporate within minutes. At times you forget things from the past, but at other times you remember those things clearly. You find yourself becoming...uh, I forget what I was going to write.
π½ Periods of confusion. I have these all the time, but they're not connected with relapse. π In this case, you're not sure what is right and wrong. You get angry at yourself because you can't solve problems, and trying seems to make matters worse.
π½ Difficulty managing stress. Sometimes you feel numb; sometimes you are overwhelmed by severe stress for no apparent reason. It seems as if you are so tense you are no longer in control.
π½ Irritation with friends. This also means with family, counselors, coworkers, and other recovering people. Sometimes you feel threatened when others talk about changes they notice in your behavior. Other times, you don't care.
π½ Easily angered. You lose your temper for no real reason and feel guilty afterward. Trying to control anger adds to your stress and tension.
Next Up: Phase 7: Depression
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