When Daydreaming Becomes Nightmarish -- Or Daymarish? Part 6 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 5: Immobilization. You feel trapped in an endless stream of of problems and feel like giving up. Giving up for an alcoholic often means relapse to make the frustration go away.
ð‘‚½ Daydreaming and wishful thinking. It's harder to concentrate and figure things out. You want to escape or be rescued by someone or something. You think, "If only...." Daydreaming repl
aces any urges to do something constructive.
ð‘‚½ Feelings that nothing can be solved. You feel like a failure who will never be able to get anything right. Failures may be real or just imagined. Small problems get blown out of proportion. "I've tried my best and recovery isn't working for me."
ð‘‚½ Immature wish to be happy. You want to be happy but don't make any plans to make your wish come true. You hope something magical will make things fine again. Leave that stuff to Disney. Alcohol is no magic formula.
Next up: Phase 7: Confusion and overreaction.
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
ð‘‚½ Daydreaming and wishful thinking. It's harder to concentrate and figure things out. You want to escape or be rescued by someone or something. You think, "If only...." Daydreaming repl
aces any urges to do something constructive.
ð‘‚½ Feelings that nothing can be solved. You feel like a failure who will never be able to get anything right. Failures may be real or just imagined. Small problems get blown out of proportion. "I've tried my best and recovery isn't working for me."
ð‘‚½ Immature wish to be happy. You want to be happy but don't make any plans to make your wish come true. You hope something magical will make things fine again. Leave that stuff to Disney. Alcohol is no magic formula.Next up: Phase 7: Confusion and overreaction.
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