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What Is Emotional Relapse?: Alcohol

Emotional relapse occurs when negative emotions and stress resurface and eventually lead to thoughts of using drugs or alcohol again, even if substance use hasn't begun. It can be a problem before actual use and erode healthy behaviors and coping strategies. The key is recognizing warning signs like depression, anxiety, mood swings, anger, isolation, breaking routine, sleep issues, and refusing help. To prevent emotional relapse, maintain self-care through exercise and sleep, use your support system, and actively acknowledge feelings through journaling or meditation. Identifying emotions that lead to relapse and tracking them daily can help avoid emotional triggers that increase the risk of full relapse.

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726 views3 pages

What Is Emotional Relapse?: Alcohol

Emotional relapse occurs when negative emotions and stress resurface and eventually lead to thoughts of using drugs or alcohol again, even if substance use hasn't begun. It can be a problem before actual use and erode healthy behaviors and coping strategies. The key is recognizing warning signs like depression, anxiety, mood swings, anger, isolation, breaking routine, sleep issues, and refusing help. To prevent emotional relapse, maintain self-care through exercise and sleep, use your support system, and actively acknowledge feelings through journaling or meditation. Identifying emotions that lead to relapse and tracking them daily can help avoid emotional triggers that increase the risk of full relapse.

Uploaded by

soraya
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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WHAT IS EMOTIONAL RELAPSE?

Think of emotional relapse as the behind-the-scenes trigger to destructive


behavior. In this stage, you haven’t actually started thinking about using
drugs or alcohol again. It’s just a resurfacing of negative emotions and
stress that eventually lead you to contemplate drinking or using drugs
again.
You might be thinking, “if it’s not using drugs or alcohol, why is this such a
big deal?” The truth is, relapse can become a problem before any
substances are taken. During emotional relapse, your negative thoughts
start to erode many of the healthy behaviors and coping strategies you
worked on in recovery. In fact, that’s why being able to recognize the signs
of emotional relapse is such a key skill. If you can spot these red flags
before they pick up momentum, you can lower your risk of relapse.

THE WARNING SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL


RELAPSE
To spot a red flag in your behavior or thought process, you have to know
what to look for. The majority of warning signs for emotional relapse can be
broken down into two categories: They are emotional conditions and
dysfunctional behaviors. Let’s take a look at examples of each:

WARNING SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL RELAPSE


1. Depression: Feeling a loss of motivation and an overwhelming sense
of hopelessness.
2. Anxiety: Intense worry, fear and uncertainty about your sobriety.
3. Mood Swings: You have a hard time controlling your feelings and
often go from one extreme to the other.
4. Anger: You’re more likely to lose your temper, even over little things
that you used to be able to brush off.
BEHAVIORAL WARNING SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL RELAPSE
1. Isolation: You’re avoiding spending time with family or friends and
prefer to be alone.
2. Breaking Routine: You had a set routine for your sobriety, but you
haven’t been following your routine or only do it when it’s convenient.
3. Trouble Sleeping: You have trouble falling asleep and might even
suffer from insomnia, nightmares or waking up frequently.
4. Refusing help: You don’t want to get help for anything. You’re
determined to do everything yourself even if it means failing as a result.

HOW TO DEAL WITH EMOTIONAL


TRIGGERS
Emotional triggers are one of the most dangerous parts of the first stage of
relapse. But what can you do to help limit the impact these feelings have on
you?
During your recovery, you probably were told to avoid your triggers. That
could mean staying clear of certain people, situations or places that are
linked to your addiction. Remember that having these negative emotions is
okay. It’s not a failure to feel these emotions. The real challenge of recovery
is finding healthy ways to resolve them.
Think back to what you learned in recovery. Don’t ignore the negative
emotions that arise; acknowledge them and find a positive way to move
forward.

THREE WAYS TO PREVENT EMOTIONAL


RELAPSE
While sinking back into the negative emotions that once contributed to your
addiction can be hard to manage, there are ways to avoid emotional
relapse:

1. SELF-CARE
One of the first things to take a hit from emotional relapse is self-care. It’s
important to stay on top of your physical, mental and emotional wellness.
Activities like exercise and getting enough sleep can go a long way.

2. USE YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM


You worked hard to put a support system is place, so be sure to use it.
Sobriety is not something you have to go through alone. Don’t be afraid to
ask for help.
3. ACTIVELY ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR FEELINGS
Try not to suppress your thoughts or feelings. Work towards practicing
higher self-awareness through activities like journaling or meditation.

QUESTIONS FOR YOURSELF:

1. ARE YOU JOURNALING YOUR EMOTIONS EVERYDAY?


2. ARE YOU IDENTIFIYING THE EMOTIONS THAT LEAD TO THE RELAPSE?
3. WHEN ARE YOU STARTING TO GET YOUR EMOTIONS TRACKED

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