How many of you have...RELAPSESED...Please comment

[rush2112]

RELAPSED before?  

I read posts on here and sometimes comment...i have been clean of opiates for a pretty long time, but remember the early struggle...

I relapsed a few times before i really got clean...it was frustrating...so many of us do...and it scares us...
I am writing this because so many of the newbies to recover relapse and beat the wholly heck out of themselves for it...
so I ask YOU ALL to please chime in...let them know that a relapse, although not ideal, seems to be the norm for most, if not all of us...so what's the key?  For me it was to not self loath and pick thyself up, dust thyself off and try try try again until success (one day at a time)

[weaver71]

I believe there are degrees of addiction, I measure the degree by the consequences. I have seen addicts quit and not relapse, the ones I have seen witnessed huge consequences. For example, a friends mother died from drugs, she was getting her drugs from her mom. Her brother then died from drugs, though she was not about to die herself, she woke up and realized it was a matter of time. That was her bottom, she jumped into aftercare, shared her secret, cut the resources still alive, and has been clean over a year now. She saw that she was an addict on the same path as her dead family members and hasn't looked back. So, I have seen proof that relapse is not a requirement. For me, it took a lot of direct co sweatiness. When I tried to quit the first time, I didn't realize how desperate the situation was. I relapsed and finally found my bottom. The bottom can be spilled wine on the new rug or it can be respiratory arrest, the consequences or related to the degree of addiction, some are harder to convince than others, but relapse is not the definition of addiction nor a requirement. I relapsed due to my hard headed nature, which I had before my addiction. We don't judge relapse, but nobody says it's a good thing or not a serious matter. Fact is, we have to really want it bad to stay clean, so we are willing to do whatever it takes, sometimes we have to go back out to remember and prove our original thought of why to quit was real and set internally. On the other hand, I have seen people who know they "should" quit, but have had low degree of consequences. Those people are the ones who seem to struggle the most and I have examples of many who relapsed, still thinking the drugs are gonna help in some way. I think if one can accept the seriousness of addiction and do what is advised by those who have been there, relapse is not as likely to happen. Relapse seems to be more about what we don't do to help ourself and whT we do to justify our shortcomings. Relapse is not something to look forward to, we all feel so ashamed and hurt by it, sometimes we lose track of that universal part of relapse. Relapse feels absolutely horrible.

[Ben727]

I'm about two years clean from a ten year habit that cost me well over $500K and sucked everything that was good and decent from my life. I made one attempt to quit and have never relapsed. I am pretty sure I was an addict, in spite of the fact that I haven't ever relapsed.

There's two ways a person coming here could look at the information in this thread: 1) If you're an addict, it's inevitable that you're going to relapse. Or 2) Relapse happens, it's nothing to be ashamed of as long as you pick yourself up and get back to the business of recovery.

I am behind idea 2) one hundred percent! But I also think that a relapse is a very big deal, and it's not something that "has" to happen, so I reject idea 1) completely.

[gnarly_1]

Hi this is all good information but you do not under stand that just because your off the pills addiction does not just go away ...there are many avanews to after care... addiction is a disease and you will need to treat it or relapse of use and no use use and no use will contuse to plague you for a old dope fiend like me N/a has been a life saver if your honest with yourself and can work 12 ez steps it will treat the addict in you there is no get out of jail free card in all of this I have been on this forum for years and we see it over and over again those that use aftercare tend to stay clean those that dont ride the merry go round... relapse is not part of the process recovery is without a program of recovery your Fu #@ed you may make it for a few weeks or a few months but addiction will come back with a vengeance I have seen it may times as much as we recamjend aftercare so many decide that aftercare is not for me this is a critical mistake also it is ez to od when out there your tolerance is down you may think your ok with a high dose and never wake up this disease ends in institutions jails or death it is a progressive  disease that will only get worst until you find recovery it sure beets white knuking your illness please think long and hard about this we know it works I got 1690 days clean off of narcotics but I could not have done that without the help of N/A.............Gnarly...................

[clean_in_ks]

"If you've never relapsed after quitting, you were never an addict in the first place."

That is about the craziest most insane thing I have EVER read!!

Such an inaccurate statement~

[rush2112]

Thank you, you seem to understand my point and stated it more clearly than i was able to...