Relapse Prevention After Sobriety

There are over 40 different types of losses that can potentially cause us grief.

And many of those losses are not identified as a grieving situation.

So, what do we do?

We suck it up, get on with life, we give it time… and when those things don’t work, we turn to short-term, energy-relieving behaviors.

These behaviors may be the use of alcohol or drugs, working all the time to forget, or retail therapy. These are just a few, but there are many behaviors we can use to cope.

What about regular TV-binging? Or even serving all the time at your favorite non-profit?

For most of these behaviors in and of themselves, there is nothing wrong; but we must check the motivation behind the behavior. Are we trying to forget or deal with something with these behaviors?

These behaviors begin as “letting off steam,” but then they turn into a full-blown addiction.

We sit back and wonder… “How did this happen?”

When you no longer have the coping mechanism you have been using to stop the emotional pain of life, there is a good chance you are grieving that way of coping.

When we have to change the people we hung out with, the places where we used to go, and let go of the way of coping that once brought relief but turned into bringing more pain into our life, it can be a really tough road to travel.

Recovering not only from this grief, but what got you there in the first place, is an important part of not going back to the same behaviors.

When we return to these behaviors, we don’t “start over.” We typically pick up where we left off, so they have the potential to escalate further.

Factor in the guilt and shame associated with picking up the behaviors again, and you have the recipe for disaster – for both you and the ones in your life who love you.

But you don’t have to battle this evolving grief alone.

There is a good chance that there is unresolved grief that is involved, and that’s why the tools of The Grief Recovery Method® can play an important role in helping with relapse prevention.

You are building a new support system, which is great. But it’s more than just about identifying what life issues got us to where we are.

In our sessions together, we will identify the root of the issue that caused the coping behavior in the first place and deal with what has not been dealt with emotionally.

You will be given tools and specific action steps to complete what has been unresolved with these life experiences. Once you have those tools in place, you can use them repeatedly whenever needed.

Let’s journey together…

This isn’t a step you have to take alone. I’m here and ready to offer you the support you need.

If you’re ready to learn a better way to cope with life, schedule your free consultation now: (469) 706-0993.