What to Do After Falling Off the Wagon

You worked so hard to overcome a drug or alcohol habit. Then, something happened and you fell back into old habits. However, did you know that falling off the wagon is a valuable learning experience? Here’s how you can profit from it.

What Falling off the Wagon Tells You

There are stresses and triggers that you didn’t factor in. Maybe they’re new. You didn’t know how to handle them. The coping skills for recovery that you developed last time around didn’t work.

For some, the problem was stress. Things went wrong at work or at home. For others, it was a run-in with an old peer. You thought you could handle it, but you were wrong.

How to Handle a Relapse

When you find yourself returning to a habit you never thought you’d pick up again, it’s time for additional help. Return to a rehab facility, and undergo mindfulness-based relapse prevention. It’s a modality that helps you refocus your attention as you let go of stress. In the process, you also polish some of the other coping skills you might need to revisit.

Of course, the first step after falling off the wagon is reaching out for help. A detox and rehab facility is the ideal location to assist you. Talk with an intake addiction specialist to determine what level of support you need. Options include:

• Detox that overcomes a growing physical dependence on drugs or alcohol
• Residential drug rehab for individuals whose addiction returned quickly and strongly
• Partial hospitalization program that helps program participants with a good support network
• Outpatient drug rehab treatment that works well for people with a moderate substance use disorder recurrence
• Sober living, which is ideal for the individual with a need for structured living

Relapse Isn’t the Same as Failure

You made mistakes. Similarly, you started using a substance that you knew you shouldn’t have touched. Most importantly, you recognize that falling off the wagon just means you need to get help. Relapse isn’t a failure when you learn from it.

Instead, it’s a warning that you need to fine-tune your coping skills. Maybe you stopped going to support group meetings. Clearly, you need to start again. For someone else, it’s a sign that you need to return to therapy.

What Not to Do after Using Again

Many people feel shame. They hide the fact that they started using again, falling off the wagon. Besides that, they distance themselves from sober friends. Does this describe your actions right now?

You don’t want anyone to know that you gave in to temptation. Similarly, you’re trying to quit again on your own. Because addiction’s tough to overcome, you can’t do it. Hiding and becoming secretive is probably the worst thing to do after a relapse.

Reach out for Help Today

Falling off the wagon is a temporary hiccup. If you reach out for help now, it doesn’t have to become permanent. Contact Beaches Recovery at 866.605.0532 to get the help you need for recovery.