5 Myths About Relapse | South Coast Counseling

Here are some of the most common myths about relapse, and what your plan of action should be if you fall victim to your old habits once again.

Living a sober lifestyle takes consistent work and lifelong dedication, but despite your best efforts to ditch your substance abuse habits, relapse can still happen.Ignoring the idea of relapse is dangerous because it can happen to anyone, which is why it is important to know how to deal with it if it occurs.Here are some of the most common myths about relapse, and what your plan of action should be if you fall victim to your old habits once again.

Myth #1. Relapse is Avoidable with Willpower

Though willpower and self-discipline are key components to living a sober life, they alone cannot prevent relapse. Those in recovery often suffer from mental health disorders as well, which cannot be overcome with willpower. Despite the patient’s desire to stay sober, sometimes it just isn’t enough.

Myth #2. Those Who Relapse Are Hopeless

This myth is absolutely not true. Relapse is often a part of recovery, as learning how to prevent relapse is part of the process. If the person suffering from drug abuse or alcohol abuse has not yet learned how to stop relapse from happening, it is more likely to occur, but it does not mean that they are incapable of recovery.

Myth #3. As Long as You Aren’t Using, You’re Recovering

Abstaining from drug or alcohol use is essential to sobriety, yes, but it does not mean that the patient is recovering. In substance abuse treatment, patients are taught how to overcome their addiction, how to deal with relapse, and how to maintain their physical and mental health. So recovery is a lot more than just discontinuing the use of drugs or alcohol.

Myth #4. Relapse Happens When You Drop Out of Treatment

The process of relapse is not a quick, snap decision on the patient’s part. It is most often a longer period of time in which they struggle with the desire to use again. If they drop out of treatment, the relapse process has most likely already started, and dropping out is a result of such, not a cause.

Myth #5. Thinking About Relapse Will Cause It

Of the myths about relapse, this one is quite the opposite of the truth. Ignoring the possibility of relapse can be more likely to cause such an event from happening. But if the patient is aware of how relapse can happen, they may learn how to deal with it and even prevent it from happening in the first place.

What You Should Do if Relapse Happens

One of the most important things to remember if relapse happens is that you are not a failure, you've only suffered from a temporary setback. Before you do anything else, you should get in contact with your sponsor or counselor and be honest with them about what happened. They will be able to best guide you through your particular situation, so that you can ensure your health is in check and that you can continue on your path of sobriety.

If you've been through substance abuse treatment before, and you've suffered from relapse, or you fear that you will relapse, contact us at South Coast Counseling today. Our professional and experienced counselors are here to help you stay on the right track.

Can a Recovering Alcoholic Drink Socially?

Read more to learn if a recovering alcoholic can drink socially and how you can receive help for your alcoholism.

Overcoming alcoholism is a major accomplishment. Heavy drinking can lead to major consequences with your health, career and social life. Deciding to get sober and completing a recovery program puts many alcoholics back on the right track to rebuilding a great life. So, now that you are no longer a heavy drinker and compromising your health and wellbeing on a regular basis, is it ok to have a drink or two when you are out with a loved one or at a party with friends? This is a question that has been posed by many health professionals and recovering addicts. If you look at the future honestly, you will more than likely be confronted with this choice multiple times in your life after addiction.

Addiction therapy is constantly evolving. In the past, absolute abstinence was the ultimate goal, leaving no room for even one drink. In modern programs, “moderation management” is a notion that is touched, rather than shunned. To answer the question, you must look at yourself as a unique individual. Can you, a recovering alcoholic, drink socially?

Alcohol and Your Brain

The length of time that you drank and the amount that you consumed have a significant impact on the changes that occurred in your brain. A dependence on alcohol can result in problems with memory loss and even prohibit the brain’s ability to generate new neurons. Those who drink long-term also diminish their brain’s ability to produce dopamine. Dopamine is one of the major chemicals that is used to cause a person to feel euphoric. You might go to a party and tell yourself that you will stop at two drinks, since you are now a recovering alcoholic, but your brain is addicted to the substance and it wants much more than those two drinks. For people who are addicted to alcohol, true abstinence from the substance provides them with the very best chance for remaining sober.

The Problem Drinker        

Some alcoholics drink due to emotion, rather than craving. While they are still considered addicts, they are not physiologically addicted to the substance. Their addiction is driven by cause and effect. For instance, stress at work sends many people home to pick up a bottle. These addicts receive therapy to help them to overcome this bad coping mechanism and learn new ways to deal with their stressors. Some professionals suggest that these types of alcoholics are capable of drinking socially without a high risk of relapse.

Seek Help for Your Alcoholism Today

If you are a problem drinker, addict or recovering alcoholic that is struggling with relapse, there is help to aid you with overcoming your addiction. Rehabilitation programs and counseling services can put you on the right path towards thriving in a sober lifestyle. If you would like more information on these programs, visit for more info about  Alcohol Rehab Orange County  page or contact a representative with South Coast Counseling today. 

Why a Structured Routine Can Help You Through Addiction Recovery

Introducing a new routine can add structure to your life and also prevent you from slipping back into old, bad habits that led to alcohol or drug abuse.

Establishing a new routine is one of the best ways to ensure that you stay on the path to recovery. This new routine can add structure to your life, help you take care of important tasks on a day-to-day basis and also prevent you from slipping back into old, bad habits that led to alcohol or drug abuse.

To help you learn more about why new routines are so crucial during addiction treatment for drugs or alcohol, here are some of the ways in which they help you recover:

Reduce Anxiety and Unpredictability

While substance abuse can really start at any point, a huge factor in psychological addiction comes from reverting to substance use during periods of uncertainty or boredom. The easiest example is that someone wakes up on a day they do not have to work, they begin watching TV and they decide to consume drugs since they cannot determine what else they want to do with their day.

This pattern of behavior instantly obliterates any chance of productivity for that day and creates unhealthy routines. By having an alternative routine that involves doing things that are healthy for the body, mind and spirit, the temptation to abuse drugs or alcohol is partially avoided.

In fact, professionals like psychologist Jennifer Fee have noticed a direct correlation between boredom and anxiety. “When there's not a lot going on, [...]there is room to focus on thoughts, feelings, or bodily sensations that get the vicious cycle [of anxiety] moving,” she claims. This type of anxiety can be triggered by a structure-less environment, whereas having a set purpose can prevent feelings of anxiety that may lead to drug or Alcohol abuse Seattle wa.

Create Internal Support for Your Own Well-Being

There are only so many things that our brains can keep track of at a given time. We compensate for this fact by building in “autopilot” motor skills or activities in order to get through the day without having to focus on every tiny detail. When we drive, for instance, we can automatically feel how much gas to give on the pedal based on past experience when we approach a familiar hill. Another example is the inbuilt assumption that after work on Wednesdays you will drive to the gym.

Introducing a new routine into your life helps build this structure and allows you to take better care of yourself and your personal relationships — eventually without having to exert any effort. By forcing yourself to eat three meals a day without skipping breakfast, for example, you reduce your chances of being malnourished. Committing to a set exercise time or a work schedule similarly helps you keep track of important elements that lead to a normal, stable life. One major consequence of drug and alcohol abuse is self-neglect, after all, so by creating a structured routine you are not only avoiding abuse but also doing things that actually add enjoyment to your life.

Create an Entirely New Lifestyle

Another major contributor to substance abuse is simply the ritual of abusing. When we get off work, having a beer can be a perfectly acceptable habit. However, when one beer becomes a night of binge drinking in front of the TV every single night, this ritual becomes harmful to your body and your general well-being.

Creating a new routine introduces new alternative rituals that actually enrich our lives. Jogging can be a great way to get the stimulation you craved from drugs with real health benefits rather than a debilitating crash. Picking up a hobby like painting or learning to play guitar can substitute a night spent drinking beer or doing drugs while passively staring at a screen.

Introducing dramatic changes like these can be the only way for some people to break away from their old life and create a new, happier, healthier one during their addiction treatment. You can try any of these activities and tie them directly to your rehab program with therapy options available from treatment centers like South Coast Counseling. 

Visit our Types of Therapy page to learn how music therapy, art therapy, career development and similar programs can have you focusing on something that brings you joy rather than pain.