Relapse - Is it possible to stay clean?

It is possible to stay clean and no in fact Relapse IS NOT part of recovery. If a person relapses after treatment it is a sign that the treatment was ineffective. In fact the majority, 70 to 90%, of the addicts who go into treatment will relapse within the first year after completing a traditional program. The relapse rate of those going through detox alone is even higher; short term programs have higher failure rates.

A person is never ready to become an addict so do not believe the statement “well he wasn’t ready to quit” as a viable justification for relapse. The program failed to fulfill the needs of the addict so they could stay clean.

Relapse is not just hard on the family, it is also hard on the addict. An addict already feels like a failure simply because of the addiction. When the addict gets clean they have pure intention to stay clean, make themselves and their loved ones proud and to start living a productive life. Relapse is devastating for all involved.

If you find out that your loved one has relapsed please do not condemn them or make them feel worse then they already do. This is the time when he/she will need the love and support of the family. It is important that the addict get right back into a support group or into another treatment program; one that will more thoroughly address the issues not just with but behind the addiction.

The main point is to never give up on the one you love and have hope because people can recover from drug and alcohol addiction.

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