Relapse I'm sorry to say is a part of the recovery process, although it is not a necessary part.....it does exist. This page will help you to identify the many relapse warning signs. There are eleven phases in the cycle of the relapse dynamic, and now we will look at some of them.

THE RELAPSE WARNING SIGNS:

Phase I:Internal Change..... 1.Difficulty thinking clearly: Difficulty solving problems: repetitive thoughts; mind goes blank; difficulty concentrating; perception or relational difficulty; make bad decisions due to not being able to think things through.

2.Difficulty in managing feelings and emotions: Overreact emotionally; feel numb; don't know what they are feeling; feel strange or "crazy" ; mood swings or depression, anxiety, fear; don't trust feelings, so they stuff or ignore them.

3.Difficulty in remembering things: Prevents new learning; blocked memories from drinking, using or childhood; remember clearly at times....later cannot remember the same thought or incident; make bad decisions due to memory loss.

4.Difficulty in managing stress: Cannot recognize signs of minor stress; unable to relax; feel tense and strained; unable to function normally; nearly collapse physically and or emotionally.

5.Difficulty in sleeping restfully: Cannot fall asleep; disturbing dreams; wake up many times during the night; get up in the a.m. feeling tired; sleep for extremely long periods from exhaustion.

6.Difficulty with physical coordination and accidents: Dizziness; trouble with balance; clumsiness; slow reflexes.

7.Shame, guilt and hopelessness: Feel defective as a person; incapable of being normal; feel they are doing something wrong; hide warning signs; stop talking honestly with others; become isolated and hopeless.

Phase II: Return of Denial.... 1.Concern about well being: Uneasiness, fear and anxiety make people question whether or not they can stay sober.

2.Denial of concern: In order to tolerate these feelings, they may ignore or deny them, much like they denied the addiction.

Phase III: Avoidance and Defensive Behavior...... 1.Believing "I'll never drink or use again": When they believe this, program usually falls off.

2.Worrying about others instead of self: Focus on others sobriety, not personal recovery; judge others drinking/using and inventory.

3.Defensiveness: Even when it is not called for(strengthens insecurity)

4.Compulsive Behavior: Rigid thinking; feel stuck; do same things over and over without good reason; become overinvolved; play therapist; intimate involvement with others avoided.

5.Impulsive behavior: Over-reactions to stressful situations.

6.Isolation: Excuses for staying away from people; isolation creates loneliness leading to compulsive and impulsive acts.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RELAPSE WARNING SIGNS CHECK OUT: