The Risk of Relapse for Recovering
Addicts
By Dr. Fourkan Ali
For anyone who has
been through the process of rehabilitation for an addiction such as alcoholism, addiction relapse is a constant danger. During early recovery,
it is common to spend time thinking of returning to the substance to which the
person was addicted. The threat of relapse never goes away because it can just
take one time for a person to succumb to temptation for them to be right back
where they started.
Relapse is a continual worry for both the
individual and their family because there is always that concern that if he or
she does return to their addictive ways, they may never be able to go through
the process of rehabilitation again. Family members will no doubt be constantly
worrying about whether or not their loved one will relapse. The ever-present
fear can place a terrible strain on relationships.
Public Struggles
One of the most high profile alcoholics is
footballing legend Paul Gascoigne, whose struggles with alcohol have been well
publicised. The media have followed Paul’s struggles, which have seen him in
and out of rehabilitation many times over the years. Paul has tried to quit on
numerous occasions but always seems to end up back on the booze at some stage;
it seems he has succumbed to his demons once again.
Paul’s adopted daughter Bianca is now calling
on fans of the star to stop buying alcohol for him. She said, “He’s had a big,
big addiction relapse, and we’ve done everything we can to keep him on the
straight and narrow.”
She said he had been due to attend a VIP party
she was organising at the St James’s Gaslight Gentleman’s Club (a club that she
manages) but had fallen off the wagon and could not make it. Bianca said that
they know Paul needs help, and the family are trying to do everything they can
to give him that help. However, she added, “But he needs to want to help
himself – with Paul it is always very unpredictable. It is an ongoing illness;
that is what people don’t understand. Addiction is such a strong thing.”
Hope of Recovery
In February this year,
Paul appeared on the BT Sports programme, Fletch and Sav and fans were hopeful that he had finally beaten his addiction
to alcoholism. Nonetheless, after hitting the bottle again, Bianca is fearful
that her dad is back to square one.
She is furious with fans who are constantly
buying booze for the star when he asks for it. She said, “People do it all the
time – it’s how he gets it.”
Preventing Relapse
It is impossible to watch recovering addicts
all of the time, especially as in the case of Paul Gascoigne, who lives alone.
Nevertheless, if you have a loved one who has recently been through
rehabilitation, there are signs to look out for which may signal a possible
relapse. If you can learn to identify these signs and act upon them, you may be
able to help prevent a relapse from occurring.
One of the major factors for relapse is
boredom and a feeling of being ‘stuck’. Many recovering addicts will lose their
motivation to stay sober because they feel they have no purpose in life. They
will begin to think back to the days when they were using and will glamorise
this. They will forget the troubles their addiction caused and will start to
justify to themselves why they were better off when using.
Getting Help
If you have a loved one struggling with
recovery, call Addiction Helper today. Our expert advisors can provide you with
support and advice on how to deal with this situation to help prevent a
relapse. Call today for more information.
0 comments:
Post a Comment