Have you recently been through a divorce? Are you feeling the impact of the divorce in ways that you didn't plan for? After my divorce, my kids and I went through several months where they were angry and I felt like a complete failure. It was almost a year before I decided to begin seeing a family therapist to help us get through such a difficult transitional time for the entire family. She was so understanding, compassionate and helpful. She helped us talk through our feelings and provided us with the tools that we needed to get through the most difficult time in our lives.
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A relapse is possible at any point in your recovery. Too often, people begin to feel comfortable after years of sobriety. Yet, mid-life often brings changes that place you at risk for having a relapse. Now that you've recognized that you need help, you can seek professional addiction therapy to provide you with these benefits that get you back on the right track.
Work Through Negative Emotions
A relapse after years of sobriety often brings with it many negative feelings. You might feel guilty for breaking promises to yourself and others. You might be angry that you fell back into old patterns, and you may even be anxious about what the future holds. Its normal to wonder if true recovery is actually possible when you relapse after being sober for a number of years. The truth is that all of these feelings are common for people undergoing treatment for relapse. However, they also interfere with your recovery if you do not learn how to practice self-acceptance. An addiction counselor helps you work through any negative emotions that you experience so that you feel free to pursue sobriety.
Learn to Cope With New Triggers
One of the reasons why relapse is common in mid-life is that you are now facing new stressors and pressure that you might not have felt before. These years of your life may be filled with responsibilities that come with raising a family or reaching new points in your career. Alternatively, you may be dealing with feelings of frustration if you have not reached specific goals that you had hoped to accomplish at this point. There are also new social situations, such as weddings and workplace gatherings, that may expose you to triggers such as being near an open bar. A relapse means that it is time to put together new strategies that help you cope in the face of temptation, and addiction counseling gives you the tools to begin creating a new plan for sobriety that fits your current lifestyle.
Pull Together a Stronger Support Network
It is also possible that your past support network has begun to fade out. People that used to help you stay sober may have moved into new parts of their life where they are no longer as available. For instance, your old sober mentor may be busy with their family now, which makes them be unable to show up at the first moment that you ask for help. Your family and other friends may have forgotten about your struggles with addiction. With the help of your therapist, you can now begin to reach out to people in your environment so that you are surrounded by support.
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