There has been an ongoing debate in the area of rehab and addiction whether drinking alcohol after rehab is truly a relapse or not, and what to really think about it. After reading the following story, you will see why here at Narconon, we believe drinking after rehab is not a good idea and is most certainly a relapse!
This is a story that was passed on to us from a Narconon centre in Florida, USA, and demonstrates so well what can happen if someone drinks again after rehab:
“I got clean and had completely rebuilt my life from the ground up. I’d worked through all of my problems and can honestly say that I was enjoying life again. After some time, I noticed that the thought of being able to have a glass of wine or a beer started crossing my mind more and more until one day I suddenly decided and felt confident in the fact that I could start drinking again with my friends without any problems. It started off fine… a glass of wine out at dinner or a couple of beers at a concert. Fast forward a couple of months and I was drinking daily while coming up with every justification possible as to why this was okay. Then one night I went out with a girlfriend and she offered me some cocaine. At first, I said no but after 2 or 3 drinks I went ahead and did some… my inhibitions were low and I was having a good time, so why not? I wish so badly that I could take it back, as that night kicked my slow downward spiral into high gear. Doing just that little amount of cocaine reminded me of how it felt to get high. Within 2 months I was back on pills, and within a year I was a full-blown heroin addict. It was just that easy. I’m now in the process of rebuilding my life, yet again. I was lucky enough to have a second opportunity to do so. If the urge to drink ever pops up again for me, I now know the tools on how to handle it and put those insane thoughts to rest so that I never put myself or my life at risk for this to happen again.” – K.B.
That story and many others like it are the main reason it is best to stay away from alcohol once you are sober. This is just as true if you are recovering from LSD, cocaine, pills, or alcohol. The thing is that alcohol itself is a drug, and it lowers your inhibitions. While under the influence of alcohol, you can make decisions that you just wouldn’t make if you were sober. And just like the above story, it can be the tiny nudge that is needed to kick you back over the edge.
So how can you stay sober after drug rehab?
- Get busy! There is no substitute for being busy and productive. Ideally find something you love doing, keeping busy at that will keep your morale very high!
- Make goals and really pursue them. If you had a passion that you gave up on, bring it back to life. Now is the time to create the life you always wanted.
- Build new positive habits and routines to replace the old ones. You can have fun with new clubs, exercise, healthy eating, or whatever you want to get into.
- Create a solid support system. No matter how much you work on it, there will be bad or difficult days. Having people around you who are there to help and give you a boost at the right moment can make all the difference.
Now with all of that in place, there is still the scenario that you encounter a social situation where drinking is inevitably going on around you. Here are a few steps you can take to make it as easy as possible.
- Get yourself a sober buddy. Someone else who agrees not to drink that night. You can help each other through the night and not feel out of place not drinking.
- Keep a non-alcoholic drink in your hand. You are less likely to be offered alcohol, you won’t feel lacking, and plus you still get to enjoy a nice drink.
- If everyone is descending into total drunkenness, just leave. That is no fun to be around.
- If at any time you feel too uncomfortable or tempted, then just leave, there is no point taking the risk and if you have a supportive network of family and friends, they will understand.
So the moral of the story is, work hard and play hard, but if you want to keep the sober life you have worked hard to regain, then don’t risk it with a drink.
