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Recovery from a drug or alcohol addiction is rarely a straightforward journey. Addiction recovery setbacks are usually part of the path you have to take, where you experience a stumble and have to learn how to recover.
Not all setbacks are the same. Sometimes it is a lapse and sometimes it is a relapse. As you move through your recovery journey it is important to know the difference between relapse and lapse, why the difference matters and how you can respond to them.
Recovery is ongoing and evolving and having more information can help you bounce back more quickly if a setback occurs.
What is a Lapse?
Relapse is talked about often, whilst a lapse is overlooked. An addiction lapse definition is a simple thing to know and can be confused with a relapse.
A lapse is also known as a slip and refers to a one-time event where you return to the use of the substance or behaviour you are addicted to. This lapse is usually a spontaneous moment and is immediately regretted. With a lapse, you usually stop pretty quickly afterwards.
Where a lapse differs from a relapse is that it usually doesn’t mean that your recovery is now broken and you have to go back to square one. A lapse is just a step back and not everything up to now has been for nothing.
Examples of lapses include:
- Giving into temptation and peer pressure
- Acting on a craving before regretting it and engaging in recovery once more
- Accidentally consuming the substance you are addicted to
- Having a single drink or consuming some drugs at a social event and then stopping after that one slip
What is a Relapse?
A relapse is a more deliberate and prolonged return to previous addictive behaviours. Whereas a lapse can be spontaneous, a relapse has a longer run-up.
There are three stages – emotional, mental and physical.
Emotional – At this stage, you may not be thinking about drinking or taking drugs. However, your coping methods for your emotions are failing. You may be becoming more isolated, in denial about your issues and not taking care of yourself.
Mental – Soon, you’ll begin to question your recovery. You’ll start to think about relapsing and see the past through more rose-tinted glasses, arguing internally that your addiction wasn’t that bad.
Physical – This is the act of taking the conscious step to relapse. You pick up that drink or take that drug.
When a relapse occurs, your coping mechanisms and recovery plan break down as the addiction takes over once more. If this happens, you need to look at treatment again and reassess the support structure around you and what needs to change.
Examples of relapse situations include:
- Going back to friends and places that trigger cravings
- Suffering mentally and not getting help, turning to your addiction again
- Attending events where drugs and alcohol are rife and relapsing whilst there
Why the Difference Matters
When it comes to lapse vs relapse, from the outside the difference may be small but in recovery it is huge.
Accurate labelling of what has happened can affect what you do next. If a lapse is mislabelled as a relapse, this can mean you go back to the start – re-entering rehab, losing people’s trust – discouraging recovery attempts. Your mental health may take a huge hit as you become despondent about your efforts.
If labelled correctly, then these setbacks can be less shameful for people and improve motivation to set things right.
How to Respond to a Lapse vs. a Relapse
Whether it is a lapse or a relapse, how you respond will affect the impact it has on your recovery.
Responding to a Lapse
After a lapse, you need to take time to reflect. Why did it happen? Do I need to make changes?
As well as forgiving yourself, you need to also hold yourself accountable. The lapse was your doing and you can control what you do next. You need to reach out for support as well – they can help you decide what to do next and give you emotional support too.
It’s an important time to engage with aftercare too – go to a peer support meeting and revisit your relapse prevention plan. All this can help you figure out what you should do to move forward.
Responding to a Relapse
Coping with relapse is a more difficult task. It requires a huge rethinking of what you’ve been doing before the relapse. You should immediately seek professional help and get yourself into rehab. In a professional setting, your whole approach and treatment will need to be revised and adjusted to lessen the risk of future relapses.
Change Your Thinking
What is most important when a relapse or lapse occurs is to face it head-on. You should reframe your thinking and realise that this experience is a part of long-term recovery. It might not be welcomed but you can use it as a time to learn and change things for the better.
Preventing Future Setbacks
If a setback occurs, that doesn’t mean it will again. If you take lessons from the lapse or relapse and respond accordingly, you can lessen the risk in the future. There are several things you can do to prevent future slips, including:
Strengthen Self-awareness and Coping Strategies
After a setback is not the time to deflect and ignore. You need to take a hard and honest look at yourself. What is not working? What am I doing well? What changes do I need to make?
Strengthening this self-awareness will lead you to develop stronger coping strategies. Physical activities, meditation, mindfulness, journaling and practising gratitude can all help with improving your self-awareness and improving your resilience.
Support Systems
The shame and stigma of a setback can lead you to isolate. It’s more important than ever to stay connected to others. Going to group support meetings such as AA and NA can help you be more accountable for your actions, as well as gain vital encouragement and emotional support.
Relapse Prevention Plan
There’s the old saying – fail to plan, plan to fail.
A personalised relapse prevention plan can act as a roadmap through recovery. You can include your triggers, signs of relapse, what coping strategies work and provide goals and what support is available.
With a relapse prevention plan, you should always know what to do if you are worried about your recovery.
Get the Support You Need Today
Recovery is rarely a straight line. Like life, it is full of ups and downs. You should not define yourself by the failures, instead using every setback as a chance to learn and grow.
When going through rehabilitation, it’s important to stay committed and practice self-compassion. Support is available and we at Rehab Clinics Group can provide you with advice and access to services that are evidence-based and effective.
For more info, contact us now at 0800 470 0382 or text HELP to 83222.
