A Slip VS Relapse

 

Let's look at the difference between a slip and a relapse.

 

A slip has several layers of seriousness. A minor slip would be to enter into your "middle-line" media and behaviors. A major slip would be to dip into your “bottom line," alcoholic media and behaviors. A slip is a momentary indiscretion and is a clear sign that something in your life is out of balance and needs to be addressed. 

 

A slip becomes dangerous if it continues longer than a few hours or a day. If a slip continues for a few days, we would say you are at the beginning of a relapse. The allergy of the body and obsession of the mind have been reignited, and the ability to control your alcoholic media will be almost impossible. A full-blown relapse would constitute months and even years of media insanity.

 

If a media addict can acknowledge a slip or break right away, take responsibility and tell another recovering media addict about the slip, ask their Higher Power for help to remove any urge, and hermetically seal the incident so it doesn’t move into the next hour or the next day, a relapse can successfully be prevented.

 

But what leads up to a slip or a relapse is even more important to understand. Many smaller events happen before a relapse. There are four distinct stages leading to relapse:  Spiritual, Emotional, Mental, and Physical.

 

The Stages of Relapse

 

1. Spiritual

 

A spiritual relapse is the first stage leading to a media relapse. It begins when we let up on our disciplines of prayer and meditation. For example, we wake up late and believe we don't have time to connect to our Higher Power before work so we decide to pray in our car on our way to work. But once in our car, we put on the radio without thinking. At work, we get so busy we forget to ask H.P. for guidance. We make our time with our Higher Power an option rather than a daily requirement. We put our jobs, school, and others before ourselves and our Higher Power. We keep saying, "Tomorrow I will do better."  But we keep up the same pattern until we feel disconnected from ourselves and our Higher Power. We need our Higher Power to stay in fit spiritual condition around our media usage. Without it, we become prey to the first click.

 

2. Emotional

 

Emotional relapse is the second stage leading to media relapse and a continuation of spiritual relapse. It occurs way before a media sober individual even begins to consider using again. Because we have lost our conscious connection with a Higher Power, we start to experience negative emotional responses, such as anger, moodiness, and anxious feelings. We may also begin to experience erratic eating and sleeping habits, and our desire for recovery often wanes due to a lack of using the support systems we have in MAA. These are warning signs that a media sober person could be entering into the next phase of relapse, and it is important to recognize them as quickly as possible. This stage occurs before a media addict is even aware that they could be in danger of a relapse. 

 

3. Mental

 

Mental relapse is the third stage of the process and a continuation of emotional and spiritual relapse. This is often a time of internal struggle for the media sober person because part of them wants to remain on the road to long-term sobriety. However, part of them is embattled in a tug-of-war with another side that wants to return to using. Unless we have sworn off all alcoholic media completely and for good, there will always be a part of us that wants to use again, which is why addiction is considered a chronic condition. As the mental phase of the relapse progresses, fantasies about using bottom-line media eventually arise, and at this point, it’s difficult to stop the compulsion to act out. When a media addict decides they are going to use, it’s just a matter of time until they do it. The AA Big Book tells us that the main problem for the addict centers in the mind and that the "insane idea" always wins out unless arrested right away.

 

4. Physical

 

Once mental relapse has occurred, it doesn't take long to progress to the stage of physical relapse. Physical relapse is when a media addict consumes their alcoholic media, breaking their sobriety. Using even just one time can ignite an intense dopamine high, and the media addict starts to have intense cravings to continue to use. The potential to enter back into their compulsive media behaviors is now a very real threat. With the physical release of dopamine, the media addict wants media more than anything else. Most desires for relationships, life goals, and self-care fly out the window and take a back seat to their alcoholic media. The only thing the addict wants is their media, and if this stage is not arrested right away, it will turn into a full-blown relapse.