Shaking the Family Tree: Relapse

The Edge- Simi K. Rao

Self Honesty

On ballerina slippers, temptation sneaks up from behind. Dressed in our disease, she does a silent soft-shoe, enticing us to turn around: to wallow in past mistakes, to bury ourselves in regret, to pull her out of the rearview mirror sheathed in the glamor of alcohol’s good times.

As temptation turns on her charm, she reaches into her bag of tricks and pulls out euphoric images of that first high. The one we could never recapture, no matter how hard we tried. Feeling little resistance, perhaps because we have become lax in practicing our program, she continues to entice us. Revving up her engine, target in sight, she takes dead aim at our vulnerabilities. If we start to feel edgy, she gives us a nudge, reminding us of that momentary relief that a shot of Jack Daniels gave us. Engaging our ego, she replays those feelings of superiority, lust, and pseudo-independence that were as fleeting as they were fallacious.


And before we know it, that I don’t give a shit attitude emerges and we have played right into the hands of our disease. Tottering on the edge, her claws digging into our fragile armor, our shield crumbling, we are faced with a choice: A life of sobriety or the hell of addiction.

Below are just a handful of relapse warning signs:

Believing we will never drink again.
Defensiveness
Compulsive-Impulsive behavior.
Immature wish to be happy.
Irregular eating habits.
Irregular sleeping habits
Loss of daily structure.
Decreased attendance at AA or treatment meetings.
Self -Pity
Thoughts of social drinking.


If you are experiencing any of the above, consider using these tools to get you turned around.

Serenity prayer
Meditation books
Increase meetings.
Turn it over.
Reach out, call your sponsor.
Look at your halts.
Lighten up.
Cry if you need to.
Find your sense of humor.
Make a gratitude list.
Use the steps to climb out of it.
Although relapse does occur, it is not a prerequisite in attaining and maintaining sobriety.


About author Dallas Hembra in her own words:

I am a recovering alcoholic who will celebrate 33 years of continuous sobriety August of this year.

In support of my book Shaking the Family Tree, I decided to start a blog. By sharing my own experience, I hope to open the door of recovery for others affected by this disease. And that includes the loved ones of alcoholics who are also victims and who are hoping to gain a little insight into the mechanics of the disease and recovery.

Totally unrelated to the above, on March 31st my new publication Kaleidoscope was released. It is a poetry book of random meanderings intended to touch the heart tickle, tickle the funny-bone, awake the imagination, and in some cases, give pain a voice. Published under Dallas Hembra. Available for order now at Amazon, Books a Million, Barnes, and Noble, and Written Dreams Publishing.

My Recovery blog is authordallash.com Hope to see you there.

I can also be contacted on Facebook at authordallash; Twitter at Dallash01; Bookbub at DALLASHAUTHOR.