Prison Fellowship

  • DONATE
    • One-Time
    • Monthly
    • Angel Tree
    • Other Ways to Give
  • GET INVOLVED
    • All Options
    • Subscribe
    • Angel Tree Christmas
    • Start a Fundraiser
    • Pray With Us
    • Justice Action Center
    • Share on Social
Search
  • STORIES
    • Stories
    • Blog
    • Videos
    • The Restoration Series [Videos]
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Why Help Prisoners?
    • What We Do
    • In-Prison
      • Prison Fellowship Academy
      • In-Prison Programs
      • Hope Events
      • Inside Journal
      • Women’s Ministry
      • Create: New Beginnings
    • Angel Tree
      • Register your church or group for Angel Tree
      • Prison Fellowship Angel Tree
      • Angel Tree Christmas
      • Angel Tree Camping
      • Angel Tree Sports Camp
    • Justice Reform
      • Justice Reform
      • Second Chance Month
      • News & Updates
      • Sign the Justice Declaration
      • Get a Copy of Outrageous Justice
    • Warden Exchange
    • Church Partners
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Preparing Prisoners for Reentry
    • Research and Evaluation
      • Good Citizenship Model®
  • RESOURCES
    • Subscribe to Our Email
    • Support for Friends and Family of Prisoners
      • Resources for Friends and Family of Prisoners
      • Coping with Incarceration
      • Resources for Prisoners
      • Resources for Children of Prisoners
      • Supporting Successful Prisoner Reentry
      • Subscribe To The Hope Connection
    • Resources for Churches and Volunteers
      • Resources for Churches and Volunteers
      • In-Prison Ministry
      • Reentry Ministry
      • Family Ministry
      • Justice Reform
      • Mentoring Ministry
    • Angel Tree Coordinator Training
    • Resources for Chaplains
    • Resources for D.O.C.
    • Justice Reform Resources
    • Create: New Beginnings Book
    • Share on Social
  • ABOUT US
    • Our Beliefs
    • Mission & Vision
    • Financials
      • Financials
      • 2024 Annual Report
    • Employment
    • Contact Us
    • In The News
    • Leadership
    • Chuck Colson
      • About Chuck Colson
      • The Charles Colson Hope Awards

What to Do When Relapse Threatens

February 27, 2018 by Stacia Ray

What to Do When Relapse Threatens

You're in addiction recovery, when suddenly, something goes wrong. You've got a foot on the slippery slope, and you're close to backsliding. What do you do now?

Can addicts stop themselves from slipping? What even counts as a relapse? It can depend on the person's addiction.

Jeannine Hale, a group leader in the Celebrate Recovery program for people with "hurts, habits, and hang-ups," says, "Determine whether your addiction requires total avoidance or healthy moderation." For things like drugs and self-harm, the goal is to cut them out completely. "But," Hale adds, "an addiction to something like food or exercise isn’t resolved by vowing to never eat again or never work out."

Understanding your addiction will help define what your recovery plan should look like and how to avoid relapse.

ARE RELAPSES AVOIDABLE?

Most people do relapse at some point during recovery. But generally, the longer someone goes without relapses, the less likely relapses become.

Dr. Timothy B. Walsh, vice president of Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge, says people with addictions are most vulnerable to withdrawal and relapse during the first few months of recovery. However, at 18 months without a relapse, two-thirds of addicts will stay clean.

At three years, 86 percent will stay clean.

FIRE AND WATER

"Even if you think you've extinguished a fire, there are still a few embers, or triggers, that have the potential to reignite the fire."
Think of addiction as a fire, and recovery as water. "Even if you think you've extinguished a fire, there are still a few embers, or triggers, that have the potential to reignite the fire," Walsh says.

Look at the pattern of use closely and see what prompted the addiction. A trigger might be boredom, loneliness, conflict, or something else. Stay away from triggering situations when possible, and develop a plan for a healthy way to deal with the trigger if it should come up.

And if triggers include certain people, like drug dealers or enabling family members, says Walsh, "you should cut off communications from those unhealthy connections."

Hale agrees, adding, "A clear no-visit boundary should be set in place if the family member is actively abusing drugs." And before entering potentially triggering situations, set a time limit on how long you’ll stay, adds Walsh.

RECOVERY BEHIND BARS

Since prisoners can’t always just walk away from certain triggers and temptations while behind bars, they need a plan for handling them. Hale recommends, "Ask yourself, 'What do I do, not if the temptation comes, but when? What tools do I have to handle the temptation?'"

Hale also suggests keeping a daily inventory journal, regardless of whether the addict is a prisoner. First, she says, list "What has been done to me? What have I done to myself and others? And what are some of the good things I’ve done?"

The goal of the inventory journal is to write in it every day, tracking what helped and what was a relapse risk, and looking for the deeper reasons the person is self-medicating in the first place.

TIPS FOR REGAINING YOUR FOOTING

  • Determine what recovery and relapse look like for you.
  • Keep a recovery inventory, writing down what did or didn't work each day.
  • Identify your triggers and make a positive plan to avoid or deal with them.
  • Learn from your backslides, and avoid all-or-nothing thinking.
  • Surrender control (to God/a higher power) to help heal from addiction.
  • When in doubt, ask for help and remember the importance of forgiveness.

'SUCCESS IS ASKING FOR HELP'

Multiple relapses are common. Before they reach sobriety, "addicts have an average of six treatment episodes in their background," says Walsh. "Recovery is an ongoing process, and every single time you relapse, you learn something, your motivation gets greater, and your emotions get stronger."

"Prayer and meditation, mindfulness, Scripture reading, and other spiritual practices are highly effective at transforming our bodies and brains."
A relapse doesn’t mean all the progress made is suddenly gone. Walsh says, "Don’t say, 'Since I slipped, I might as well go all the way now.' All-or-nothing thinking is dangerous. 'Abstinence equals success, and relapse equals failure' is not true. Success is asking for help."

Faith is also an important part of avoiding and overcoming a relapse. Walsh explains that research shows many spiritual practices help minds and bodies to heal. "Prayer and meditation, mindfulness, Scripture reading, and other spiritual practices are highly effective at transforming our bodies and brains," he says.

Dr. David Larson of the National Institute for Healthcare Research and Dr. Dale Matthews of Georgetown University found higher religious commitment had a beneficial effect in 16 of 18 studies on alcoholism recovery and 12 of 12 studies on drug addiction recovery.

Even programs without a specific faith foundation, such as 12-step programs, emphasize the importance of surrendering yourself to a higher power and admitting you are powerless.

FORGIVE AND FORGE AHEAD

In the end, it's about forgiveness. "We all make mistakes, but we need to let go of the unforgiveness and the offense," says Hale. "If you don't give yourself over to God's grace and forgiveness, you will sit in your guilt and self-loathing for a long time."

Relapses are like any slip-up in life—people need to learn from their mistakes and move forward. Before an addict can be truly free, they might just need to give themselves a second (or third, or even thirtieth) chance.

OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT LIKE

THE DANGERS OF THE BLAME GAME

In "The Dangers of the Blame Game," Inside Journal's guest writer Stan Guthrie shares his personal story of life with cerebral palsy.

PLANTING SEEDS OF HOPE IN THE HEARTS OF INCARCERATED WOMEN

"To know that I was going to make it meant everything."

DID YOU ENJOY THIS ARTICLE?

Make sure you don' t miss out on any of our helpful articles and incredible transformation stories! Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter, and you' ll get great content delivered directly to your inbox.

Your privacy is safe with us. We will never sell, trade, or share your personal information.

Filed Under: Prison & Prisoners, Reentry Tagged With: Addiction Recovery, Celebrate Recovery, Dr. Timothy B. Walsh, Drug Addiction, Jeannine Hale, Minnesota, Recovery, Teen Challenge

SELECT A TOPIC

  • Advocacy & Reentry
  • Angel Tree
  • Families of Prisoners
  • Feature Stories
  • From the CEO
  • Hope Events
  • Inside Journal
  • Press Releases
  • Prison & Prisoners
  • Prison Fellowship Academy
  • Prison Fellowship International
  • Prison Fellowship News & Updates
  • Reentry
  • Second Chance Month
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Warden Exchange

MOST POPULAR

The Powerful Love of Moms Behind Bars

May 7, 2025

How Camp Can Change the Life of a Prisoner’s Child

April 30, 2025

Prison Fellowship’s Statement After United States Senate Declares April 2025 as Second Chance Month

April 29, 2025

LATEST VIDEOS

WATCH ALL VIDEOS

Join our online community

Facebook Facebook X (Twitter) X (Twitter) Instagram Instagram YouTube YouTube LinkedIn LinkedIn
PF®
PFM®

RECOMMENDED LINKS

  • Ways to Donate
  • Inspirational Stories
  • Angel Tree
  • Prison Fellowship Academy
  • Justice Reform

RESOURCES

  • For Families & Friends of Prisoners
  • For Churches & Angel Tree Volunteers
  • Warden Exchange

JOIN RESTORATION PARTNERS AND WITNESS GOD RESTORE LIVES

Restoration Partners give monthly to bring life-changing prison ministry programs to incarcerated men and women across the country.

 

JOIN NOW
  • CONTACT US
  • EMPLOYMENT
  • PRIVACY
  • FINANCIALS
© 2025 PRISON FELLOWSHIP®

Angel Tree®, Angel Tree Camping®, Angel Tree Sports CampTM, and Warden Exchange® are programs of Prison Fellowship®.