Lapse vs Relapse

[Jabberwocky]

Thanks Z, food for thought. Give me a call sometime, will you?

 

[cj]

I am of the opinion that there is nothing useful in obsessing over semantics in any area of recovery and that everyone benefits by not putting such weight on labels and starts examining issues, behaviours and problems faced outside of a desire to fit everything in to a neat little framework or box.

This! So much this

 

[Jabberwocky]

I'm glad you are okay now! Perhaps it might be useful to distinguish between a Lapse and a Relapse. It sounds like you had a lapse, the experience of which can actually be very useful as a learning experience. I hope you are able to find healthy ways to deal with the trauma of OD'ing, so you can use this as a learning experience and not a step on the alternative path away from recovery towards fully blown relapse (where you find yourself using at the same rate you did before were got clean).

From a thread in TDS, applies to this discussion. I have to update my definition of lapse v relapse as I have come to a more thorough understanding since I made this thread.

 

[Moreaux]

Link to the thread

I haven't seen this thread before and am sorry I missed it. I don't think that this has much impact on the disease model of addiction as I think the disease model is more applicable to the mental health issues that surround addiction, and is not necessarily addiction itself.

I think tthe distinction between a lapse and a relapse is vital. I think in many instances an addict loses hope after a lapse and it turns into a relapse because they are disappointed in themselves and do not or cannot distinguish the level of severity between the two. So many programs are abstinence based and have a black and white approach to sobriety that the addict feels total failure even if they only lapse.
They also risk losing the support of their recovery groups and family, which makes it easier to lose hope and just give up, turning the lose into a relapse. We need to move away from the all or nothing approach that is so prevalent in recovery.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I'm glad you found this too

I like your point about how the disease model of addiction has more to do with mental health than dependency, very important distinction.

 

[manboychef]

U are so right about the all or nothing approach. How many halfway houses and sober living houses kick people out after their first use? I would say quite a few, when in reality, that is the place they should be if it happens because they are close to help.

It is another reason I do not like the idea of clean time. I really don't keep track of mine because I feel it could lead to having reservations. If it works for you to measure your clean time out the second, then do so. I just look at it as I am not using now, and I am just enjoying that fact.