Frank Talk about Relapse by Dr. Scott

For 23 years I have worked in the recovery field. I have had my share of client relapses and won’t try to portray that my record is perfect. In all honesty “Relapse is a normal part of Recovery” and the truth is, on average, 60% of people in the first year of recovery relapse.

It is a humbling experience to put your 100% into treating somebody, feel that they are progressing properly, only to discover they had a severe relapse.

This article isn’t intended to blame the client for the relapse but a cry for us as professionals to open our eyes and learn from it. I learned to blame the client for their slip when I first started in the field. I rationalized, like everybody else, that “They didn’t hit their bottom yet”, or “they weren’t willing”. In doing so I failed to learn and improve my approach.

Recovery is a process and it is not about us telling them how to find their off switch to addiction, but helping them progress stage by stage to continually becoming better and better.

I have seen how people in our industry publish claims of 80% to 100% success rates. Well, in the trenches of therapy I haven’t ever experienced that, even with the best of clients. Most clients do great for a few weeks, have a slip, and then make the decision to use the tools they learned in treatment. Technically they relapsed. However, the good ones will turn back to their tools, use the experience as a learning opportunity and move on.  

My facility actually offers free aftercare sessions for people who complete our PHP program. You would think that the seats would be filled in every group, but they are not. Many clients believe that treatment is a one-time event and that we, the clinicians, are there to fix them. Well, even after reminding them throughout the PHP program that it takes is a minimum of a years’ commitment to incorporate the changes into their lives, they still don’t follow through. We joked in Graduate School about bringing in a wand and healing clients, but the professor stated that he wouldn’t use one anyway because people need to experience the healing path because it is useful for the rest of their lives.  

At the core of relapse is an innate feeling of unworthiness and shame. Once we sift through all of the surface issues and get to this level the real work begins - which is usually at the last day of our treatment program - better late than never I guess. Well, aftercare at that point become primary care and many people can not afford another four weeks of treatment. Even with the free treatment of the after care sessions, many fail to attend. It takes an exceptional person at this point to really face their fears in order to triumph.   

As a therapist, treatment is my doing my 100% and learning to let things go. We can only go as deep as clients allow us to. Many people are motivated to change and show up ready to heal. Others come for the Coffee or to sing Karaoke before our groups begin. I can see in the near future I will need to offer a chance for a free cruise to get people back in - to do the “real work”. It amazes me that I need to try to sell sobriety when I personally had to fight for it?

Please make comments. Remember that we are in this thing together.