However, some people may be able to drink In moderation at a later stage of recovery but only a very small percentage would find it easy to control drinking alcohol without falling back into bad habits due to alcohol being such an addictive substance and difficult to keep under control. While some people can stop drinking on their own, many find lasting sobriety through professional support, including therapy, educational resources, and peer recovery communities. People who have a history of addiction and alcohol abuse will need to stay sober and not return to drinking at any point.
Can You Become a “Normal” Drinker Again?
Some people feel that relapse prevention is about saying no right before they take a drink. Once you reach a mental relapse stage, you might feel like there’s an internal war. During this stage, someone isn’t thinking about drinking, but their emotions and behaviors are setting up a potential relapse in the future. In reality, it’s likely a gradual progression for most people, and there are typically three stages of relapse.
State Rehab Guides
- The longer you neglect yourself emotionally, the more likely you are to start thinking about drinking again.
- Drinking after achieving sobriety can have some serious consequences, and it’s essential to be aware of them.
- Our location in Wimberley, TX provides a safe, serene setting to begin rebuilding your life.
- Some research has found that 40% to 60% of people dealing with substance abuse disorders relapse within a year.
- Remember that there’s no time limit on reaching out for help.
The words “urge” and “craving” refer to a broad range of thoughts, physical sensations, or emotions that tempt you to drink, even though you have at least some desire not to. It can be used with counseling or therapy and is not meant as a substitute for professional help. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site. Jeanette Hu, AMFT, is a decade-long daily drinker turned psychotherapist and the creator of the Empowered Alcohol-Free 4-Pillar System.
For Loved Ones: How to Support a Loved One’s Mental Health
Choosing to stop drinking alcohol can be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. Perhaps you’re just tired of the hangovers, the guilt, or feeling out of control. Our state-specific resource guides offer a comprehensive overview of drug and alcohol addiction treatment options available in your area. If you need help or feel like you could be on the cusp of a relapse, remember that addiction is a chronic disease. In reality, the physical relapse stage is the most difficult to stop, and it’s a final stage rather than a standalone.
You’re Not Alone — Take the First Step Today
While the task of staying sober forever may seem daunting, remember that you only have to take it one day at a time. People who drink heavily or who drink alone may choose to stop drinking for several months, a year, or longer, depending on their needs. How long you abstain from alcohol will depend on your history with alcohol as well as the intensity of your addiction. Harm reduction recognizes that for some, it is either not necessary or not possible to quit drinking entirely.
Tips to Help You Stay Sober
Fortunately, urges to drink are short-lived, predictable, and controllable. You may feel an uncomfortable pull in two directions or sense a loss of control. If you choose to try it on your own and at any point feel you need more help, then seek support (see Help Links). For many people, a break can feel like a big leap.
These changes support not only your health but also your identity as someone committed to growth and healing. Your quality of life declines across the board—physically, mentally, and emotionally. For individuals at risk of severe withdrawal, professional medical support is crucial during this phase. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As the loved one of someone in recovery, there are ways you can help preserve their recovery and prevent a relapse.
You can work on strengthening your coping skills to move past a mental relapse. Denial characterizes the initial phase since the person isn’t actively thinking about drinking. Understanding triggers for alcohol use is important for someone in recovery and their loved ones. This is the best time of year to begin treatment. As with other chronic diseases, alcohol use disorder has treatment options and can be managed. This is due to the changes in their brain chemistry due to their drinking.
If you experience a physical relapse, you might need to return to treatment or revisit your relapse rebuilding your life after addiction prevention plan. Some clinicians will divide this stage of relapse into a lapse and then the actual relapse. Physical relapse is a return to using alcohol or drugs. Working with a therapist can be helpful during a period of mental relapse.
Why Do People Relapse?
Above all, see a relapse as a temporary setback and not a moral failure. If a trigger is unavoidable, consider what you can do differently next time you face it. If you’ve been in a program, immediately connect with your counselor, therapist, support group, or mentor. Don’t feel guilty or be afraid to talk to others about your struggles. And the part that remembers alcohol as an escape gets stronger.
Before Your Deductible Resets, Invest in Your Recovery
- So, can you ever become a “normal” drinker again?
- You’re more likely to relapse early in your recovery.
- Post-acute withdrawal symptoms can last longer and may require ongoing support.
- For example, you might believe that you can’t quit, that recovery takes too much effort, and that you won’t enjoy life as much without alcohol.
It requires full cooperation from the individual to maintain abstinence for as long as their intent is on living a life of sobriety. After a successful detox, the majority of patients continue receiving aftercare and ongoing support either as an inpatient at a rehab or as an outpatient. They can be more or less intense, but generally, some discomfort and unpleasantness will be experienced, which is why detoxing from alcohol is always best treated by experts. Alcohol use disorder can be mild, moderate, or severe, each category having its particular symptoms and side effects that can get worse if the condition is left untreated.
Visit my website to explore more about changing your relationship with alcohol. The key to making progress that sticks is knowing where you are in your journey—and what kind of resources fit that stage. Real change doesn’t always start with action—it often starts with internal shifts. The focus of this kind of reset is to break the old pattern and replace alcohol with tools that empower you, rather than deplete you.
Relapse can also occur if there’s a belief they’re past their addiction and can control their drinking. An alcohol relapse means you go back to drinking regularly after having a period of sobriety without the use of alcohol. But what happens if, after being sober, someone starts drinking again? When someone has an alcohol use disorder, they can’t control their drinking and continue to drink even with negative side effects.
In the meantime, you can stay connected with friends by suggesting alternate activities that don’t involve drinking. The following activity offers suggestions to support you in your decision to cut back or quit drinking. But the truth is, the only real way to find out if you’re one of the few who can return to “normal drinking” is to take a pause long enough to create distance. But if our life is already rich with purpose, connection, and meaning, the lure of drinking naturally fades. While most excessive drinkers use alcohol to meet deeper emotional or psychological needs, there’s a small group whose drinking has always been more social or habitual. Over time, drinking becomes a well-worn neural, emotional, and psychological pathway in the brain.
Individuals who are healthy and stable in their goals and relationships may be able to slowly reintroduce alcohol back into their lives. If you’d truly like to incorporate alcohol into your life again, talk to a licensed clinician about it. Keep reading to learn more about drinking after sobriety and how it may affect your future goals. While some people may be able to drink in moderation again, some won’t, and that’s okay. Write out both your recovery plan and your relapse prevention plan.
We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. You don’t have to do it alone. If you need support, help, or have questions, please contact our team at The Recovery Village.
But I think the important thing to me is that I’m in a place where I truly don’t feel like I need to numb myself anytime I feel negative emotions. As soon as I feel like I might not be in control of myself, I get anxious so I rarely drink enough to feel anything past a slight buzz. But most times, it’s not even a whole drink. I think this first week or first few events after drinking are where you need to be vigilant and aware of those feelings, and remember they will pass. Although some people may drink too much, they might be able to control their cravings, cut back, and drink in moderation. However, it is important to remember that not everyone who abuses alcohol has an addiction.
Alcoholism is defined as a chronic condition that is the most severe version of alcohol abuse. Instead, there are stages of relapse. There are a lot of misconceptions about a relapse on alcohol or drugs. Socially, avoid activities involving drinking. In addition, some new, non-addictive medications can reduce the desire to drink or lessen the rewarding effect of drinking so it is easier to stop.
