What is Relapse: Relapse is one of the inevitable parts of addiction recovery as well as one of the most painful and discouraging. When a person who is abstinent for a while and is seeking treatment for addiction, slips back in to their addictive habits and starts using pornography and chat rooms again, it is termed as Relapse. However, there is a distinction between a “slip’ and a relapse. A slip is when an addict goes online, views pornography or chats, realizes his/her mistake and gets off the internet fairly quickly. He/she then resumes on their path toward Recovery. Relapse on the other hand, is a series of slips that then result in the same patterns of behavior and the same old painful consequences.
Warning Signs of Porn Addiction Relapse: People who relapse do not suddenly fall into this old pattern of addictive behavior. Most experience progressive warning signs that reactivate denial and allow the person to continue their “slips”. As denial builds up, the addict is aware that they have moved away from the recovery process. This awareness then brings up emotions of anger, fear and discouragement so much so that self-medication with cybersex once again seems like a good idea or rather the only way out. This is not a conscious process. The warning signs develop automatically and unconsciously. The relapsing addict is usually disconnected from his/her inner self and does not notice warning signals until the pain becomes too severe to ignore.
One of the most significant and essential parts of recovery is the process of reconnecting with your inner self. Reconnecting with your inner self implies that we learn to tune into our emotions and most importantly, learn to manage them effectively. Most addicts are afraid of getting in touch with their emotions and feelings and becoming overwhelmed by these. Learning to manage your emotions is essential as trying to repress them then gets us back into the self-medicating cycle.
The Role of Shame in Pornography Addiction
One of the primary elements of a slip becoming a relapse is -- Shame. Shame as an emotion is present in every addict. However, this emotion is especially powerful in sex or porn addiction and masturbation addiction. The addict feels too ashamed to ask for help and admit the slip. It is important to remember that a slip or even relapse is part of Recovery. It is the perfectionist part of the Addict that makes us not want to admit to our lapses. This is called Denial. Denial, is not just the denial of the consequences but also a general blanket denial of the human frailty.
Why Relapse Happens:
1. getting away from active recovery: when an addict stops attending meetings, going to therapy, reading about recovery, and living the principles of recovery, he or she is risk for relapse.
2. Getting overconfident: this typically sounds like, “I don't need to go to meetings anymore”, “I feel I am recovered enough”, etc. Remember, recovery is a continuing process, it is a lifelong process and it is never finished.
3. Taking on too much: You become so busy in taking care of the little things in your life, that you forget to keep Recovery at the top on your priority list.
4. Indulging in Magical thinking: This presents as I did go online last week and did not feel the same kind of temptation or rush of excitement. I think it gone or purged from my system. Very often, this is how relapse begins. You begin testing yourself, challenging yourself each time, and before you know it, the Addiction is in charge all over again.
5. Lastly, if you are not sure if you have relapsed, ask yourself, what am I hiding my sexual behaviors from my family, spouse, friends and even my sponsor or therapist?
For more information on Relapse prevention and help with sex addiction or porn addiction,please contact Rochna Hazra, LPC. For a better understanding of how to free yourself from the grip of this addiction and take control of difficult emotions, request a FREE REPORT on the 8 Action Steps to Recovery at http://www.yoursqueezepage.com/displayPage.php?id=9792 You will not regret it!
Author Resource:-
Rochna Hazra
Licensed Professional Counselor
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