Triggers for relapse aren't always obvious. Our teen's intention might seem like they are in the right place with these unsuspecting triggers but they could be leading our teen to relapse.
Getting Back to Normal
Recovery is the new normal for teens and adolescents who go to treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. Teens learn in treatment that everything in recovery has to be different from their life before recovery. Teens also learn that in a way, they are traveling in time, taking their brain and their body back to a time before addiction took over their lives. Still, it is emphasized that teens understand they aren't going back to ‘normal' or returning to a time before addiction. Addiction has happened in their lives, which means that the effects of addiction will continue to influence their lives. For some teens, the emphasis is lost. Addiction steals time from teenagers and they seek nothing more than getting back to a better time before addiction made its appearance. In pursuit of this impossibility, teens start rebuilding their lives to resemble the time before addiction. What teens fail to realize is that there were elements of those lifestyles which contributed to their addiction. That lifestyle was, in some way, unfulfilling. After making everything
look the same
, teens realize they actually
feel the same
as they did when they started using. Shell shocked and confused, teens might turn to drug and alcohol abuse once more.
Developing an Ego Instead of Humble Confidence
Humility and humbleness are two important spiritual principles teens develop in recovery. Teens learn that despite their most noble opinion, they don't know everything. Teens also realize that addiction is progressive and fatal. Having the opportunity to go to treatment in order to get sober is not a guarantee, but a gift, because addiction can lead to death. That level of humility follows teens throughout their recovery, keeping them humble and grateful. Teens, and most people in recovery, can't help but develop a bit of confidence over time. Confidence is a good thing for teens in recovery to develop, but not when it includes developing an ego. The longer a teen stays sober, the more their ego might build. If they can overcome addiction, if they can stay sober, if they can do better in school, if they can make all of these great accomplishments, why shouldn't they be able to take a break once in a while, skip therapy, skip meetings, or even try drinking or using again?
Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center offers long term residential treatment programs for addiction recovery. Our programs involve the whole family for foundation building, life cleansing change.
Call us today to start living your recovery: 662-598-4214