Every 3-4 months for the last 5 years, I relapse and right on cue, I chose the easy (although chaotic) route. I know why I developed relationships with substances. I thought it was not forgiving myself, but in reality, its the plethora of external factors and judgment I face daily.
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There are many “slogans” and “recovery phrases;” one that serves me well is “recovery is an inside job!”
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Back to the drawing board 
I sure do like the sound of 6 months and beyond!
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This right here is what people don’t get when they say relapse is just about “willpower.” It’s not, it’s old patterns. Triggers. Pressure. Pain. Recovery is work but it eventually leads to freedom. Get back up and Keep trying.
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Same story for me until January. I was relapsing everybfew weeks for a few years.
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Judgement and what others think of you is more of a reflection of them and not you. Don't take it personal what others think, what you think of yourself is the important part. Power of the pause, whenever stressed or worked up, take a minute to calm down and just breath, I would say the serenity prayer over and over till things settled. Reach out to others even when you don't need to. Helping others gets you out of yourself and thinking about someone or something else. Good luck
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I hear you man- just get back on the horse. Find a meeting, sponsor, get the big blue book, or NA book- stay plugged in. It was hard, I went from being a guy who did what he wanted when he wanted how he wanted, to doing what I was told by people who had the life I wanted- and it led me to freedom & peace. It’s possible, prayers bro.
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Don't let others get you down
I'm afraid of relapsing when I am back home. I am 32 days sober. I went to meetings, had a major surgery, and have been traveling since. It's once I am back home that I know will be the hardest. Even harder than being the only sober adult at a family reunion.
The patterns are so insanely hard to break. You’ve got this though. Just jump back in and move forward.
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Use all of the tools available to you. Sobriety is absolutely beautiful, peaceful and requires a lot of strength. I'm personally very familiar with your relapse cycle, it's tough to say the least.
"You've made it through 100% of your worst days. This moment... you'll make it through this too."
When you struggle with the exterior as well as the mental to see I too struggle with feeling like I don't have enough or I should be in a better position but you can't allow that thought process to drag you down and hold you back it's got to be your ambition in your motivation grow
What works for me…….. until I completely turned my life over to the care of my higher power, got a sponsor, 42 day treatment centre and WORK the 12 steps I replapsed my entire life. We need to put all the work in. When we don’t and think we can stay sober by ourselves is the time we relapse
The “pause” is huge for me. Whatever I’m feeling won’t last forever. It will pass… and so does the urge.
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People, places and things is what they told me. Having an exit plan helped me. I was always ok at the beginning of a party but once it got “lit,” I was out!
Same here, it is definitely life circumstances and its effects on me that make me feel that way too