Understanding Relapse – Abstinence vs. True Recovery

Elizabeth Kipp visited with Tommy Rosen,  Founder of Recovery 2.0 and a person in long-term recovery, on his In The Circle Podcast for Episode #8: Understanding Relapse – Abstinence vs. True Recovery. Elizabeth asked Tommy if we could take a closer look at the deeply meaningful subject of relapse. In doing so, we reframed the meaning of the word, removing all shame from its existence and calling in the support of others.

Where it’s easy to point blame at a person, a circumstance, or even one defining moment – we learn to take a step back, in silence, to assess the many other variables that lead to such a moment. In taking responsibility for how we can get there, it becomes easier to avoid the same path.

Tommy discusses these points regarding understanding relapse – abstinence vs. true recovery:

• Relapse is not a necessity, even though it’s very common
• Optionality of relapse outcomes
• Identifying and traveling to different levels of consciousness
• How can we avoid relapse?
• What are the signs of a relapse?
• A relapse protocol
• How do we distinguish the energy of recovery vs. the energy of relapse

Timestamped Summary:

Elizabeth brings up the topic of relapse and its commonality in recovery, while Tommy highlights the importance of understanding that relapse is not inevitable and that there are ways to avoid it. She asks about signs of relapse in recovery from addiction, seeking clarity on triggers and how to avoid them.

Relapse protocol involves studying the experience leading up to the relapse to identify patterns and learn from them.