Have I Failed if I Need to Return to a Treatment Facility?

The journey to a sustainable and fulfilling sober life is never a straight line. There are many ups and downs throughout the process. It is completely normal to have times of great success and times when you may feel challenged or even overwhelmed by the stresses of maintaining a sober life. For some, the return to a treatment facility may be necessary to address these stresses and maintain a healthy, sober daily life. However, returning to a treatment facility is never the mark of failure but rather is a testament to your progress and self-awareness that should be celebrated throughout any stage of recovery. 

Feeling as if you need to return to a treatment facility can be incredibly difficult. It can feel as if you have somehow “failed,” or that you are either letting others down or are somehow “beyond” sobriety. However, this is never the case, and there is nobody who is “too addicted” for a sober future. Returning to treatment does not mean that you are incapable of continuing the sober journey, but rather that you may want to adopt more skills in a safe and sober-curated environment as you continue to navigate the challenges of daily life. 

Likewise, returning to a treatment facility as an alumnus does not mean that you have to start your recovery journey over. You may still have many practiced and proven life skills, relapse prevention strategies, and self-care outlets that continue to be effective. Rather, you may want to add to these skills to address new and previously unforeseen challenges or to adopt additional life skills for a greater sense of agency and a feeling of security in sobriety. 

Each individual will have a personal journey and set of needs and recovery goals, so when it is time to return to a treatment facility can vary. For alumni of Hawaii Island Recovery, it can be an easier decision to make with Hawaii Island Recovery’s continued engagement in aftercare programs and focus on being a continued resource and supportive network for both alumni of its own programs and for promoting a healthy and sober life for any who call. 

However, there are a number of situations that can facilitate the decision to return to a dedicated treatment facility. 

Slips or relapses in recovery can be a devastating experience. For some, pervasive feelings of guilt and shame can be exceptionally prevalent, while others may think of their entire journey as a failure. However, while slips and relapses in sobriety certainly demand professional attention, they do not mark the end of your recovery journey. 

Returning to a treatment facility to address the circumstances surrounding your re-engagement with drugs or alcohol, to what degree you used them, and other information surrounding the situation is paramount. Professionals can help you explore how new stresses may have informed the decision as well as identify high-risk situations or destructive social groups or individuals. Those experiencing a relapse and have re-engaged not just with addictive substances but with lifestyles, social groups, and mentalities that facilitate further use are exceptionally vulnerable. Returning to a curated sober environment to reprioritize and refocus on sober efforts is essential. 

Stress is a constant in daily life, and there is nobody who is “immune” to stress and its effects. It can be difficult to prepare for all of the various stresses that you may face after graduating from a dedicated recovery program. Professional stresses can introduce new challenges to overcome that can influence your use of addictive substances, while interpersonal relationships, exposures to previous stresses, commercials or advertisements of addictive substances, or people who may romanticize the use of such substances can all present challenging situations for alumni. 

Returning to treatment to address these new stresses, maintain a healthy perspective of sobriety, and develop skills to maintain accountability are paramount. Not only can you develop new strategies directly to address such challenges, but you can also foster new relationships that can continue to positively impact your sobriety. 

Continued engagement in outpatient treatment programs can be essential for identifying the manifestation of new stresses and informing when a return to a higher level of care at a treatment facility may be necessary.

Accepting that there will be challenging times ahead can empower you to set appropriate expectations for your sober journey. Nobody is supposed to be perfect, but being prepared to address new challenges and expecting some degree of turbulence throughout the recovery journey can be important for being more open to returning to a treatment facility. Deciding to return to treatment can always help to make you stronger, with a more robust set of skills and strategies, all while empowering others to further develop their own skills and ideas. 

Returning to treatment can be the most important decision that you can make for their own health and sobriety. It should never be viewed as a “failure” of any kind, but rather championed for the self-awareness and empowering decision it is. 

Returning to a treatment facility to further develop your sober coping skills or address new stresses and challenges that have manifested can be an important step in your continued success in sobriety. At Hawaii Island Recovery, we understand the need and importance of stepping back into a dedicated treatment program, and we are prepared to personalize your program to best address your needs and goals in continued sobriety. Not only can we champion the skills that have already proven effective, but we can also curate new strategies based on new challenges, as well as introduce you to new outlets for self-care, emotional expression, and a new community to further develop your skills. To learn more, call us at (866) 390-5070.