In addiction psychotherapy, slips as a learning experience is a key healing factor.
A “slip” is usually defined as a brief return to one’s abused drug-of-choice – a damaging chemical, object, feeling, behavior, or relationship.
A client, David, was into weekly casual sex with males picked up in spas or public restrooms.
He’d usually get his “supply” of his chosen drug after office or when feeling over-stressed.
After several months of therapy, he started striving for abstinence. He did have gains – abstaining for several weeks … then months.
In an ideal world, I’d expect David to be consistent in his newfound ways. To continue to stop using his drug-of-choice.
I want to believe this. But I’m also realistic about it.
Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. Nor is our basic humanity perfect.
David at times still found himself going back to his addiction to a certain extent.
The slips happened despite his emergent awareness. Despite already experiencing the benefits of abstinence to his mental and physical health.
So understand and learn to do 4 things when there are “slips:”
1. Don’t be surprised about it.
3. Don’t lose hope.
2. Encourage rather than judge.
4. It’s best to be prepared for it.
Addiction therapist Dr. Laurence Westreich wrote the book “Helping the Addict You Love.” He explained about a right attitude clinicians and staff take in treatment facilities for relapse prevention:
“ … the addict will be treated compassionately by both the clinician and the other staff if he or she admits to slipping or relapsing … the attitude staff takes … toward addicts who slip is one of encouragement rather than criticism. In practice, this means that they see slips as a learning experience rather than an indication of some kind of moral lapse on the addict’s part. And this, in turn, enables the addict to ‘get back on the wagon’ with a minimum of shame and embarrassment.”
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