Delta Recovery Relapse Prevention

Phase 1: Return of Denial – Inability to recognize and honestly communicate thoughts/feelings

• “I’m working a perfect program – nothing to worry about.”
• “Worried thoughts are distractions from doing recovery the right way.”
• “If I admit I’m struggling, it means I’m failing at recovery and that’s unacceptable.”

Phase 2: Avoidance and Defensive Behavior – Avoiding anything that triggers uncomfortable emotions

• “I’ve proven I have the willpower to never use again – that’s just fact.”
• “Other people’s recovery programs aren’t as disciplined as mine.”
• “I don’t need to think about feelings when my actions prove I’m doing recovery correctly.”

Phase 3: Crisis Building – Life problems accumulate due to denial and isolation

• “These problems are happening because other people aren’t doing things the right way.”
• “If everyone would just follow the rules properly, these issues wouldn’t exist.”
• “I can fix these problems if I just work harder and raise my standards.”

Phase 4: Immobilization – Complete inability to initiate action, controlled by circumstances

• “I can’t do anything until I figure out the right way to handle this.”
• “If only things would organize themselves properly, I could move forward.”
• “I’m scared of making the wrong choice and failing at recovery.”

Phase 5: Confusion and Overreaction – – Impaired thinking and emotional volatility

• “Everyone is illogical and it’s making me really frustrated.”
• “I can’t think straight because people keep doing things wrong.”
• “These mistakes are driving me to the edge of my patience.”

Phase 6: Depression – – Severe mood disruption affecting normal functioning

• “I’ve failed at recovery. I’m a fundamentally flawed person.”
• “Nothing I do is ever good enough – I’m completely inadequate.”
• “Recovery is supposed to work if you do it right, but I’m obviously doing it wrong.”

Phase 7: Behavioral Loss of Control – Inability to maintain recovery behaviors

• “These meetings are full of people who don’t take recovery seriously.”
• “I don’t care about going to meetings. This program doesn’t work.”
• “Why should I follow rules when no one else is doing recovery correctly?”

Phase 8: Recognition of Loss of Control – – Denial breaks, awareness of powerlessness emerges

• “I’ve completely failed at recovery and I’m a terrible person.”
• “Maybe controlled drinking isn’t as bad as feeling like a failure at recovery.”
• “I’m lying to everyone about how bad things have gotten, but I can’t make it get better.”

Phase 9: Option Reduction – Only three perceived options: insanity, suicide, or substance use

• “I’m so angry that recovery isn’t working out like I planned and I want to destroy everything.”
• “The only options left are going crazy, killing myself, or using drugs.”
• “I refuse to go to meetings because they’re full of hypocrites and failures. Better to just use.”

Phase 10: Acute Relapse Period – Complete functional breakdown

• “I can’t control my thoughts, emotions, or behavior anymore – I’m completely broken.”
• “My life is falling apart in every area and I’m too exhausted to function.”
• “At least with drugs I had some sense of order and control.”

Phase 11: Return to Active Addiction – Actual resumption of substance use

• “I’ll use just once to prove I can control it then I’ll get back into recovery.”
• “If I plan this carefully and use moderately, I can manage both substances and recovery.”
• “This controlled use is actually part of learning to do recovery correctly.”