When someone has been sober for years, relapse can be difficult to understand. Maybe you reached a point where alcohol no longer seemed like a daily threat. Recovery had become part of your life. Your relationships were healthier, your routines had changed, and you may have gone months or years without seriously thinking about [...]
When most people think about relapsing, they think about cravings, stress, or being around alcohol. Those are certainly common triggers. But there's another one that often catches people by surprise: boredom. And boredom can sneak up on you. Many people are surprised by how much free time they suddenly have after they stop drinking. [...]
When someone you love stops drinking, it is natural to hope things will get better. You may have spent months or years waiting for this moment. You may have believed that if the drinking stopped, the arguments would stop too. Your partner would become more emotionally available. The tension in your home would ease. [...]
