RELAPSE ISN’T JUST ABOUT SUBSTANCE USE

Ever wonder why you keep falling down in the same area of your life?

I can’t answer the why for anyone but myself… but sharing my why might help you take a closer look at your own. And before we go any further, let me make this clear: when I use the word relapse, I’m not just talking about substance use. I’m talking about any moment you slip back into a behavior you’ve already promised yourself you would change.

You can relapse in procrastination, in eating habits, in church attendance, in your exercise routine, and in growing your mind. And yes—sometimes in the heavier, more life-altering areas: sexual promiscuity, problematic substance use, toxic relationships, criminal activity, emotional spirals, and self-sabotage.

Relapse simply means returning to what you previously committed to walking away from.

MY WHY—AND THE LESSON I LEARNED THE HARD WAY

I’ve made commitments in all these categories at different points in my life. And I’ve relapsed in every one of them at least once. Not because I didn’t mean what I said. Not because I didn’t want better. But because I was missing a step that sounded small… yet turned out to be everything.

I thought commitment alone was enough. I believed I could will myself into a new life.

You ever been there?

“If I decide to do the right thing, then I’ll do the right thing.”

But commitment without structure isn’t strength—it’s wishful thinking. A commitment without a supporting structure is just a wish wearing church clothes. It looks holy. It sounds strong. But it won’t hold up under pressure.

Because relapse can only survive in an environment that allows it to exist. When your environment supports change, relapse loses its oxygen.

WHY WE KEEP SLIPPING BACK

We don’t relapse in a vacuum. We relapse in old rhythms. We relapse in familiar settings that keep feeding what we’re trying to starve.

You made a commitment… but your calendar still includes the people, places, and patterns that contradict the life you said you want.

Here’s the question that changed everything for me:

How can you expect a new outcome if you refuse to change the environment that produces the old one?

BREAKING THE CYCLE: BUILDING A STRUCTURE THAT MAKES RELAPSE HARDER

1. Get specific about what you're changing.

2. Remove or limit what feeds the old behavior.

3. Replace old rhythms with new ones.

4. Build accountability.

5. Plan for hard days.

6. Celebrate progress, not perfection.

CREATING A NO-RELAPSE ENVIRONMENT

If you're changing eating habits: Meal prep, pick restaurants ahead of time, keep healthy snacks ready.

If you're growing spiritually: Put church on your calendar, join a group, listen to sermons on your commute.

If you're breaking toxic relationships: Stop checking their social media, avoid places where you run into them.

If you're working on procrastination: Set alarms, break tasks down, use planners.

If you're serious about sobriety: Attend meetings, join groups, fill your time with purpose.

THE BIG TAKEAWAY

My relapse wasn’t about weakness—it was about misalignment. My intentions were real… but my environment was still loyal to my old life.

Here’s a few Reflection Questions for you:

1. What area in my life do I keep relapsing in, and what triggers it most?

2. What in my environment is still feeding the behavior I want to change?

3. What is one thing I can remove this week that will support my commitment to change?

4. What healthier habit or routine can I replace it with?

5. Who can hold me accountable in a loving, honest, and supportive way?

Here’s my prayer for you:

Heavenly Father,

I lift up every person reading these words today. You know the areas where they’ve struggled, the places where they keep falling, and the battles they fight that nobody else sees. Lord, remind them that relapse does not define them — You do.

Give them the courage to examine their environment with honesty, the strength to remove what pulls them backward, and the wisdom to replace it with things that bring life, growth, and peace. Surround them with people who uplift them, challenge them, and speak truth into their journey.

Lord, guide them into new structure, new discipline, new mindset, and a new direction. Help them build a life that supports who they’re becoming, not who they used to be. Let their environment match the future You’ve called them to.

Cover them with Your protection, fill them with Your peace, and strengthen them with Your love.

And remind them that real victory is possible — one intentional choice at a time.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.