July 26, 2018

As national news focuses on addiction, recovery and relapse in light of a celebrity’s overdose, Outreach Coordinator Kayla Leinenweber was featured on the TV show Morning Dose offering her take on the unspoken challenges in recovery.

“Once you get the drugs and alcohol out of your system, you’re not cured,” said Kayla in response to common misconceptions. “Even when people are sober, the risk of relapse is still there.”

She goes on to explain that often times, people view sobriety as a cure and believe that once a friend or loved one is in recovery, they are completely in the clear, which is not always the case.

“If you’re especially close to someone, you can miss the signs because you’re so hopeful about the state they’re in,” said Kayla. “It’s common to think that once they have a few years under their belt that there’s no need to worry anymore. Because of this thinking, they aren’t looking out for those signs as much as they would if someone had just gotten out of treatment.”

Kayla continued, “When people unfortunately relapse, friends and loved ones often ask,’What happened? Things were going good, her career was great, she seemed happy and she was smiling all the time.’ You can have that outward appearance and be really struggling inside.”

Kayla offered some suggestions if someone thinks a friend or loved one may be struggling, “If you know someone struggling with the disease of addiction, they are in recovery, but something seems off, don’t be afraid to ask them how they’re really doing.”

To see the complete segment, visit Morning Dose here.