BIPOLAR SOBER / RELAPSE PLANS / AFTER DRINKING
I DRANK. WHAT THE HELL IS NEXT?
MY PLAN FOR WHAT HAPPENS NOW.
01 / RIGHT NOW
START WITH
WHAT’S HAPPENING.
So, you drank. The sky isn't literally falling, but you're not doing very well. You're probably scared out of your mind, ashamed, angry, pissed off, and already telling yourself that you might as well keep going since you've started and messed up. What's one more? Well, one more means two, and two means five. Stop if you haven't. You don't have to figure out your entire recovery right now, but just start with what needs your attention: your safety, how you're feeling, and where you can get help.
Be honest with yourself about your situation: why are you drinking? What are the circumstances and what are you feeling? Grab your journal, a blanket, and a bottle of water, and settle in to rest and figure things out. The drinking isn't the problem, it's why you did it. Call someone too and just be honest, and then take it from there. This is a speedbump in your recovery, it's not a definition of who you are as a person.
02 / IMMEDIATE SAFETY
WHAT NEEDS
ATTENTION FIRST?
MY IMMEDIATE SAFETY STEPS
First, figure out where you are and whether you're safe. Don't drive. Call a sober person who can help you arrange a safe ride or stay with you. Tell them what you drank, roughly how much, when, and whether you took anything else. Give them the actual information, not the version that sounds less embarrassing.
Journaling can wait if you're too intoxicated to take care of yourself. A blanket and water are comforts, not treatment for alcohol poisoning. Don't assume you can just sleep it off.
MEDICAL & URGENT SUPPORT
Call 911 for suspected alcohol poisoning, including difficulty waking up, slow or irregular breathing, seizures, or severe confusion. Don't wait for every symptom to appear. If you're with someone showing these signs, stay with them until help arrives.
If you've been drinking heavily and regularly, or have a history of alcohol withdrawal, get medical advice about stopping safely. Withdrawal can be dangerous. Ask a clinician or pharmacist about medication questions instead of guessing about doses or interactions.
03 / BRING SOMEONE IN
MAKE THE
NEXT CONTACT.
WHO I WILL TELL
Pick someone who can help you with what's happening now: your sponsor, a sober friend, a family member, or someone from your treatment team. You don't need to give a speech explaining every decision that got you here. Tell them you drank, where you are, and what help you need.
Be specific. Do you need someone to stay on the phone, help you get home, come sit with you, or help you contact your treatment provider? Ask for that.
MY BACKUP
If the first person doesn't answer, try someone else. An unanswered call isn't a verdict on whether people care about you. They might be working, sleeping, or away from their phone.
Have another person or your treatment program's support contact ready. If the situation is medically urgent, contact emergency services rather than waiting for a friend to call back.
THE MESSAGE
“Hey. I drank, and I'm embarrassed, but I don't want to hide it or keep going. I'm at [location]. Can you call me and help me figure out my next step? I need [a safe ride / someone to sit with me / help contacting my treatment team].”
04 / THE NEXT STRETCH
WHAT HAPPENS
AFTER THIS MOMENT?
MY NEXT STEPS
Once immediate safety and medical needs are addressed, make a plan for the next few hours with someone you trust. Where will you be? Who will check in? What needs to happen so you're not sitting alone with alcohol and a growing pile of shame?
Keep the plan concrete. You don't need ten new promises about the rest of your life. You need to know what you're doing next and who knows what's going on.
MY FOLLOW-UP SUPPORT
Tell your treatment provider or recovery support what happened. If you have a therapist, prescriber, sponsor, or recovery group, decide who you're contacting and when. Put it in your phone instead of leaving it as something you'll deal with “later.”
Include anything else that's been going on: changes in your mood, sleep, pain, routines, or medications. You don't have to know how all of it fits together before you bring it up.
05 / LOOKING BACK LATER
WHAT CAN
I LEARN HERE?
WHAT LED UP TO IT
When you're safe and ready, look at the lead-up. What was happening that day? What had been happening all week? What were you feeling, avoiding, wanting, or telling yourself? When did drinking start to seem like an option?
Look for specifics instead of landing on “because I'm a fucking idiot.” That doesn't give you anything useful to work with. A missed appointment, an argument, a pain flare, or a thought you kept entertaining gives you something you can actually address.
WHAT MY PLAN NEEDS NOW
Where did your old plan stop being useful? Was a contact unavailable? Did you notice a warning sign but not know what to do with it? Were you relying on an activity you couldn't manage that day?
Add what was missing with your support team. Make the next step more specific, add a backup, or bring a problem to someone who can help. You can take responsibility for drinking without making shame your entire recovery plan.