After 1 year and 5 months sober, I thought the famous last words of “maybe I can handle just a few like a responsible adult.” After a reckless night of drinking and carrying on in not one, but three bars, and spending the next entire day sleeping it off and hating myself, I’m back to square one. It’s hard to believe after so much work, my addiction was just waiting for me with open arms after all that time. It’s tough, and I’m not really feeling myself still, but if I’ve done it once, I can do it again. Got back to the gym yesterday, and now I’m drowning my guilt and shame in a good cup of coffee this morning. Here’s to relapsing for a day but not forever, and getting back into the fight.
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Glad you are on back and welcome to this community! I look forward to seeing you around here.
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I feel your guilt and shame, but remember that all those months are not lost. Jump back on the sober horse straight away and that’s it! It’s like someone going to the gym every day for 1 year and 5 months, and one day they skip and say “I’m back to square one, all my workouts are lost”. They’re not! Keep checking in with us! 
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Alcohol is diabolical. It can sneak up on us at any time, even after years of sobriety, and whisper in our ear, “You can handle it, I promise.” Which turns out to be a lie every single time.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Relapse is a part of recovery. I’ve had three myself since I decided to quit. Just get back up on the warhorse and keep fighting! You got this! 
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Good on you for not binging. The chaser effect is strong, so don’t make one relapse into many in a row.
Welcome Tawni!
Alcohol is cunning, baffling and powerful. My disease is always in the background doing push ups, waiting for that moment I get complacent. I know I must work at keeping it at bay every single day. I can’t stay sober today on yesterday’s hard work.
Wishing you the best on your journey!
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Thank you. Looking forward to restarting my journey!
Way to recognize your mistake, learn and move forward!! Glad you are here!!
It’s bad. Welcome back.
At least this was a fast, get blasted in one night kind of relapse. I think the slow ones. The “oh look I can control it” super slow creeping relapses are way way more scary. The slow ones are so creepy that they are barely noticed until you’ve lost an extra few years to it.
Use it as a lesson, cause for us alcoholics there really is no “just one” and I have never seen any story about going back which has been a good one. They are always, 100% bad, every single one.
This, SO much! 
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Welcome (back) @NoMoreNikki, good to have you here. Please rest assured that most if not all of us alcoholics have relapsed more than once. Personally, I relapsed tens of times before finally hitting rock bottom and admitting to myself that I do not need to drink. Having said that, I wouldn’t put any money on me never relapsing again, not even after 600+ days sober. The fight is real, don’t let it beat you please 
Back on that horse RELAPSE ISN APART OF RECOVERY but it does happen ive loads of friends in the fellowship like me with decades of sobriety and never relapsed so again it happens maybe try a meeting might help wish you well
Thought id add this However, claiming that relapse is a natural part of the recovery process suggests recovery and relapse go hand in hand, which is not true. Excusing regular relapses can do much more harm than good.
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