Episode 1099: So, You Relapsed, Now What?

Episode 1099: So, You Relapsed, Now What?

How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober? This instalment of Take 12 Recovery Radio’s *Came to Believe Recovery Podcast* sits right in that uncomfortable but vital space: what happens after a relapse. Host Monty Dale Meyer, known as the Monty’man, and co-host Tom Williams start with playful banter and quirky trivia, easing listeners in with jokes about goldfish memory and the word “hello” before shifting into a frank chat on relapse, grace, and long-term sobriety.

The tone stays light enough to breathe, but the subject matter is anything but shallow. They unpack the difference between being “recovered” and “recovering”, asking if someone with years of solid 12-step living can still relapse, and what that really says about their condition. Tom shares his own experience of returning to drinking after years sober, describing how his thinking slipped months before the first drink.

Monty admits, “I had relapsed six months before I took a drink,” highlighting that relapse often starts in the mind, not in the bottle. The pair also speak directly to chronic relapsers who keep clocking up 30 days and going back out, stressing that a lack of tools – not a lack of worth – is often the issue.

Their answer is simple but demanding: get properly guided through the steps by someone who has real freedom, rather than just “don’t drink, go to meetings” slogans. A powerful closing reflection on grace anchors the whole conversation: “God’s grace meets you and I precisely in the moment that we fall. Not after we’ve managed to clean ourselves up.” The message is clear: relapse doesn’t erase experience or hope, and shame is a terrible motivator for change.

If you’ve slipped, are scared you might, or support someone who has, could this honest, sometimes funny, and deeply spiritual chat be exactly what you need to hear today?