b'lost their lives to addiction are often scatteredThese difficult realities make relapse prevention throughout the crowd as families run in memoryand education critical to the safety and ongoing of these young lives full of promise, taken too soon.recovery of those we serve. We cannot afford to However, as our memories of grief mix with theperpetuate the fear that some in recovery have of hope of the transformed, our commitment to thisthe words relapse or overdose. Avoidance and denial cause grows even deeper. are components of addiction, not of recovery. Truth Those of us who serve in faith-based recoveryand honesty, however, are foundational to recovery services are often asked, What are your successand faith. We must be willing to lead the way with rates? And while these rates give testimony toquality relapse education and prevention services. the transformative power of God and deserve toEducating those in recovery regarding their be celebrated, it is the percentage of those whodecreased tolerance after detox can save lives.have relapsed or lost their lives that drives us toSo where do we begin? What program compo-our knees in prayer. This is where we find thenents are needed for relapse prevention and to strength to keep fighting the battle against addic- reduce time spent in potential lapses or relapses? tion. When the stakes are life and death, we areAnd how can we continue to honor those we compelled to boldly share the hope found inhave lost through an even deeper commitment Christ and give our allproviding the bestto prayer and excellence in service?possible recovery services and support. However, when it comes to sobriety, perfec- Treatment length tion is not always a realistic goal. According toT he first item to consider is treatment the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA),length. Studies show that participation 40 to 60 percent of people with addiction willfor less than 90 days for residential orexperience relapse. Unfortunately for this popu- outpatient treatment has limited effectiveness, lation, the risk of overdose and overdose death isand significantly longer treatment is recommended higher because of their reduced tolerance. Opioidfor positive outcomes. This does not diminish the It is the percentage of those who have relapsed or lost their lives that drives us to our knees in prayer. This is where we find the strength to keep fighting the battle against addiction. users who relapse after detox and treatment areimportance of short-term services, as these are more likely to misjudge the dosage their bodiesoften the first steps individuals will take in the can handle than those who didnt complete arecovery process. It does mean, however, that program, and the results are deadly. In 2020,short-term services should be coupled with longer-nearly 92,000 people died from a drug-involvedterm or ongoing services and be presented as the overdose in the U.S.first step on a much longer recovery journey. \x02SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG 23'