Any set of life circumstances can lead you down a path to addiction, such as family tragedies, injuries, or simply hanging out with the wrong people. You may have only meant to have a bit of fun with drugs or alcohol, and now you find yourself unable to function without them.
It’s at this point that you may realize you need to seek professional help. However, the hard work really begins when you start learning how to stay sober. You may be able to improve your chances of recovering from addiction by taking some of the following steps:
Enter an Addiction Treatment Program
On your journey to substance abuse recovery, getting professional help can be one of the most valuable things you do to recover from your addiction. Drug rehabilitation facilities provide a wide range of services such as therapy and detox support to ensure you have the right tools to turn your life around.
These facilities have trained experts to help you stay on the right path, and they are also available once you leave the facility and continue on your road to addiction recovery in the real world.
Know Your Triggers
The first time you started using alcohol or drugs may have been when you were experiencing something challenging in your life. You might have been stressed, experiencing relationship troubles, or feeling the pressure of your job or financial situation.
If these triggers and environments caused you to consume alcohol and take drugs in the past, they might also lead you back down that path when you are on the road to recovery.
However, you can’t always prevent these triggers from being present. By being aware of what causes you to want to take drugs, you can be proactive with a plan to stop yourself from resorting to old habits. This plan might include talking to your support network, removing yourself from a situation, exercising, or busying yourself with a hobby.
Identify Relapse Warning Signs
You can be on the road to relapse even before you’ve taken drugs or consumed alcohol. Sometimes, you may notice physical, emotional, and mental signs that may eventually lead to you breaking your sobriety.
It’s crucial to identify these signs to stand the best chance of recovering from your addiction and staying on track. You can then be proactive in seeking help and removing yourself from potentially dangerous situations.
Generally, some of these warning signs include seeking out situations that have led you to alcohol and drug use in the past, such as a specific group of friends or a local social establishment. You may also notice that you’re engaging in self-defeating behaviors or adopting addictive thinking patterns.
It can take some time to identify these signs, but you may stand a better chance of being in the driver’s seat and remaining on the road to recovery once you do.
Start New Routines and Habits
When you entered a drug rehab facility and started to get your life back on track, you were in a supportive environment with no temptations or distractions. However, as you reintegrate yourself back into your old life, you’re faced with old habits and routines that may lead you back into the dangerous world of drugs and alcohol.
You may be able to improve your chances of recovering from addiction by adopting new habits and routines. Surround yourself with supportive friends and family members that will aid you on your recovery journey. You may even consider taking up a hobby like music or sports to replace old ones of parties and drug use.
Certain people and places can be triggers, and you may not be strong enough in the early days of your recovery to immerse yourself in those environments without relapsing.
Build a New, Healthy Lifestyle
Drug and alcohol use may have taken a considerable toll on your mental and physical health, and becoming sober is an opportunity for you to make a few changes. Now might be the right time to focus on your health to stay focused, strong, and feeling at your best.
Join a gym or exercise group, or set up an exercise program in the comfort of your own home. Eating nutritious meals and getting plenty of sleep may also help you on your recovery journey. Many people also see the benefits of relaxation techniques during times of high stress, such as yoga and mindfulness meditation.
Some studies have shown that mindfulness meditation may benefit those on their recovery journey, allowing people to be non-reactive to distressing thoughts and emotions and increasing their ability to refrain from substance misuse.
Recovering from addiction may be one of the hardest things you may ever do in life, but it may also be one of the most rewarding. Checking into a drug rehabilitation facility, starting new routines, and building a healthy lifestyle may be how you take control and get your life back on track.
