Addiction recovery can often feel like a ‘hurry up and wait’ process.
Sometimes leaving a drug rehab can fell like a graduation. The danger is believing that you have ‘done the recovery thing’ and can get on with life.
While you can certainly start getting on with life, you have entered the recovery process, not completed recovery as an event. Chances are that you experienced one-on-one counseling, group therapy, as well as a variety of other experiences. Those are the growth and education experiences, that you should continue throughout your addiction and recovery process.
There is probably nothing more dismal to a recovering drug addict then the fact that they are going through a process which seems like it takes forever! Here are some things that you must do in order to continue to be the recovering drug or alcohol addict that you are today and insure the peace of the future. Virtually everyone I know with long term recovery has made a big investment in time in that crucial first year.
1. Continue Counseling- the best thing that you could do for yourself is to continue counseling outside of the addiction center. Your therapists and counselors will assist in building a solid relapse prevention plan
2. Remember Time! – After you have gotten out of the addiction and recovery center you may be frustrated with the thoughts of alcohol or drugs that are plaguing your mind. However, you must remember that recovery is a process that takes time and there is nothing you can do to speed up the process of time, no matter how dismal or depressing that thought seems!
3. Keep Yourself Occupied – Many recovering addicts often find it hard not to go back to their old lifestyles, but the one thing that can help greatly is to keep yourself preoccupied. Getting a hobby, surrounding yourself with positive friends each day, and filling your day to keep you busy in order to be preoccupied will prevent you from destructive behavior.
4. Take One Day at a Time! - If you are becoming so frustrated that you’re feeling like you just want to have some more alcohol or that one last taste of drugs, stop before you get there! Take a deep breath and realize that your recovery will only go one day at a time! Many people have to force themselves to take one minute, hour, and day at a time simply to keep their heads above water!
5. Find New Behaviors- this is something that many addiction counselors will focus on, but what are you going to do when it should have been the time for your daily dose of alcohol, LSD, marijuana, or other drug? Finding something different to do and replacing that part of your day with something cleaner and better for you will help you in the long run!
6. Let your Family Know! - Many recovering addicts choose not to tell their families, but these are the first people that you should tell. They will help you get back on your feet and stay there and provide a lot of emotional support when you need it the most!
7. Never Give Up! - This is a very old cliché, but has proven to work many times over! A recovering addict is an individual who cannot afford to give up. The drugs and/or alcohol that you just got away from will return to tempt you, so you must remember to never give up in the face of temptation or frustration!
Remembering all of these 7 steps to addiction recovery is crucial to getting past the first days, weeks, and months following your decision to stop the substance abuse in your life! By following all of these steps and surrounding yourself with positive influences will help you now and in the future when you absolutely need it!
One of the first challenges in getting help for yourself or a loved one, is knowing where to start. We can help with a free assessment and someone to talk with right now. Click Here For Immediate Help And AnswersLast 3 posts in Addiction Treatment
- About - December 31st, 2008
- Addiction Treatment: Is Spirituality A Vital Part Of Drug Abuse And Alcoholism Treatment? - January 4th, 2009
- Drug Addiction Treatment: Is It Time? - January 8th, 2009
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I think you’ve really addressed something very important here, which is identifying exactly what recovery is. It is a process, and one that should be continued for a lifetime. It is not an event to be finished with, or that can be left behind. Once an addict knows this, it becomes almost instantly easier to continue through the process with the right mindset.
These 7 tips can be a great starting point. I want to add also that networking with other addicts in recovery can also be extremely helpful. Other recovering addicts can offer great ideas for keeping oneself busy and on a positive road. They can also relate when you share your struggles, more so than others who have never experienced addiction. That “relating” can be one of the most important aspects of the healing process.
Thank you for this great list of tips, and I look forward to reading more of your thoughts on addiction recovery!