Recovery from addiction to drugs or alcohol is an endeavor that never truly ends, but does get easier with time. Every road to recovery is different and impacts both you and your loved ones. Much of recovery’s hardest challenges occur early on which is why staying focused on your recovery goals is vital to long-term sobriety.
It Starts With Believing in Yourself
Unfortunately there is no cure for addiction that can end all cravings and tendencies forever. There will be times where you feel the urge to consume drugs or alcohol again, but this is natural and part of the process. Pushing through these intrusive thoughts isn’t always easy and takes a measured approach.
In a situation where these impulses start creeping in, let yourself take a moment to gather your thoughts. Focus on the goal of sobriety and remind yourself of all the reasons you’ve chosen a life of sobriety. Maintaining your health, work, social life and relationships is almost impossible without staying sober. Be stern with yourself and even vocalize that you’ve already come this far and nothing can stop you now.
Create the Life You Want To Live
Whether your addiction started in or created an unhealthy lifestyle, recovery is your chance to turn that all around. Making changes to your routines can remove triggers and temptations found in your previous lifestyle. Simple things like going for a morning walk or visiting loved ones more often can make a world of difference.
Establishing a workout and diet routine helps take care of you both physically and mentally. When you’re feeling great and healthy, you’ll find that drugs and alcohol no longer seem necessary to have a good time. Getting in touch with your emotional side is also important, so make sure to set up appointments with someone to talk to personally or in a support group setting.
Keep Your Goals Simple and Attainable
For many people struggling with addiction, sobriety and recovery seems like an insurmountable challenge to overcome. The truth is that sobriety is a lifelong objective that’s met with smaller goals along the way.
To start out, try small daily goals that can be as easy as walking around the block or taking care of a quick chore. Once this practice has been established, try adding bigger goals to be done each week or month. The goal is to keep your mind focused on a task without overwhelming you to the point of giving up on setting goals altogether.
Stay Strong and Persevere Together
There’s a reason that achieving sobriety on your own is rarely done. Nearly every ounce of your energy and being goes into battling off addiction every day, so it’s no surprise that asking others for help is to be expected. Anyone from your loved ones to those you look up to can be part of the support network you choose to create.
Mentioned above, support groups are a common and effective tool used by those in recovery. Depending on where you’re at in your journey, there will be groups dedicated to helping you and others like you through that particular stage. Hearing stories of how others have stayed focused on sobriety can leave you with new insights you hadn’t thought of yet.
Avoid but Don’t Fear a Relapse
Recovering from addiction takes physical and mental strength from both you and those around you. Given how deeply addiction can be rooted, experiencing a relapse can feel like starting from square one again. Thankfully relapse doesn’t mean restarting. Around half of those who have recovered from addiction experienced relapse along the way.
To not let a single lapse deter you from seeking sobriety going forward, remind yourself that it’s all part of the process. Pick up where you left off and leave the relapse in the rearview mirror. If you feel like you’ve hit a wall with your recovery, we encourage you to reach out to America’s Rehab Campus. Through a private consultation, we can help identify any areas of concern and help you tackle them head on. Don’t wait, call us today to start taking back control of your life.
