Addiction recovery is a challenging task. After a lifestyle of substance use, a lifestyle of sobriety takes focus, determination and a lot of really hard work to maintain the new habits you’ve implemented in treatment. When you’re living in a treatment facility, it can be easier to adhere to the requirements of sobriety – but when you leave treatment and are more independent, it can be more difficult to keep your recovery on track.
Tips to help you stay on track
Just as everyone’s battle with addiction is different, so, too, is everyone’s journey to recovery. You know yourself best and will be able to set recovery goals for yourself that are designed to help you maintain your recovery. But on the days that are particularly challenging, keep these points in mind to help you stay on track.
Remember recovery doesn’t have a timeline
Everyone recovering from addiction does so at their own pace. If you feel behind in your recovery or believe someone else to be further along, stop yourself — it doesn’t benefit you at all to compare. Then, take the time to remind yourself that there is no timeline in recovery and you might need to spend a little more time in one place in order to really solidify sobriety.
Your story is personal and unique and your goals should be, too. So long as you are striving towards these goals, it doesn’t matter in the slightest what anyone else’s journey looks like.
Focus on your goals
When you first begin your recovery journey, aim to write down a few goals that you would like to accomplish as you continue your sobriety. Those may include going back to school, working towards a promotion at work or saving enough to take a family vacation. It may be making it one, two or six months sober; perhaps it’s ending a toxic relationship as soon as you complete treatment.
No matter what your goals are, you can use them as a perpetual motivator to help you get through the harder days. A focus on your goals can remind you why you started and keep you persevering as you achieve them.
Avoid your triggers
During addiction treatment, you most likely spent time identifying any triggers likely to cause a relapse or increase the temptation to use substances. During recovery, it’s important to take this knowledge and avoid your triggers to the best of your ability. Take into consideration that you won’t be able to avoid all your triggers all the time, and each time you face them successfully you grow in strength — but until your recovery is stronger, make prudent decisions and stay away from potentially compromising situations.
Seek out a sober environment
It may be a big change, but if your work or your home environment was a cause of the stress or pressure that sparked a substance use disorder, it’s crucial to get out of those places to maintain sobriety. Sober living homes provide a safe, supervised home to temporarily live in after time spent in residential treatment; otherwise, it may be important to rely on friends or family who can help you get back on your feet and in a safe home and/or job to help prevent any kind of relapse risk.
Look back on your achievements
Whether you’ve been in recovery for a few months or several years, you have made great strides. While these may include staying sober for a certain amount of time, they may also consist of rebuilding familial or friend relationships, becoming financially stable or placing a bigger focus on your mental health.
By reminding yourself that these accomplishments were only possible through your sobriety, you can more easily keep your recovery on track.
Rely on your support system
You are never alone in recovery. Your family, friends and recovery counselor are all there to offer you advice and support so you can maintain your sobriety. If you’re ever feeling like you’re struggling during your recovery, turn to your loved ones for help.
Additionally, take advantage of the sober community of people you’ve met during recovery. Members of a support group can become lifelong friends who are there to encourage and support you during this process.
Celebrate your victories
Recovery is hard, meaning it’s all the more important to celebrate when you can. And there are plenty of ways to incorporate the joy of success into your recovery journey. Consider treating yourself to dinner or dessert out when you achieve a goal; maybe your six-month sober anniversary means a weekend trip you’ve been working towards — it doesn’t matter how you choose to celebrate so long as it honors your hard work and the time and effort you’ve spent in keeping your recovery on track.
Considering addiction treatment or recovery support?
The team at Silvermist Recovery is committed to providing our clients with the best possible chance of long-lasting recovery through a highly individualized and progressive approach to substance abuse treatment.
Because the journey to recovery differs from person to person, our private drug and alcohol rehab program includes a multitude of critical components that, in combination, offer an effective and individualized drug and alcohol rehab plan.
Contact us today to learn more or get in touch with an admissions counselor.