A staggering 85% of individuals relapse and return to drug use within one year of treatment, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Getting past an addiction is progress in the right direction, but the path to full recovery doesn’t end there.
One doesn’t recover from addiction when they stop substance abuse. Instead, complete healing is achieved by creating a new life and atmosphere where you won’t need to use the drug. Here’s how to bounce back from addiction and avoid a relapse.
Forge Positive Relationships
Although it isn’t easy talking to people about your addiction, you need someone else’s support. Enlisting help is your first line of defense against relapse. To get the right support, you need to invest your time to build a strong support team around you. This should include your family, friends, and drug addiction professionals who have been there for you throughout your recovery journey.
If you have broken relationships with loved ones, try to mend them genuinely. A support network will give you emotional support, encouragement, and help you deal with any tough situations you may encounter along the recovery path. As a drug user, you probably had friends with whom you did drugs. It’s essential that you cut ties with those people for they will be toxic to your sobriety efforts.
Know Your Triggers
Certain situations, individuals, locations, things, and food may fuel your urge to use drugs, as stated in this HuffPost article. It’s instrumental that you identify these factors, and try your best to stay clear of them. Anger, hunger, loneliness, and fatigue are also high-risk situations that can cause a relapse. To avoid these triggers, you have to change your old habits and routines. To be safe, always think about places you want to go to, the people you are going to meet, and why you need to be there.
Be Proactive
Lack of structure and idleness can hamper your recovery efforts. Creating and sticking to a daily and weekly schedule will not only help you kill boredom, which is a relapse trigger, but you will also achieve other life objectives. Make a simple schedule with realistic plans. To fill your free time, look for a new hobby, volunteer, or try to find a job. Try to incorporate a workout routine to restore your physical health, reduce stress, and help your body to fully recover from any remaining withdrawal symptoms.
Track Your Progress
Addiction recovery is about progress, not perfection. Trying to be perfect only makes things tougher for you. Intense pressure to transform will cause you to give up and slide back to your old habits. Instead, aim for progress by taking small but sure steps.
To gauge how you’re faring in your recovery journey, keep a journal to list down your daily activities, accomplishments, thoughts, feelings, and behavioral changes. After a while, this data will help you identify common or changing patterns. Also, speaking regularly to someone close to you can help you recognize how much progress you are making.
Stay in Therapy
Therapy is an instrumental part of addiction recovery, as noted by Medical News Today. Even if you are no longer using the substance, you need to continue with the treatment. You should continue attending your weekly therapy sessions for a period of up to two years. Therapy equips you with the tools that you need to create a solid foundation in sobriety.
Final Thoughts
It takes time and dedication to achieve long-lasting recovery. Regardless of how challenging your situation is, having a strong support system can help you overcome your addiction and regain control of your life. Remember to remain positive, active, and motivated.
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