Recovery from addiction can be very hard, especially if you’re prone to anxiety, stress, or do not have the right support. Those who are going through this process are frequently afraid that things may not turn out as expected.
What does it mean? It means that they’re scared of relapsing which means experiencing the same issue all over again. Unfortunately, that’s something that can happen to literally anyone, even with the best intentions.
No matter how optimistic and enthusiastic you are about it, at times, it takes a lot more than strong willpower to prevent relapse from occurring. Luckily, there are some things you can do to help yourself, which is why you should pay attention to these useful tips.
1. Determine Your Personal Triggers
Once you’ve successfully determined them, you should develop a plan that is going to help you prevent them. The most common triggers involve things like stress, people who are still using drugs, emotional distress, financial or job issues, relationship problems, etc.
A huge part of avoiding relapse is to understand all about your potential triggers, which normally include various places, people, situations, negative thoughts, things, and many other things. If they can be linked to your substance use, then you should definitely identify them.
2. Consider Having Suboxone
Those who have heard about it, perceive it as some type of detox aid that is going to help them reduce the discomfort associated with withdrawal from various hazardous opioids. This is probably the most common misconception. Even though you can utilize it as a detoxification aid, that’s definitely not its primary purpose. In fact, it would be recommendable to use it for a longer period of time during your recovery process.
Fortunately, you can easily obtain it. If it seems like a good option for you, just search for how to get Suboxone today to see where you can purchase it. Some studies have shown that patients who have been using it for more than six months actually have the best outcome when it comes to their recovery in comparison to those who haven’t used it.
3. Focus On Your Mental Health
Generally speaking, everyone must prioritize their mental health, especially individuals who are going through this process. Namely, this is of huge importance since precisely mental health can have a big impact on addiction. It can potentially cause you to continue utilizing harmful substances, even though you know you’re not supposed to do it. Furthermore, alcohol and drug addiction are often connected to various mental conditions. That’s precisely why you must never neglect your mental health because if you do so, you are increasing your chances of relapsing. So how are you supposed to take care of it? For instance, you can always go to a mental health treatment center where there are a plethora of experts who can help you stay sober.
In these types of situations contacting a healthcare provider is very important, along with a substance abuse professional. These people can help you find the best possible mental health treatment.
4. Find An Inner Balance
If you want to make sure you are going to break all your addiction habits, then you should assess your old patterns and do everything you can to make some adjustments. So what can you do? Instead of going out to drink with your friends, do something that’s more beneficial for you and definitely healthier. You can either go to the gym or find a hobby that’s creative and engaging.
These things are going to occupy you in every way and are going to embellish your life. Having any form of physical activity is recommendable because it is going to help you combat your cravings because natural endorphins alleviate stress and make you feel great.
If you’re looking for something that is going to help you find your inner balance, then both yoga and meditations are great suggestions. Moreover, these activities help people accomplish self-control, as well as, internal balance. Maintaining sobriety is all about eliminating old habits and developing healthier routines.
5. Find A Way To Relax
Tension and stress are never welcome, hence, you need to find ways to eliminate them as often as you can. Whenever you start feeling overwhelmed or anxious, then it’s a sign that you immediately must find something to relax.
Nobody can tell you what to do in these types of situations. That’s something you have to figure out on your own. To a lot of people, things like reading a book, listening to some relaxing music, taking a walk, taking a bubble bath and breathing exercises are of huge help. Maybe you should give them a try to see if they will work for you as well.
6. Prepare Yourself For PAWS
What does this term represent? It stands for post-acute withdrawal syndrome which can last from a minimum of six months and up to two years after you stop utilizing drugs. There are many symptoms that can potentially be experienced which is why you need to prepare yourself for them. They typically include sleep issues, depression, irritability, and intermittent anxiety. Unfortunately, at times these symptoms can negatively affect your recovery process, which is why it’s crucial to get yourself familiar with them so you can be prepared.
If you manage to do so, you will be able to recognize them on time and seek help as soon as possible. In case your PAWS is too severe, then it would be recommendable to seek medical help to see how you can overcome this whole situation and stay in recovery without relapse.
7. Focus On Relationships With Your Family And Friends
Family members and friends who are closest to you should definitely be involved in your recovery. Sometimes, family dynamics is the reason why a person turns to alcohol or drugs for that matter.
On the other hand, if you’re having a great relationship with your family members, then they can be of huge help during this journey. If you feel like family counseling is a great choice, then you should also give it a try. What’s important in this situation is that people who are surrounding you are not enabling you in any way without even knowing it. Therefore, therapy is a great choice because it can help you feel more comfortable talking about the things you normally wouldn’t.
Once you work through your issues with friends and family, they are going to become much more supportive during your recovery process. Now, if you have a feeling like both family members and friends are not being supportive enough, then you can always turn to various support groups that can help you learn more about this journey and how to prevent relapse, plus out there you will get the opportunity to meet new people who could eventually become your friends.
8. Eat Healthy
Besides having any form of physical activity, another healthy habit that you should start implementing is healthy eating. You shouldn’t be focused on what you eat only, but also on how much you eat as well.
You should never allow yourself to be hungry because if you do, you are going to increase your chances of experiencing cravings. That’s why you shouldn’t be having imbalanced nutrients but instead, focus on having a high-quality meal.
Besides that, having healthy snacks is also a great idea because they are not going to allow you to be hungry and will help you stay sober. Another thing worth mentioning is to avoid foods that weigh you down and increase your cravings. Instead, you should pick foods that provide you with the necessary energy and keep you healthy.
9. Focus On Building Healthy Relationships
Even though we’ve mentioned family and friends, these aren’t the only relationships you’ve had during your life. If you want to stay sober and happy, you should think of all the recent relationships that you’ve had. It can be with friends, family members, partners, colleagues, neighbors, etc. Those who’ve appeared to be toxic for you and made you feel miserable should be immediately eliminated from your life.
Relationships that usually bring people down, make them feel worthless, and potentially lead to relapse or drug/alcohol use are the co-dependent ones. It can be with practically anyone, starting with your employer, colleague, partner, friend, or family member.
At times, people are hurting you without really knowing it. Many studies have shown that precisely these sorts of relationships can cause relapse, which is something that you do not want to experience now that you’re trying to stay sober.
As we previously mentioned, if you get a feeling like you are not receiving enough support from your beloved ones, you can always turn to support groups or forums where there are people with the same issues. Furthermore, these people do not necessarily have to become your best friend right away, however, they are going to be there for you and will help you develop a healthy lifestyle.
Have you ever wondered, how much do online therapists make? Once well on your road to recovery, you may also find it fulfilling to help support others on their addiction recovery journey.
No one has ever claimed that this whole journey is easy. It’s far from it, however, as you can see, there are so many things that you can do to help yourself. No matter what happens, remember, you are not alone.