How to Make the Most of your Recovery From Addiction
Recovering from addiction can be a lifelong process that requires persistence and optimism along the way. Learning how to live as a recovering addict can mean rewiring your brain to promote healthier thought processes or simply building healthy habits that make you feel good. Regardless of why you want to move past your addiction, there are actionable steps you can take to make the most of your treatment. Learning how to ask for help and setting clear goals for your future can allow you the freedom and self-efficacy to build the future you want in a world where you do not rely on alcohol to live well. Consider these strategies to make the most of your recovery and build a life you love after addiction.
Building Your Support Group
Finding a support group that works for you is a pivotal step in receiving treatment for alcoholism. Although there may have been many detrimental habits that weighed you down in the past, you are completely capable of connecting with other people who want you to live well. Alcoholics Anonymous and other organizations have locations all across the globe designed to give you the support system you need to take real steps forward in your treatment. Learning from other people and their experiences can also provide you with helpful tips and strategies for your own recovery.
Consider connecting with:
- Support groups for addiction or alcoholism
- Mental health organizations
- Community members who advocate for mental health
- Loved ones who are willing to support you on your mental health journey
Receiving Appropriate Treatment
The most successful journey of recovery is the one where you can take full advantage of the mental health resources available to you. Receiving appropriate mental health treatment can make the difference between successful recovery and long term struggles with temptations and other social challenges. Trying to recover effectively the first time can save your time and effort, even if it means recovering from abuse in a respected holistic treatment center to ensure that your withdrawals are taken care of correctly. Professionals are here if you need the extra support to make it through your addiction with the hopes of a healthy, sober future.
Consider treatment methods that include:
- Licensed psychologists
- Inpatient addiction treatment centers
- Support groups geared towards addiction
- Prescribed medication to help with withdrawal symptoms
Building Habits You Enjoy
Building healthy habits you enjoy is a powerful way to “crowd out” unhealthy lifestyle factors that contributed to your addiction. To start fresh in a healthy recovery, implement new healthy habits at your own pace to set the foundation of a lifestyle you can look forward to. Addiction can often promote unhealthy behaviors such as neglecting to take care of yourself or choosing to malnourish and forgetting rest. In recovery, the healthy habits you work towards can have a long term impact on your future and impact your future decisions to treat yourself well.
Consider practicing habits such as:
- Cooking healthy meals at home
- Creating a fitness routine you enjoy
- Learning to stretch or meditate
- Getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night
- Taking vitamins and minerals as prescribed
Setting Goals for a Bright Future
The last key habit allowing you to make the most of your recovery is setting goals you can look forward to. There are plenty of challenges associated with addiction recovery, and the best way to fight past them is to envision a future you can get excited about. Get clear on what you future looks like as you move past addiction and move forward towards healthy habits and relationships. Perhaps you can look forward to spending time socializing without thinking about alcohol. Perhaps you set easy health goals in order to treat yourself well. The more specific your goals become, the more likely you are to stay motivated and incorporate them into your recovery.
Consider setting goals such as:
- Seeing your psychologist a certain amount of times per month
- Cooking healthy meals each week
- Taking prescribed medication daily
- Journaling your emotions daily to help you through treatment
Making the most of your addiction recovery means you understand why you choose to make certain changes and learn how to motivate yourself to make new habits last in the long term. If you are willing to ask for help and take great care of your body, you are more likely to enjoy the benefits of recovery and receive professional help when you need it. Use these ideas to increase your success as you begin treatment and learn to plan for a recovery you can feel confident in.
