Recovering from addiction doesn’t happen in a single moment. Long-term recovery is an ongoing process and requires constant diligence and awareness. To stay clean and sober in the long run, you must employ simple yet effective strategies to reduce the presence of triggers and stressors in your environment. Ultimately, a successful addiction recovery requires the knowledge of when you are vulnerable to a potential relapse.
In this article, you will learn the 5 essential things you need to do for a successful addiction recovery. You will also learn about the stages of relapse and what you need to look for to address those symptoms before they cause you to return to active substance use. If you are new in recovery and looking to strengthen your recovery game, Thrive Treatment can help. We offer proven aftercare programs that will give you the additional tools and confidence you need to raise your recovery game.
Call Thrive Treatment today and take your sobriety to new levels.
Understanding the Stages of Relapse
It is important to understand that relapse doesn’t simply occur “out of the blue”. In reality, relapse occurs long before you start using substances. Relapse is seen as occurring in three distinct phases which are the following:
Emotional Relapse—During this first stage you aren’t actively thinking about using, but you are displaying emotions and behaviors that are setting you up for a relapse down the road. These include bottling up your emotions, increased isolation, focusing on others and not yourself, and engaging in poor eating and sleeping habits.
Mental Relapse—In this second stage of relapse, you start feeling a tug-of-war happening in your mind. You don’t want to start using it again, but there are growing voices in your head that are leading you to use again. You have increased cravings for substances and you are thinking more about the people and places associated with your past drug use.
Physical Relapse—In this third and final stage, you have started using your substance of choice once again. You feel immense remorse for that first drink or use of a drug, but it can quickly snowball into uncontrolled use without proper intervention.
The 5 Things You Need to Do For a Successful Addiction Recovery
If you newly recovering, your number one goal is to preserve your recovery at all costs. The keys to a successful addiction recovery are simple yet can be forgotten as you navigate your day-to-day life. The following are the 5 things you need to do for a successful recovery from addiction:
You Must Change Your Life
The most important thing you need to do to have a successful addiction recovery is to change your life. This means avoiding the people, places, and things that were tied to your use of drugs and alcohol. It can seem overwhelming to completely make wholesale changes, but this is an opportunity for real growth. Change doesn’t have to be seen as negative; in fact, the changes you make can enrich your life.
Be Honest
Being in recovery requires total honesty and transparency. This can be tricky in the fact that many new to recovery are still not completely comfortable with being honest with themselves. Whether you are within your recovery group or with family and friends, you need to focus on being honest with what you are feeling. However, you must stop short of causing harm to yourself or others.
Ask For Help
While you did the heavy lifting in drug treatment in addressing your addiction, you don’t have to go it alone once you leave treatment. If you feel vulnerable and scared, reach out to your support network of recovering peers, friends, family, and counselors. You can also seek the help of 12-step support groups or alternative groups such as SMART Recovery. People within your support network can encourage and motivate you to continue your recovery path and give constructive criticism if you are falling short.
Practice Self-Care
To have a successful recovery addiction recovery, you need to take care of yourself and your needs. Be sure you are eating a balanced diet, getting restful sleep, getting regular exercise, and seeking additional counseling and help from self-help groups. When you feel good physically and mentally, you significantly reduce the risk of relapse.
Don’t Compromise
The most important thing to remember about a successful recovery from addiction is you cannot compromise who you are as a recovering person. You need to be fully aware of any signs of relapse and be vigilant in working your program of recovery. If you feel yourself slipping, be proactive! Don’t take shortcuts!
Thrive Treatment Will Help You Grow in Your Recovery
If you are new in recovery, the world is both an exciting and scary place. While you are happy to be clean and sober, you can be frightened of the triggers and temptations that seem to lurk around every corner. Take control of your recovery with help from Thrive Treatment. Our top-tier treatment center features evidence-based aftercare programs that focus on growing and strengthening your recovery. The tools and support you receive from Thrive Treatment will transform your life and help your recovery grow by leaps and bounds.
Call Thrive Treatment toll-free right now and empower yourself to live your best life.
