Going through addiction treatment is only the first part of living a life free from substance abuse. Staying sober is a lifelong process to which you will have to commit. Sadly, it is usually not a very easy process for most people, especially in the beginning. This is generally due to cravings and other temptations associated with addiction recovery. However, learning how to stay sober after addiction treatment can make your recovery smoother.
The singular greatest fear of most people recovering from addiction is a relapse. After all the effort and time that you put into going through addiction treatment, you should not have to endure a relapse. Thankfully, there are several tips for maintaining sobriety that can help you on your journey to a substance-free life. By learning and implementing the tips on how to stay sober after addiction treatment, you will reduce your risk of a relapse.
In this article, you will find invaluable insight into how to stay sober after your rehab. Furthermore, we will give you strategies that can help you maintain sobriety and avoid relapse after your addiction treatment.
But, before we dive into it, you must know that cravings do not make you weak. Instead, it is a part of your addiction recovery process that you must experience and conquer. With the right tips for maintaining sobriety and some effort on your part, you can win the battle against addiction relapse.
Tips to Help You Stay Sober After Addiction Treatment
Transitioning from addiction treatment to real life and recovery can be quite challenging. In fact, many people suffer relapses during this stage. However, an addiction relapse is avoidable. To help you, we have compiled a comprehensive guide on how to stay sober after addiction treatment. Keep reading to discover tips to help you maintain long-term sobriety.
Get a support system
A support system is vital for any recovery addict who intends to maintain a lifetime of sobriety. Your support system is a person or a group of people that can help and encourage you when the going gets tough. Cravings and urges to use are a normal part of addiction recovery. However, your support system plays a vital role in ensuring you do not succumb to these temptations.
Your support system may be a person from the addiction recovery group meetings that you attend. Or it may even be your trusted friends and family who are sober and want the best for you. Whichever the case is, you must have someone you can reach out to when you need help.
Make the right changes to your environment
The thought of coming back home after addiction treatment can be exhilarating. However, if you don’t make some critical changes to your home, you may quickly find yourself back in rehab.
One of the most crucial tips on how to stay sober after addiction treatment is to modify your environment. If possible, before returning home from addiction treatment, ask a loved one to remove any paraphernalia from your home.
Paraphernalia is a thing that is related to your past habits of substance abuse and may constitute temptations. Otherwise, as soon as you get home, throw these things out, or give them away. You may also need to avoid places that can spark urges to use or drink again. This way, you are at fewer risks of suffering an addiction relapse.
Set goals
One of the essential tips to maintain sobriety is to create a list of goals that you want to achieve. These goals can be a source of motivation to keep you going through your addiction recovery. When you create plans and timelines for your future, you will find it easier to resist temptations that arise.
Furthermore, your goals will be a continuous reminder of all that you stand to gain from long term addiction recovery. Having something to strive for will make the struggle to stay sober a smoother experience.
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Create new healthy habits
Previous substance abuse habits may likely create a void in your daily routine after addiction treatment. If left unfilled, this lull in your day may lead to boredom, which ignites thoughts of substance use. Therefore, one of the crucial tips for avoiding relapse is to create new and healthy habits to replace the old ones. You may pick up a new hobby, take a class, get a gym membership, or whatever other healthy habit catches your fancy.
Studies show that it takes around two months before a habit becomes automatic. Therefore, take your time to find something that you genuinely enjoy and then stick with it. This way, you will have less time to reflect on your past and subsequently get tempted.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle – Diet, Rest and Exercise
Learning how to stay sober after addiction treatment will help you focus on your life’s essentials. Some of these include your diet, rest periods, and exercise routines. Regular exercise is particularly useful for dealing with cravings.
This is because, during exercise, your brain releases endorphins, which can help you relieve stress and boost mood. Furthermore, maintaining a healthy diet can help control your mood and suppress urges. Not to mention, it can fortify your immune system and help your body develop.
However, it is not just about what you eat but also the amount you eat. You must ensure you strike a balance between the quality of your food and the quantity. Also, ensure that you always have adequate time to rest during the day and sleep at night. Irregular sleeping schedules can lead to stress, thereby making your addiction recovery harder than it should be.
Volunteer
Often, we can get so overwhelmed by our problems that we forget that there are those around us who also need help. Volunteering to serve others is excellent for taking your mind off your troubles, yet doing some good in the world. There are several ways you can serve others in your community.
You may volunteer at a local youth centre or the library or maybe even at a shelter. It all depends on your interests. Also, many people in recovery choose to sponsor others in recovery to help others along the path they’ve walked. These are some of the ways you can get out of your head and see the bigger picture.
Identify your triggers
Our final tip on how to stay sober after addiction treatment is to identify the things that can push you back to substance abuse. No matter the changes you’ve made or your level of progress, relapse is always a lurking danger.
However, the best thing to do is remain alert and watchful for the signs of a relapse. This means identifying your triggers. Identifying your triggers will help you know when you are at risk of a relapse. This way, you can quickly seek professional after-care help if you need to.
Final Take
Staying sober is a decision that you will have to make continually throughout your life. However, every journey starts with a step in the right direction. We hope that our tips on how to stay sober after addiction treatment will help you on your journey to lifelong recovery. Remember, relapse is an ever-constant danger. This is why you must establish habits that can help you deal with triggers if they do occur.
Contact 1000 Islands Addiction Rehab & Treatment Centre for addiction treatment programs.
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