If you’re in recovery from a substance use disorder, you already know how much work it took to achieve sobriety, and you’ll want to do everything possible to avoid having a relapse. It may seem that relapse is the last thing that could happen to you, but the truth is they are very common for people new to recovery.
We have come up with ten tips on how to maintain that sobriety you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Even if you take nothing from these tips from online casinos, please know that you can do this. You are worth it.
- One Day at a Time!
You can’t achieve a year of sobriety without a full month. Heck, you can’t achieve a month of sobriety without a full day. Every second counts, really. However, don’t look at it like you’re “getting through” the days. Look at every day like a brand new opportunity. Concentrate on making it your own day, not a day that belongs to drinking or using drugs. You’ll overwhelm yourself if you think about sobriety in long increments. Focus on today, your day.
- Take Care of Yourself!
Also focus on your overall health and hygiene. It’s proven that the better we feel about ourselves, the less likely we are to abuse drugs or alcohol. The same goes for the other way around: The worse our self-esteem, the more likely we are to become addicted to substances. (The study also showed low self-esteem to be connected to theft and prostitution.)
Diet and exercise. Diet and exercise. Diet and exercise. There’s a reason this three-word phrase is overused… it works. Proper nutrition and regular exercise improve our moods and make us feel better overall. If you haven’t been already, eat well and work out as part of your recovery process. Some say even replacing your addiction with a healthy habit such as exercising can help tremendously. CNN even reported on one man who replaced drinking with running and went from extreme addiction to a model of health.
- Get Some Hobbies!
You can have fun sober. Something each and every recovering addict needs to learn eventually is how to have fun without using drugs or alcohol. For years, maybe even decades, you have linked your enjoyment with substance abuse. Removing drugs from your life may seem like removing the fun from your life. Activities might not interest you anymore. You can choose to play games from USA real money casino, or you can choose other online activities.
This is normal.
What you need is a change of pace. Now is the time to take that piano lesson you’ve always thought about. Now is the time to travel. Now is the time to join clubs, groups, gyms, memberships, whatever tickles your fancy. Doing what you used to do is going to trigger a desire to use. Do something new.
- Get Aftercare!
You deserve a lot of credit for quitting, but now is not the time to start getting cocky. If you were/are part of a rehab facility, look and see if aftercare services are offered. If you are not part of a rehab facility, consider participating in local recovery support groups, such as AA or NA meetings, online forums, and good old-fashioned making friends. A support group can be two people.
- Change your Environment!
It’s not just the things you used to do that can trigger a relapse, it’s people and places as well. This might be hard to do, but if you have friendships based on partying, it’s time to put them on pause, or end them altogether. Also, if certain places are associated with using, avoid them at all costs. Change begets change, and with a new environment can come a new point of view.
- Don’t Let One Slip Become a Relapse!
The ultimate goal in recovery is to abstain from substance abuse completely. However, this is extremely difficult to accomplish, and there’s always a chance that no matter what you do, you may have a bad day and slip up. At this point, rather than beating yourself up and potentially using more drugs or alcohol, it’s time to rededicate yourself to your recovery.
This is NOT an excuse to relapse. However, it happens to the best of us. If and when you slip, let it serve as a reminder of where you don’t want to be. Once you use again and the initial high wears off, there’s a good chance you’ll feel shame and guilt. Turn that energy into dedication to sobriety.
Leave a Reply