There are countless people who go through addiction recovery every day. Whether it be addictions to drugs or alcohol, it can be a difficult journey to follow even after they have left their rehabilitation program. This is because the outside world often presents challenges that they may not have had when they were in treatment. Sometimes, relapses can happen as a result of this. If they happen often, such slip-ups can hinder the recovery process. To ensure you avoid falling into a relapse like this, there are several helpful tips you can follow to keep your life on track.
Build a strong support network
It may be that there were relationships that were damaged during your darkest days. This is why it’s wise to start making amends when you feel ready. This way you can build your support network alongside some new memories.
Some people prefer to go to local group meetings, where they can be with people who understand the stresses of recovery. Such meetings can also give you a source of inspiration and strength on the days when you are struggling.
Have external help
Although some people recover from their addiction without medical help, it is rare that people can go through this process without having their rehabilitation center on hand. Whether you have left your program or are still completing it, you will have built a trustworthy relationship with the people at your center.
Those such as Recovery Centers of America are integral in ensuring relapses don’t happen. Often, this is due to the fact they are aware of what is causing you to struggle. Thus, they can offer many therapeutic techniques or medical supplies for you to take home with you. In extreme cases, they will also be there if you do have a relapse in the future.
Make a schedule
Temptation in the real world is a big obstacle for recovering addicts to overcome. If the reason an individual became addicted to a substance was their group of friends or family, it can be tricky to tear themselves away from it when they arrive home.
Starting a new life elsewhere is what some people need when they are hoping to avoid such scenarios. But, the biggest aid people use is having a schedule to stick to. From waking up to planning what kinds of exercises you do, you can fill your time with activities that will make you stronger, rather than placing you in a difficult situation.
Accept mistakes
While full relapses can be detrimental to your recovery process, they can often be a huge learning curve. The trick here is to ensure you aren’t too hard on yourself if a small mistake happens.
Ideally, you should accept that it was a slip-up, before assessing why it happened and how you can stop it from happening again. This is where contacting your recovery center may be most useful. If you are too hard on yourself, it means you may fall into a bigger relapse than you were anticipating.
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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Moreover, views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Awareness Junkie or its staff.
