Drug and alcohol addiction is a disease that can be managed with help from a professional who understands addiction and will help you recover from it. Addiction is not a weakness or moral failure, but it does need to be taken seriously for recovery to become a priority in your life. Here are four tips to make that recovery a reality.
1. Develop a Supportive Network
Some friends will jeopardize your recovery by encouraging the addiction. New friends who encourage and support you will help the recovery process. It is important to share your struggles and challenges with family and friends. Addictions are often isolating, and you need a support system plus new coping tools to help you get through difficult days especially when you feel tempted. Recovery is a day by day process, and you may benefit from the help of Alcoholics Anonymous, a church based group or other social network in addition to the help of friends and family.
2. Get Healthy
During the recovery process, it is important to take care of yourself by eating right and exercising 30 to 60 minutes a few days a week improving both your mental and physical health. Adequate sleep will help reduce stress and give you the energy to cope with the challenges of recovery. Addictions can affect your health, and your body needs a chance to recover.
3. Embrace New Habits
It is important to avoid places of temptation like bars and clubs that expose you to alcohol and drugs. You need to change how you spend your free time. Local activities and events that stimulate your mind and body in a healthy way are a much better alternative. Addictive behavior can bring with it feelings of guilt and shame. As you make a positive contribution to society through work or a volunteer position, you will increase your feelings of self-esteem, pride and accomplishment.
4. Learning How to Cope
Even with the support of friends and family, recovery from addiction can be overwhelming.
Utah rehab can make your recovery a reality whether as an outpatient or staying in their facility. Dedicated professionals will help you learn new coping skills. Family members will have the opportunity to learn about addiction and handling stress. Relationships among family members and friends may have been damaged by your addictive behaviors and require healing. You need to learn new healthy ways to relate to others and cope with stress such as journaling or meditation.
