Maintaining sobriety after rehab treatment can be a great challenge for anyone. Knowing well the difficulty of early recovery, we devised a few easy methods of helping bolster your sobriety. The following are our five ways to help maintain your sobriety.
Connect with Others in Recovery
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Connect with other people during recovery, especially those who are recovering from alcohol and those who have overcome their addiction. The key is to surround yourself with positive people. Remember, not everyone will have your best interest at heart. A Ted Talk by Johann Hari even posits that connections, and the cultivation of them, can be considered the opposite of the self-centered nature of drinking and excess.
Forgiveness; for Yourself and Others
One of the main components in the healing process is forgiveness. Unforgiveness can lead to resentment – resentment can lead to illness. Forgive others who have done wrong to you in the past. Once you release this negative energy, you will experience a heavy weight lifted from off of your back. You can’t experience True peace when you’re filled with unforgiveness and resentment in your heart.
Discover New Ways to Have Fun
There are more than a few ways to have fun without drinking alcohol. Be creative and find new ways to have fun that won’t cause you to fall back into old habits. Joining a sports league with new people, or co-workers, can be a low impact way of meeting new people, and getting your blood flowing can help with low moods as well. Attending sober support groups doesn’t always have to be in a meeting hall, find an outside meeting, a meditation or candlelight meeting and change up your usual patterns. Surprise yourself with the unexpected and you might like what you find!
Don’t Replace Your Addiction with Another One
Avoid replacing an addiction with a new addiction, such as gambling, other drugs, overeating, etc. Even such healthy habits as exercise and dieting can be taken to excess, so keeping moderation among a set of balanced, new activities make sense in early recovery (and beyond). Learning new life skills and adopting a healthier diet can also have the added benefits of boosting mood and self-esteem, and nutrition plays a key part in overall health.
Keep Yourself Busy in Recovery
There is an old saying, “An idle mind is the enemy’s workshop.” The key to avoiding relapse is to keep your mind busy on positive tasks. For example, you can go back to school, take a course that will enhance your skills, or do volunteer work in your community. One good idea is give speaking engagements and share your story. You can share your story with teens and adults who are going through addiction problems.
Whether it’s drug addiction, alcohol addiction or even a gambling addiction, many people search for a quick way to recover. There is no quick fix for addiction recovery. Recovery takes time. The good news is that it is possible to overcome any addiction. The key is to have an open mind and to utilize the tools given to you during treatment that will help you stay on track. Most of all, never give up.
Find Addiction Rehabs is here to help. If you find yourself struggling with sobriety we can help you find a program to help. Call anytime 24 hours a day to find the right level of care you need and speak with our team, we’ve been there before and can help you no matter your insurance or situation. Simply pick up the phone and talk to one our reps now to begin the process of recovery and find our more about the many resources we offer.
Bryan was born in Philadelphia and remains an ardent supporter of Philadelphia sports. After attending FSU and FAU where he majored in writing, Bryan ventured out to follow in the footsteps of his idols, running straight into drug addiction. After being arrested by the President’s Secret Service, Bryan finally started to rebuild his life and beat that monkey off of his back through writing, playing music, and studying Buddhist philosophy.
Despite still having the occasional struggles with mental health, Bryan strives to be a little bit better a person each day. With the support and love from a loyal family, and kind-hearted and generous friends, Bryan tries to help people vanquish their own personal demons as he did and bring more love and beauty into a pessimistic world.
Medically Reviewed By
My diverse experience encompasses positions at Nurse on Call Home Healthcare, Trilogy Home Healthcare, Jupiter Medical Center, and Lawnwood Regional Medical Center. I've specialized in pain management, pediatrics, and cardiovascular care, ensuring that each patient receives the best possible care.
