When you first complete Arizona alcohol rehab, you’re likely to feel inspired, motivated and ready to start your new life. You’ve gotten sober, completed treatment and are in the process of repairing relationships, learning new coping strategies and building a healthy existence. This stage is often referred to as ‘the honeymoon phase.’
However, the so-called honeymoon phase does not last forever. Actually, it doesn’t last long at all. There are a couple of reasons for this. One, you may feel overconfident in your ability to stay sober and end up putting yourself in situations you can’t handle, causing a relapse. Two, you may get bored with your ‘new’ life and begin fantasizing about alcohol.
Recovery burnout is something that can happen in recovery, and it has the potential to derail your progress. Let’s explore the signs to watch for and how to avoid burnout from sabotaging your recovery.
What is Burnout in Addiction Recovery?
After detox, you’ll enter a treatment program and begin working on your recovery from alcohol. Whether you attend an outpatient or inpatient rehab, you’ll be spending the bulk of your days in therapy.
Individual therapy gives you a safe space to learn about yourself, your motivations for misusing alcohol and how to cope in healthier ways. Group therapy allows you to connect with others who are going through similar experiences. And family therapy provides a neutral setting to work through family issues and rebuild bonds.
Once you transition home, you’ll have new challenges to face, such as getting a job, helping out at home and filling your time with new hobbies and activities. You may do okay at first, but eventually, you could feel burned out from having to work so hard at this new way of living.
What are the Signs of Recovery Burnout?
The signs of burnout in addiction recovery look similar to other forms of burnout – you’re generally tired, overwhelmed and have a negative attitude. In this case, you may feel resentful toward your recovery and unmotivated to continue sobriety.
Below are some signs that may indicate that you’re struggling with recovery burnout:
- Increase in mental health symptoms
- Reduced performance and productivity
- Low mood
- Negative attitude
- Loss of purpose
- Cynicism
- Emotional numbness
- Exhaustion/trouble sleeping
- Headaches
How to Prevent Burnout in Recovery
Going through the addiction recovery process is a big step, and you can’t expect to move from Point A to Point B without some hurdles. Most people find that their substance use was covering up a deeper emotional issue, such as trauma or mental illness. Recovering from these issues can take time.
To ensure you don’t break down, it’s important to balance things in your life while giving yourself grace, compassion and self-care. Here are some ways to prevent burnout after Arizona alcohol rehab.
Take it slow
Don’t be in a hurry to finish rehab. Many people benefit from at least one year of treatment, which includes detox, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, standard outpatient and aftercare. A continuum of care ensures you won’t be in the same level of treatment the whole time, but rather that you are supported as you take on more responsibility.
Additionally, you’ll want to develop a ‘one day at a time’ mentality. Rather than putting your energy into the past or future – two things you can’t control – you can put it into the present. Living this way can help you live in the moment and enjoy more productivity and happiness.
Stick with the process
Recovery does not end with rehab. It is a lifelong pursuit that you must be committed to. The good news is that things do get easier. As you grow stronger in your recovery, you will be able to make better judgments, recognize stress easier and apply healthier coping strategies.
For now, follow the treatment plan from your rehab center. Do not try to reinvent things. Through years of research, we know what forms of treatment work. For instance, Wolf Creek Recovery offers a number of evidence-based therapies such as:
- Motivational interviewing (MI)
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
- Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT)
- Existential therapy
Bottom line: Trust the process. Treatment works and people DO recover from alcohol use disorders!
Build on your successes
Recovery is a learning process. When you start Arizona alcohol rehab, you’ll be learning about yourself, what led you to abuse alcohol and better ways to cope. Some days will be harder than others. When you’re feeling burned out, look back at how far you’ve come.
Some people like to track their journey in a journal or app. This way, they can look back at some of their harder days and feel inspired again. As time goes on and the excitement of living sober wears off, it’s normal to feel fatigued. But reminding yourself of why you’re doing this and what you have to gain can be empowering.
Try not to control things
Control is a big topic in addiction recovery. Feeling out of control can increase anxiety, driving up the need to use alcohol. And, drinking booze can make you feel like you’re in control of your emotions. However, this is all an illusion. In reality, you have very little control over most things in life.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed or burned out, think about letting go. For example, if you can’t stop crying, this means you need to cry. Give yourself the freedom to do this instead of trying to control your emotions. By letting yourself experience all the feels, you can avoid emotional overload and burnout.
Quit Drinking with Arizona Alcohol Rehab
Recovery looks different for everyone, so your journey will be entirely unique to you. Prepare yourself for this experience and have ways to renew your energy and motivation.
Letting things come naturally is one of the best ways to avoid burnout. Instead of forcing things to be a certain way, let them happen as they are. As long as you are following your aftercare plan, practicing self-care and committed to sobriety, you can stay on track with your recovery goals. To learn more about our Arizona alcohol rehab, contact Wolf Creek Recovery today.
