While our rehabs in Arizona can do a great deal to help people achieve sobriety, ultimately, people need to learn to maintain sobriety independently. The treatments offered at rehab build a framework for our clients to build upon, but the work of recovery is a lifelong journey.
The Lifelong Journey of Recovery
People struggling with addiction can find evidence-based treatment to achieve sobriety at our rehabs in Arizona. But to stay sober, they need to apply the lessons they’ve learned in treatment in their everyday lives, build a routine that promotes recovery, and find ways to feel fulfilled and happy in their everyday lives.
But don’t let this scare you off from reaching out for treatment or make you question whether you can stay sober. The work of recovery is simple, fulfilling, and can keep your life full and enjoyable. But you must stay vigilant, take the steps required, and keep yourself from slipping into old behaviors.
Tips for Maintaining Sobriety
The tips outlined below are some of the simplest ways to turn your newfound sobriety into a lifelong recovery. Ultimately, this is a personal journey; you can pick and choose the strategies that work for you and discard those that don’t. So long as you keep the principles of recovery in mind, you’ll be on your path to success.
Build and Maintain a Strong Support System
Our first tip for maintaining sobriety is building a strong support system. Having people who support you in your recovery, are there for you when you struggle, and understand what you’ve gone through to achieve sobriety can be essential for keeping cravings at bay. Your support system can help prevent you from slipping into old behavior patterns that can lead to substance misuse.1
Not sure where to start in building a support system? Here are a few key tips for building one:
- Keep in contact with the people you met during treatment
- Attend addiction support groups in your community (such as Alcoholics Anonymous or SMART Recovery)
- Identify the friends or family members who are proud of you for achieving recovery, and make sure to keep in touch
Support systems can come from anywhere. You can build a support system at your church, in a sports league, or even at work. As long as you know they support you in your recovery; you’ll be in a good position.
Practice the Coping Skills You’ve Learned in Treatment
Addiction treatment heavily emphasizes building effective coping mechanisms for people to use daily. While applying these skills while you’re in treatment may come naturally, it is even more essential to put them into practice after you’ve completed treatment.
Perhaps your therapist taught you to practice mindfulness in your everyday life. If this served you in treatment, it could also help you after you’ve completed treatment. Or you may have learned to reach out to your support system when you’re feeling a craving or experiencing a trigger. If so, make sure to continue this practice in your daily life.
Keep Up with a Healthy Routine
As any self-help book will tell you, making healthy choices habitual is the surest way to make them stick. Maintaining a routine that keeps your mental and physical health in shape can prevent you from experiencing some of the warning signs of relapse, such as feeling worn out, stressed, anxious, or bored.
A few healthy routines you may have picked up in treatment include:
- Maintaining a regular exercise routine
- Daily meditations
- Speaking to other people about recovery regularly
- Keeping your nutrition in check
- Maintaining healthy boundaries with others
While starting these routines may be difficult, it will become easy to keep up with them by the time they become a habit. This, in turn, prevents you from feeling overly stressed or triggered.
Celebrate Recovery Milestones
Celebrating your recovery milestones can keep you feeling confident and proud of yourself throughout the recovery process. Remember when you first broke free from addiction; even a few days without substance use can feel like an incredible feat. But as people move forward into months or even years of recovery, this feeling of pride in your accomplishments can begin to wane.
By making a point to celebrate your recovery milestones, you can keep the fire for recovery alive. Recognizing how far you’ve come, how much you’ve accomplished, and acknowledging where your recovery started can all contribute to helping you stay on track in your path to maintaining sobriety.
Watch Out for Your Triggers
As people get further and further away from completing treatment, it’s natural for them to lose sight of their triggers and how they affect them. This can lead to risky situations if you’re not prepared to put your recovery skills to work.
Remember what your triggers are. Stay vigilant about how they can affect your mental health, cause cravings, or put you in situations where substance use is more likely. While you can do anything in your recovery, being prepared for these situations can help ensure your success.
Reach Out for Help if You Struggle
Finally, if you’re finding it hard to stay sober after rehab, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. Addiction professionals have the evidence-based tools and experience to help you overcome any struggle in your sobriety and help you keep on track for a lifetime of greater well-being and recovery.
Find Support at Rehabs in Arizona
Rehabs in Arizona, like Wolf Creek Recovery, have been built from the ground up to help people achieve and maintain their sobriety. If you’re struggling to get or stay sober, call our team or fill out our confidential online contact form to learn more about how we can help.
Sources:
[1] http://doi.apa.org/getdoi.cfm?doi=10.1037/adb0000218
Finding purpose in pain is what Jonathon does best. He is a strong advocate for those suffering from substance use disorders. As a person in recovery, Jonathon knows how important it is to receive empathy and compassion. He recognizes that each person comes from a different set of circumstances and deserves to be valued and respected.
With a fresh perspective and compassionate attitude, Jonathon works closely with clients to help them let go of the past and know when to take necessary risks. The recovery process is ongoing, which means people need to move forward while applying the skills learned in treatment. Jonathon is a great motivator when it comes time for this!
Jonathon also places emphasis on the family unit and how it can make or break the recovery experience. Individuals with active, supportive families have far better outcomes. Jonathon realizes that it’s impossible to move mountains overnight, but with the right support team and positive attitude, anything is possible.
