Anyone who is battling the temptation of alcohol or drugs must understand that his or her road to recovery has no goal line. There is no end point to sobriety.
For many addicts, the struggle to abstain from their vices is a constant struggle that never fades away. Let’s take a look at some ways to help you prevent an addiction relapse.
Take it One Day at a Time
The best way to remain sober and resist temptation is to take it one day at a time. Start each day out with the goal of making it through the next 24 hours without falling into temptation. Repeat this promise the next morning when you awake and so on.
If you suffer a setback, it is not the end of the world. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that about one-half of substance abusers relapse during recovery. If an addiction relapse occurs, obtain treatment either through a 12 step program or with a mental health specialist.
Realize that tomorrow brings a new opportunity in your mission to achieve recovery.
Engage in Meetings
Your path to sobriety will be much easier if you lean on someone else for assistance. Meet with an addiction treatment counselor or a mental health professional periodically to discuss your progress.
Verbalizing your struggle, accomplishments and hopes for the future will reinforce your determination to stay away from drugs or alcohol. Do not be afraid to attend 12 step program meetings. Some even choose to meet with a counselor several times per week.
The more you meet with addictions experts, the better able you will be to apply the skills that you learned while in rehabilitation.
Create a Support Network
Do not embark on your recovery process all by yourself. You will find much-needed comfort and support through a 12-step sponsor, positive friends, family and fellow addicts in recovery.
Each of these relationships will provide positive reinforcement that boosts your confidence as well as your well-being. Do not be afraid to open up to someone in your support network and talk about your feelings. Letting it all out is often quite therapeutic.
Also, be available to your peers that you’ve befriended during therapy. If you are willing to engage them when they need assistance, they will be available to support you in your dark times. These bonds will only become stronger over time and help both of you remain on a straight and narrow path.
Reflect on How Far You Have Come
If you are one day into sobriety or years in, you should pat yourself on the back. Making the decision to put that part of your life behind you is an important step that some people are never brave enough to make.
Those who have attended counseling sessions and abstained from drugs and alcohol for an extended period of time should be especially proud of themselves. It takes a lot of heart and mental fortitude to keep a promise that you make to yourself as well as your family and friends.
So take some time to think about how far you have come from the depths of your addiction. It will renew your confidence and motivate you to remain sober into the future.
I relapsed two weeks shy of 25 years on a plane coming home after my brothers funeral. It is by the Grace of God I am sober with 53 days after drinking for 4 years. The fellowship on Facebook brought be back to the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s the sayings and feeling they shared that I missed, the smiles and a life I wanted back. That obsession of the mind, isolation from life and the unworthiness I felt is still out there unless I work this simple program.
our prayers are with you.
We strive spiritual progress not perfection.
– My 12 Step Store