Addiction is a reality for a lot of people today. When you’re trapped in this seemingly endless loop, it can seem difficult to get out of it with your health and wellness intact.
Rehab is the only way that you can truly break the hold of addiction. Going to rehab allows you to get help from licensed professionals that can work through both the physical and mental aspects of your addiction.
This is only the beginning since your success or failure with addiction recovery hinges upon your willingness to make lifelong changes.
So, what changes will help you unearth skeletons and holistically recover from addiction? We’re glad you asked.
The tips below will teach you how to correct your past mistakes by making excellent decisions today.
Go to Therapy and Stay in It
Overcoming past mistakes means overcoming your baggage. You need to not only stop using but also fix the thought patterns that drive you to use in the first place.
This requires the help of licensed therapists that specialize in addiction recovery. Take the time to get therapy so you can care for your mental health as you recover from addictive patterns and trauma.
Go to therapy at least once per week and arrange your health insurance to make provisions for these meetings.
Recognize Your Trigger Points and Avoid Them
If staying sober is your goal, you need to recognize your trigger points so that you can avoid relapse. People don’t just relapse out of nowhere.
Recognize that these relapses happen when a mental or emotional trigger happens that puts you back into the mental and chemical state that created or reminds you of the addiction.
For example, many people that quit alcohol have to also put down cigarettes because the smell and taste of tobacco conjures associations since they’re used to having a drink with their smoke.
If you know that your addiction began because of a past wound or trauma, you’ll need to become mindful of those sorts of details as well. The more conscious you become about these trigger points, the easier it is to avoid them so that you can stay clean.
Get a New Circle of People That Are Like-Minded and Supportive
As the old adage says, show me the circle of people you hang around, and I’ll show you who are you or are likely to become. To stay sober after rehab, you should only hang around people that understand and support that goal.
When you recover from rehab, it’s time to put yourself first above all else. This often means making some tough decisions about the people you hang around.
If your old circle of friends and even relatives lead lifestyles that make it difficult to stay sober around them, or if they don’t support your life changes, it’s time to cut them loose.
Spend time around people who support and strengthen you, so that you are better able to stay focused on the lifelong goal of recovery.
Regularly Attend Support Group Meetings
Overcoming addiction is a lifelong journey, so you’ll need to treat it as such. Attending recovery support group meetings will help you maintain the right mindset.
These groups consist of people who have been sober for anywhere from one day to 30 years. Recognizing that everyone is taking it one day at a time will help you to get support when you’re feeling weak, while also offering support to others who need it.
The support system that you build after rehab is the most important part of your recovery process, so find a group that you feel fulfills your needs.
Begin Working Out Hard Every Week
Improving your health is the best step that you can take on your road to recovery. The mind and the body are intrinsically connected, so it’s easier to develop a strong will when you have a strong body.
Find a routine that gives you five days of strength training, exertion, and cardiovascular exercise each week. People with addictive patterns also find this helpful because they get to put that energy to use in a healthy and productive way.
You will love the way these workouts pump good endorphins throughout your body and allow you to burn the stress away.
Add Meditation to Your Life
Developing a practice of meditation will allow you to reduce stress and sharpen your mind. This allows you to learn how to still your mind and notice triggers before unconsciously allowing them to take hold of you.
You don’t have to be an expert yogi to build a meditation practice. Instead, set a timer for 15 to 30 minutes, sit down somewhere comfortable and simply notice your breathing as you inhale and exhale.
This can be done with your eyes either open or closed. Rather than trying to shield yourself from thinking or attaching to every thought that comes along, let your thoughts come and go as they please.
Meditation is a holistic mental exercise that can improve your life and keep you from succumbing to your addiction.
Stay Hydrated and Eat Nutritious Food
Be sure that you’re watching what you eat and always giving your body the fuel that it needs. Switch to healthy and organic foods, and never let yourself go into starve mode since this weakens your resolve and can trigger addictive patterns.
Drink lots of water every day so that you also stay hydrated and give your brain the electricity that it needs to fire with optimal function and performance.
Get Rest Every Night and Keep Your Stress Levels Low
Finally, make sure that you’re getting lots of sleep every single night. This improves your ability to reason, function, and contend with stress.
Optimize your bedroom setup to allow you to fall to sleep without issues. Become conscious of the things that stress you out in life and make an effort to control or minimize them.
Correct Past Mistakes Through Today’s Actions
Your past mistakes don’t have to define you. It’s all about what you do once you’ve made the decision to change. This applies to addiction recovery more than almost anything else.
If you need professional assistance, we’re the team you need to turn to.
When you’d like to get help, send us a message or call us up at 1(888) 236-4567.
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