If you’re currently receiving addiction treatment, the New Year is a fantastic time to start thinking about different ways to boost your recovery.
Getting complacent can be dangerous because it can stop you from putting in the effort needed to avoid relapse. It could also lead to over-confidence and you may think you’re ok to hang around with old friends or go to certain places without falling off the wagon. Often however, without even realizing it, this is just a slippery slope which leads to you falling back into old habits.
No matter where you are in your recovery, here are three steps which can help you to make important and lasting life changes in 2018.
Identify the cause of your addiction
If you haven’t done so already, identify and ensure that you fully understand the underlying causes of your addiction.
Many people develop addictive behaviors because of traumatic life events or poor mental health. Unfortunately, as long as any issues remain suppressed and unresolved, your risk of relapse will be high.
If you’re receiving addiction counselling however, not only will your therapist help you to identify any underlying causes, they can also teach you how to cope with your feelings and develop healthier coping mechanisms which won’t result in relapse.
Exercise
Many of us set New Year’s resolutions to exercise more because we want to lose a few pounds after over-indulging throughout the festive period. Did you know however that exercise can actually be an incredibly valuable part of addiction therapy? Why exactly is this?
- Many studies have shown that regular exercise can help improve willpower in many aspects of our lives including when it comes to eating better, studying more, drinking and smoking less and even spending less money.
- It helps us to set and meet goals.
- Improves confidence.
- Exercise can clear your mind and make problems feel more manageable. The reason for this is because during regular aerobic exercise, the electricity level in tensed muscles decreases which leads to calmer and more relaxed feelings throughout the body.
- Exercise can break up the monotony of everyday life and distract you from depressing thoughts, feelings or temptations.
- Exercise can reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety just as effectively as medications. Depression and anxiety are often triggers for drug and alcohol abuse.
- Exercising is a great way to reduce cravings and build resistance to triggers. Exercise releases serotonin and dopamine which are the same chemicals which are released into the brain when we take drugs.
- A set fitness routine provides positive structures which can replace the harmful habits that have otherwise been consuming your life.
- In the long-term, being physically fit can help undo the damage caused by drugs.
- Setting fitness goals can help with relapse prevention because it gives you something positive to focus on and work towards.
Establish a good support network
It may sound obvious, but the more support you have, the less likely you are to relapse. While you’re in addiction recovery, it’s very important to establish a good network of people who care about you and for whom you care about too. These are the very people you will be able to turn to when you’re struggling because they will of course do everything they can to keep you busy with healthy alternatives that will stop you from going back to your old habits.
If you would like to speak to an addiction therapist in Toronto, please feel free to contact Toronto Trauma and Addiction Counselling and we will be more than happy to help.
