Whether you’re in recovery for a drug, alcohol, sex or gambling addiction, this is an opportunity to start afresh. Addiction recovery certainly isn’t easy and you will probably be feeling a flood of emotions right now but with the right support, there are so many things you can do to stay on course.
Celebrate the milestones
Whether you’re celebrating a day, a week, a month, three months, six months or a year in recovery, make sure you acknowledge these milestones. Seeking addiction help is a huge achievement in itself and celebrating every day you’re clean will remind you of the reasons you’re doing this.
Try not to let urges upset you
It’s inevitable that you’re going to have days where you’re feeling tempted to give into your urges. It’s common for cravings to surface, especially in early recovery but this can still happen even years after successful addiction treatment.
The important thing is how you handle temptation. By distracting yourself with a book, your favourite television show, a workout, calling a friend or sponsor, you’re far more likely to forget about it than you are if you beat yourself up about the fact that you felt tempted.
Do things you enjoy
Now that you’re in addiction recovery, chances are you’ve realized that staying clean or sober is hard work and exhausting. Don’t forget to put aside time to engage in healthy activities and relationships to help you embrace life in recovery. Having things to look forward to will ensure you’re better prepared mentally to tackle the more challenging aspects of recovery such as counselling sessions and avoiding temptations.
Choose your friends wisely
Who you surround yourself with is hugely important when you’re in recovery. You absolutely should not see anyone who still engages in the behaviors you’re trying to distance yourself from.
Instead, associate with people who are going to be a positive influence on you. This may include friends and family who love you and therefore want to help you get better. Building up a network of people who have been through similar experiences as you is also a great idea because it’s a reminder that you’re not alone and they can help to keep you on track when you’re feeling you could relapse.
Prepare yourself for PAWS
If you decide to seek addiction therapy in Toronto, it’s wise to prepare yourself for post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). This can last anywhere from a month to several years after you stop using and can cause a variety of symptoms including irritability, trouble sleeping, anxiety, depression and lack of motivation.
If you’re struggling with your recovery efforts, it’s important to speak to your counsellor because they will be able to adjust your sessions or medication accordingly.
See a therapist
You cannot beat addiction alone and you probably can’t beat it with the support of friends and family alone. An addiction counsellor is an essential part of recovery because as well as providing support, they will help you to identify what drove you to alcohol, drugs or other addictive behaviors in the first place.
Being able to recognize and treat any underlying issues is what will enable you to successfully change your attitudes, behaviors and coping mechanisms in the long-run. Without doing this, it’s almost impossible to achieve sustained recovery.
Recognize the signs of relapse
Being able to identify the signs of relapse will give you the time you need to implement the necessary steps to prevent this happening. If at any time you recognize any of the following signs, reach out to someone for help:
- Increased feelings of negativity and hopelessness
- You’re easily angered or annoyed
- You’ve become complacent or over-confident (you may think it’s ok to go to a bar for example)
- Increased stress
- You’re skipping meetings or counselling sessions
- You’re putting yourself in risky situations
- You’ve lost interest in your relationships or activities you used to enjoy
- You’ve started planning how you might go about relapsing
If you would like information about addiction therapy in Toronto, please feel free to contact us and we will be more than happy to help.
