Summer often brings about a more casual way of life. BBQs in the garden, increased social gatherings, vacations and impromptu trips to the beach to enjoy the sunshine. The warmer weather can also make falling asleep feel like a nearly impossible task.
The combination of broken routines and poor sleep can wreak havoc with the sex addiction treatment process. Those in recovery often rely on the structure which means that relaxed summer days and unexpected opportunities can cause unwelcome stress.
Below we share how you can manage your sex addiction while still enjoying the summer months.
Managing sexual addiction in summer
Try to keep to as much of a routine as you can
If you have a vacation, a weekend away or social gathering on the horizon, try to stick to as much of a routine as you can before, during and after the event.
People often see vacations as an opportunity to go crazy but the more you get out of a routine, the harder it will be to get back into the swing of things once you’re back home.
Vacations are a time for fun and relaxation but there are ways you can keep some form of normality:
- Plan what you’ll be doing while you’re away. If you know what’s on the itinerary, this will help you to feel in control.
- If you like to go out for a nice meal in the evenings while away, try to eat a normal breakfast and lunch. Our diets are often very poor on holiday and this can really affect your mood.
- If you normally exercise at home, try to go for a walk, run or use the hotel gym while you’re away. Exercise is a great mood-booster and if you stick to your routine, you’re likely to get straight back into it once you’re home. There are other fun ways to get some exercise in while you’re away such as watersports and swimming.
- If you’re struggling while you’re away, talk to whoever you’re with or arrange a remote session with your counsellor. Often just talking can be a big help.
- Get back into your routine as soon as you get back home. Don’t wait until next week – the longer you’re out your routine, the more you’re likely to struggle to get back to it.
- If this is your first trip away since you’ve been in recovery, start small. Have a couple of days away and see how you get on. A whole week or two-weeks away may feel incredibly overwhelming for your first vacation in recovery.
Remember, it’s OK to say no
Nobody wants to turn down a last-minute BBQ with friends but if you find breaking your routine causes a downward spiral, it’s unlikely that a couple of hours of fun is worth the weeks of difficulty that follow.
Assess how much your sex addiction treatment suffers when impromptu events pop up. If you’ve established a coping mechanism that allows you to get back to your normal routine quickly and painlessly, there’s no harm going for it. If you struggle for weeks afterwards though, it’s simply not worth the risk.
You may find that the longer you’re in recovery, the better you’ll learn to cope with sudden changes to everyday life. At the beginning of your treatment, however, you may need to be very regimented with your schedule.
Identify triggers
Knowing your sex addiction triggers is especially important when you’re in an unfamiliar situation.
When you’re in a new environment, it’s not always possible to know what’s around the corner but if something doesn’t feel right, walk away. Ensure whoever you’re away with knows your situation so they can be understanding if you don’t want to go to certain places or spend all night at a party.
Have more counselling sessions
It can be very beneficial to have additional counselling sessions in the run-up to and when you return from your vacation. If you’re really worried, you can even have remote sessions while you’re away.
Your counsellor can talk through anything you’re struggling with, provide some much-needed extra support and remind you of how far you’ve come. They will also help you to develop coping mechanisms you can use while you’re away to prevent relapse.
If you need help with or would like further information about sex addiction treatment, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Toronto Trauma and Addiction Counselling.
