The addiction recovery process is long and difficult and will be full of ups and downs. Sometimes you may feel great and like you’ve really got this, other times, avoiding relapse may feel near impossible.
All these feelings are perfectly normal, so please don’t worry if you’re experiencing them. The important thing is to continue to communicate with your counsellor and loved ones and to be honest with yourself about the fact that you’re struggling.
Negative feelings about your journey may have become more prevalent over the last couple years because of the pandemic. Addiction treatment and lockdown has made recovery even harder for many people because they’ve been isolated and unable to seek the help they need.
If you’re feeling frustrated or like you just don’t know where to start, below are some tips to help you stick to addiction recovery.
Seek professional help
The first and most important step of your journey is to get professional help. Addiction treatment and recovery isn’t easy but enlisting the help of a qualified professional means you’re far more likely to be successful.
It’s very important that together you identify and treat any underlying issues which could have led to your addiction issues. This may include unresolved trauma, attachment issues, mental health issues or a mood disorder.
Family or Origin is often a big factor in addiction issues. If we can’t process our emotions or don’t get our needs met with the people we grew up with (typically parents or carers), this can have a lasting impact on our mental health, making us more likely to suffer with addiction issues.
With sex addiction for example, there’s plenty of research which shows that sufferers are more likely to come from dysfunctional families. They may have been abused, suffered trauma, been neglected, witnessed domestic violence, had a parent with mental health issues or suffered the loss of a parent.
As well as helping you to identify the underlying causes of your addiction, you will be taught how to identify and avoid your triggers, deal with negative emotions and rebuild relationships with loved ones. All of these help to build an incredibly important foundation for dealing with addiction treatment.
Be consistent
An important part of recovery is building new habits and routines. When you’re feeling great, it can be tempting to start neglecting these because you think you can cope. You may for example think it’s ok to start seeing old acquaintances you used to associate with during your addiction or put your addiction treatment on pause.
Remember, the reason you feel so good now is because you’ve implemented and been consistent with these new, healthy habits. Once you stop them, you’re far more likely to slip back into old habits, especially during times of stress.
Identify your triggers
A big part of avoiding relapse from addiction treatment is being able to understand what triggers you to want to engage in addictive behaviors.
You may associate certain people, places, things or situations with old behaviors which means when you encounter them, your desire to behave in a certain way escalates. Alternatively, feelings, thoughts or emotions which make you feel bad, may make you want to engage in unhealthy behaviors because you’re looking for an escape.
By identifying your biggest triggers, you can create a plan to prepare for or avoid them.
Recognize the warning signs
Relapses rarely occur out of nowhere. There’s usually a series of events which builds up to it and it will be something you’ve been thinking about and starting to plan for a while.
By learning to identify the warning signs of relapse, you will know when you need a bit more help and support. Common warning signs of relapse include:
- Seeking out situations you know will cause temptation and trigger old behaviors
- You’ve stopped doing the things you know you need to do to prevent relapse
- You’re trying to convince yourself that ‘just once’ won’t hurt
- You’re defensive when loved ones express concern
- You’ve actively started planning your relapse
- You’re not thinking rationally or behaving responsibly
If you’re struggling, here are five effective relapse prevention strategies.
Have a structured schedule
This is especially important in the beginning stages of recovery because it gives you something to focus on. What’s more, having a chaotic lifestyle can leave you feeling stressed or overwhelmed, increasing your risk of relapse.
Adding structure to your days and weeks by having a schedule means you’re more likely to stick to it. This will also help you achieve other goals in your life, giving you a strong reason to avoid relapse.
Lead a healthy lifestyle
Living a healthy lifestyle will leave you feeling great, both physically and mentally. If you feel good, you’re going to be much more positive and optimistic about the future which makes sticking to addiction treatment much easier.
Some great tips for adopting a healthy lifestyle include:
- Engage in regular exercise, even if it’s just going for a walk
- Make time to do things you enjoy such as hobbies, spending time with loved ones or enjoying a relaxing spa day
- Eat regular, well-balanced meals
- Ensure you’re getting good quality sleep every night
- Practice relaxation strategies such as breathing, mindfulness and yoga
- Give yourself some down time by reading a book or watching your favourite TV show
Some other articles you may find helpful on your journey to recovery include:
- Identifying personal triggers for relapse
- Coping with a relapse
- Coping mechanisms against substance use during COVID-19
- How to protect your addiction recovery during COVID-19
- The role of sleep in addiction recovery
If you would like help with addiction recovery in Toronto, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Toronto Trauma and Addiction Counselling.
