Living with addiction is a struggle. It’s a complex, desperate cycle to escape. It’s a never-ending cycle filled with a blend of emotions and physical symptoms. And at night, it can be filled with intrusions of worry, fear, guilt and self-loathing that follow you into your sleep or occupy your mind while you’re awake.
There are many approaches to long-term recovery and various coping techniques people use. A holistic approach encompasses all aspects of life, including physical activity and spirituality, prayer and meditation, counseling and behavior change classes. Finding a reliable addiction recovery center in Oregon with a comprehensive treatment program is necessary to overcome addiction. Read to learn what it means to be in recovery.
What’s Recovery?
Recovery is a process of healing that occurs when you stop using drugs or alcohol or take steps to improve your wellness and health. Recovery can be a lifelong process that involves managing your sobriety and mental health.
People with substance use problems can recover and lead healthy, productive lives with the proper support. It’s called Remission. When those improvements and values are incorporated into one’s daily routine of their own volition, it’s recovery. Some people regard recovery as dealing with destructive emotions and abstinence, while others regard it as abstaining from all substances.
Adjusting
In order to recover from addiction, you must alter your life in several ways. You have to change your friends. You will have to stop hanging out with the people who use drugs or alcohol and find new ones who support your sobriety.
Also, you should go to AA meetings and therapy sessions regularly. These will help you cope with cravings and any other issues that may arise during your recovery.
Managing Triggers
In recovery, you learn to manage your old triggers. A trigger causes you to feel like you want to use drugs or alcohol again. It can be a person, place, or situation that reminds you of using drugs. A trigger can also be a thought or feeling that reminds you of using drugs.
You can do this by learning to avoid the things that trigger your desire for drugs or alcohol. You can also learn how to face the triggers by reframing how you think about them. For example, if you’re hanging out with friends at a bar and one of them orders tequila shots instead of immediately ordering one yourself, try telling yourself, “I don’t need this.”
Aligning Mental and Physical Health
Mental health is critical. Not only are you working through issues related to your substance abuse, but you’re also gaining insight into what caused those problems with the help of a counselor. It means learning about how your brain works, how emotions affect your body, and how your upbringing has shaped who you are today.
The physical health of a recovering addict is essential. The body undergoes many changes when detoxing from drugs or alcohol. Here are tips to keep your physical health in good shape:
- Keep your diet healthy. It means eating foods that provide your body with nutrients like protein, fruits, and vegetables. You should ensure you stay hydrated.
- Get plenty of sleep each night to ensure your body has time to rest and repair itself. Sleeping at least eight hours keeps your immune system strong to fight infections and illness.
- Do exercises regularly. Exercise can help reduce stress and anxiety, making it easier to resist the urge to relapse on drugs or alcohol. It also helps regulate your moods.
Working on Your Relationships
Recovery is lifelong learning to live well with yourself and others. To do this, you need to be honest about where you are in your life and your needs.
One of the essential parts of recovery is learning to ask for help when needed. You may feel like you want to do it all on your own, but that’s not realistic! You need other people in your life who will support you and help lift the burden when things get stressful or difficult.
You also need people who will listen when things aren’t going so well—without judging or criticizing you and who will offer advice.
Recovery is a process that never ends, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t be sober for years, either. There is no exact time you should take to recover; each person experiences different life struggles. The goal is to recognize your need to change and acknowledge what steps you need to take to make that change.
