What is the Key to Long Term Recovery?

Recovering from an addiction is a process that involves so much more than the few months you might spend in a rehab center. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to managing the symptoms over the course of a lifetime. People who achieve long term recovery have set up their lives in a way so that they can remain sober at all times.

Relapse rates after treatment can be high because people struggle to find the right routine and to learn the skills to help manage their addiction. It is an unfortunate reality that many people have to return to treatment more than once to get back on track. Sober living is a challenge that can take a long time to get the hang of especially if you have had a serious substance abuse problem.

The most important keys to long term recovery involve the need to feel positive, motivated and to find happiness and meaning in sobriety. In order to cultivate these things a person in recovery must learn to develop good habits that make them feel better and keep them fulfilled. Positivity and an effective sober routine are essential for long term sobriety and avoiding relapse.

Understanding Addiction and Replacing Habits

There are certain reasons that people seek out drugs that they themselves may not even be aware of. They may use drugs or alcohol as a way to feel positive emotions, have heightened experiences, connect with others or discover meaning in life. If someone in recovery feels that they are missing these aspects of drug use then they may feel more inclined to relapse.

Recovery means finding fulfillment and positive experiences without the use of drugs. People in treatment need to learn how to find positive emotions and build those up so that they are not looking for happiness in substances. They can develop positivity through regular therapy, support groups and good habits like meditating often.

During treatment or even in their time after returning home, former addicts can try to find new activities or hobbies that make them feel happy. They might enjoy writing, playing music, running, swimming or playing sports with their friends. Anything that provides them with a positive experience that they look forward to can help them cultivate feelings of happiness.

The important thing is to replace old habits with new activities that are healthier and boost your mood without causing problems. There are infinite possibilities to find something that truly makes you feel good and pursuing these hobbies is a good way to focus on positivity. Making time for things that you enjoy can create lasting happiness in life and works as an effective strategy to prevent relapse.

Connecting with Others

One of the reasons that people abuse substances is that it can lower their inhibitions, making it easier to be social and connect with other people. Alcohol or drugs may make them a experience a feeling of connection that is hard for them to find in their normal life when they are sober. In recovery, creating a lasting sense of connection can help minimize the desire to use drugs as a way to feel closer to people.

In recovery it is crucial to make high quality connections with others so that you can avoid feelings of loneliness, isolation and withdrawal which are all very dangerous to addicts. Making close friends through a sponsor or through peers in your treatment program and twelve step group can help get you through difficult times. It is important to feel like someone will be there to help when you are struggling with sobriety.

Feeling connected can also mean resolving issues with family or repairing broken relationships that were damaged by drug use. Attending family therapy and working on communication skills can help a person in recovery fix some of the problems in their life that may have made them feel more isolated. Having close connections with others is an essential part of living a positive and meaningful life in recovery.

A Healthy Sober Routine

In many cases people end up relapsing because they have been neglecting to do the things that keep them sober. Everyone in recovery develops their own sober routine that they know will make them feel healthier and more positive about their life. This could include a healthy diet, exercise routine, spending time with friends, meditating, and getting involved in hobbies or classes.

Once you know the sober routine that works for you it is a good idea to maintain it the best that you can. Long term recovery not only means creating a new lifestyle, it also means investing in these healthy habits for the rest of your life. If you need help with long term recovery or avoiding relapse, find a twelve step group in your area that can help you work on maintaining sobriety.

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