The road to recovery is a long and winding one, but the one thing that it is not, is impossible. With the right support, recovery is possible for everyone! The first step is creating a new life where addiction has absolutely no place. You have to recognize that you must change your environment, including places and people, to create a new life where you are surrounded only by supportive, positive people that will encourage you on your road to recovery.. This is absolutely essential! If you do not take this first step to redirect your life, all of the factors that led you to addiction may eventually catch back up with you. This step will not be an easy one, but it will be worth it, we assure you! Like most self serving journeys, it all starts within. You must decide you want sobriety for yourself and go after it!
High-Risk Situations
Many factors can contribute to addiction and lead people to search for a vice, such as drugs to, escape from their everyday lives. We refer to these factors as leaders to high-risk situations. These high-risk situations are what encourage the bad behavior and drug use. Some of the most common high-risk situations can be described by the acronym HALT: hungry, angry, lonely, and tired. How you feel and what you do when you are hungry, angry, lonely, and tired can often lead to cravings that you are unable to ignore at the end of a long day.
There are many things that may contribute to your personal high-risk situations. Continuing to associate with people that you used with, fought with, celebrated by using with and those who make you want to use is one of the worst things you can do when trying to recover. It is also important to avoid places that you may have frequented when using drugs, as that may trigger a desire to use. Lastly, staying clear of things that remind you of using is very important when going through the recovery process.
It is important to recognize your high-risk situations and triggers so that you may remove them from your life once and for all. Then you may start taking better care of yourself by eating healthy, creating a better sleep schedule, joining an outside recovery of 12-step group for support, and learning how to relax so you can let go of any anger and baggage you may be carrying.
We know all of these tips are easier said than done, but making a conscious effort to identify your personal high-risk situations is a good place to start. Creating a written list and discussing it with others in recovery can help keep you aware so you donโt get caught off guard in the middle of a high-risk situation. Addiction is difficult to overcome, especially when it can be so sneaky and show up out of nowhere, but identifying your triggers is an important step on your recovery journey.
Relax
Relaxation is a necessary part of your recovery journey. Some of the main reasons people develop an addiction are to relieve stress and tension and escape reality. The key to ending this vicious cycle is to learn how to fully cope with your stressors in a healthy way and relax naturally. There are many healthy ways to relax, including going for walks, taking fitness classes, meditation, dinner with family/friends, and even prescribed medication. Once you find what relaxation technique works best for you, you can use it to cope with a stressful situation that may previously have triggered use to use drugs.
Honesty
Honesty truly is key to a happy life. To end addiction, you must end all traces of lying and deception in your life. In order to take the first step toward recovery, you must stop lying to your loved ones to conceal your addiction, and you must stop lying to yourself that your drug use is not a problem. If you are not honest with yourself, nothing will change. Being honest with yourself and your loved ones will set the stage for a healthy path to recovery.
Change
While addiction is an ugly thing, it does provide you with a chance to change your life. To live a life you are proud of is important. When you decide to take the first steps to recovery, you have the chance to re-create your life, re-define your goals, and take back what is yours. Do not take the opportunity to change your life for granted. Take it as an opportunity to rebuild your life and never look back. Recovery can and will change your life!