4 Tips for Staying on Track in Recovery

Treatment programs are beneficial and can even be life-saving for someone struggling with a drug or alcohol dependency. Often people are able to get sober in treatment, but may struggle as they transition back to their everyday life. Here are 4 Ways to Stay on Track in Recovery.

Form Healthy New Habits

I’ve interviewed hundreds of experts on addiction recovery for rehablinks.org, and many of them have shared one common piece of advice: It’s important to build sober relationships and re-evaluate your old life. If you go to the same places and hang out with the same people, often you may be tempted to drink or use drugs again. Frequently people who complete a treatment program for addiction return to their old routine—and run into old temptations.

It’s a good idea to talk with your closest friends and relatives about your new sober lifestyle, and if there are things you no longer feel comfortable doing, like meeting in a bar or attending parties where the main focus is drinking. Let them know you appreciate when they have non-alcoholic beverages available at get-togethers. Most people are happy to help someone close to them stay sober.

Counselors also recommend people returning to life as a sober individual begin making new sober connections. It’s a good idea to find places, groups, and events where there’s some attraction other than drinking. Many college campuses have groups or programs for students in recovery. You can also check with your local community center for groups and events that don’t center on substance use. Twelve-step programs in the community may also host sober events and opportunities to meet other people who are working on their sobriety.

Avoid Isolation and Stay Connected

It’s always important to have a support system you can lean on when things are tough. Everyone has challenges, and when you’ve previously had a problem with drugs or alcohol, stressful situations often increase the urge to drink or use. Many of the experts I’ve interviewed say loneliness and isolation are common triggers for drug or alcohol cravings.

Support systems can come in many forms. Family and friends, professional counselors or therapists, and various peer groups for people dealing with addiction are all helpful. One expert I talked with said it’s common for people struggling with substance use to feel like they’re the only person around who has that problem. But when you go to a meeting and hear from others with the same struggle, you feel less alone.

Find the Right Meeting for You

Typically, a person searching for a local meeting really wants to know, “Where can I find the next meeting of the type I want that is closest to my current location?” You probably don’t want the next meeting on the other side of town, or one that took place at three PM when it’s now half past seven. Finding the right meeting for you may mean looking for a specific kind of meeting—one for beginners, one for men only or women only, one for LGBT individuals. You can try out different meetings until you find what kid is right for you.

It’s also helpful to put some thought into getting to meetings when you need one. Sometimes people lack transportation or get discouraged when they can’t make the next meeting in time. You may have additional difficulties if you don’t have a driver’s license or a vehicle. Public transportation is one option, and it may help to familiarize yourself with local bus schedules. However, there may be cost or scheduling challenges with public transportation. In our UI/UX research, we found about 36 percent of people can’t make the next closest meeting due to time or transportation isuses. We designed our website so users could easily search for the next closest meeting by type and pull up a Google map with user-friendly directions and time estimates. Coupons for Uber and Lyft are sometimes available as well.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is everywhere these days, and many people in recovery have found it useful. Mindfulness simply means to be fully present, aware of whatever you experience in the moment. Another tenet is to be non-judgemental about what you experience—it’s a focus on what you’re feeling or thinking, without becoming overly reactive or judging yourself either positively or negatively for it. Mindfulness allows you to track patterns—like what you’re thinking or feeling when you crave a drink or drug. It’s also a good way to track feelings you might want to talk about in a support group or a one-on-one counseling session.

Bio:

Vivian Cummings is a staff writer for rehablinks.org, and has interviewed more than 100 experts on addiction and recovery for the website. She has also worked in marketing, PR, advertising, and television, and has written for The Tampa Tribune and Teen People.