Strategies for Avoiding Relapse and Achieving Long-Term Recovery
Recovery from addiction is an ongoing process with no set timeline, full of challenges and setbacks. To maintain sobriety and achieve long-term success, individuals in recovery must develop the tools to avoid relapse. Relapse can occur when people are exposed to certain triggers that reignite the urge to use substances. Individuals can better manage their recovery by identifying these triggers and implementing effective relapse-prevention strategies. What Triggers Relapse? Relapse triggers vary from person to person, but they commonly fall into several categories. Recognizing triggers is the first step towards developing a robust plan to avoid them. 1. Emotional Triggers: Negative [...]
Setting Recovery Goals: A Guide to Successful Addiction Recovery
In recovery, setting goals provides direction, motivation and a sense of accomplishment as you progress. By setting Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound (SMART) goals, you can create a structured path toward a healthier, sober life. This blog will discuss the importance of setting recovery goals, examples of goals for addiction recovery and ways to incorporate healthy lifestyle goals into your plan. The Importance of Setting Recovery Goals Establishing clear goals in addiction recovery is helpful for several reasons: 1. Direction: Goals give you a clear path to follow, helping you focus on your goals. 2. Motivation: Working towards goals [...]
What Can I Do to Get High Without Drugs and Alcohol?
As human beings, we like experiencing happiness, joy, and all those emotions that come in tandem with feeling good. We seek things that elicit those feelings and pursue those rushes of dopamine, like a perfectly seasoned meal, a hearty laugh with friends, or a real state of zen. And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with this (it’s unavoidably hardwired in us as humans), there are ways we can pursue these highs that do more harm than good – namely, substance use. In order to keep our lives oriented towards wellness, it’s important to pursue those natural highs in ways [...]
How You Can Nurture Your Recovery Through Nature
Recovery requires addressing the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual consequences of addiction. Substance use affects relationships and all other areas of life. As a result, the recovery process is intense and requires treatment of the mind, body and soul in order to heal. Nature therapy is the simple act of regularly spending time in nature and has proven to be one of the most powerful practices for fostering healing and whole-person restoration. For countless generations, nature has been integrated into the treatment of mind, body and soul ailments and is also one of the most beneficial practices for those recovering [...]
4 Practical Goals to Help You Maintain Sobriety in the New Year
Goal setting is one of the most powerful practices we, as people, can implement in our lives. Goal setting in recovery takes that practice to a whole other level. By setting actionable, achievable goals, you not only set yourself up for personal success in your recovery journey, but you set yourself up for success in life overall. Goal setting, when done correctly, is not idle daydreaming or the abstract longing for a better life; it’s the concise breakdown of small, methodical steps that will take you from where you currently are to where you really want to be. In this [...]
Stay Sober New Year’s Eve with These New Traditions
New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest party nights of the year, there’s no doubt about it. The sentiments around this holiday are all about moving on from the past, enjoying the present and moving into a brighter future. While it’s a noble aspiration to prepare and make plans for a happier future, the methods of celebrating this holiday can be damaging to a person’s recovery. If you’re looking to enjoy a sober New Year’s Eve, here’s what you can do. Holidays and recovery Whether you’re just days beyond your last use or decades into recovery, the holidays can [...]
Recovery Tips for the Holidays!
The holidays can be a challenging time for people in substance abuse recovery, for a number of reasons, and not just because of the possibility of being handed a random mug of eggnog! So, please, enjoy the holidays you celebrate, but don’t forget to put your recovery first. Here are a few tips to keep in mind during the holiday season. 1. Sober Support Meetings/AA/NA/SMART Recovery They say anything you put before your recovery, you’re certain to lose. So, think about trying sober support meetings during the holiday season. Download Meeting Guide - Apps on Google Play for in-person AA [...]
How to Plan for the Holidays While in Recovery from Substance Abuse
The holidays are a time for celebrating, spending time with family and taking part in traditions. For someone recovering from substance abuse, the amount of merriment can actually be more challenging than rewarding, as numerous holiday events can incidentally expose one to a number of various triggers. Does this mean that everything that happens between Thanksgiving and New Year should be given a wide berth? Not necessarily! It simply means that those in recovery may need to be more aware of situations that could be triggering, and therefore have a plan in place for either avoiding or handling triggers. How [...]
The Value of Taking Time for Kindness
The concept of kindness isn’t one many are unfamiliar with; for the most part, we grow up hearing the phrase, “Treat people with kindness” and are in other ways encouraged to practice kindness in our daily life. In our adult lives, however, how often does kindness get pushed to the wayside? How often do we actually go out of our way to use words of kindness or practice truly kind acts? Kindness and its benefits Kindness isn’t just something you do or say to make yourself feel good; kindness, at its core, is “the quality of being friendly, generous and [...]
7 Ways to Maintain a Positive Outlook in Recovery
Going through recovery from addiction can take a toll on your body and your mind, and sometimes it can be difficult to find the energy to take care of your mental health. Falling into a “funk” is common while going through the recovery process. It’s not a bad sign in and of itself, but if left unaddressed, it can lead to the exacerbation of mental health conditions or disorders, and sometimes lead to relapse. Taking care of your mental health matters. That’s why today we’re going to share with you the top seven ways to take care of your mental [...]
9 Tips for Balancing Work and Recovery
When you’re going through recovery and wanting to continue the other areas of your life, such as your job, it’s more than possible. One of the hardest aspects of achieving a work balance in recovery is being sure to make time for each, as both addiction recovery and a job (part- or full-time) can easily becoming all-consuming. In this article, we’re going to discuss the best practices for balancing your work and recovery so you can maintain sobriety and confidently move forwards in your career and life. Tips for balance in recovery When it comes to achieving a work balance [...]
A Personal Guide for Dealing with Death and Grief in Addiction Recovery
Going through addiction recovery is challenging enough on its own, so much so that having to handle grieving the loss of a loved one on top of it may feel all but impossible. In many instances, the very substance you’re recovering from might have been the exact crutch you once used to get through difficult times like this. Something that invokes such intense emotions and can trigger Today we’re going to be discussing the different ways that grief can affect your recovery process, as well as give you some of our most helpful tips for managing grief during this time. [...]
