When you have an addiction, the road to recovery can be emotionally and mentally challenging. For those who have completed their rehab, sobriety is a long-term struggle. If one is not careful, they may end up experiencing a relapse.
Going back to your normal life won’t be easy. You may come from a renowned sober living environment or the best recovery home in your area. But remember that you still make the decisions after rehab. There will be times when you face mental, social, emotional and environmental triggers that can knock you off your sobriety. To help prevent a relapse, you can consider the following tips:
Remove yourself from risky situations
There will be times when you face triggers that tempt you to go back to your addiction. Once you realize that you are in a risky situation, run the other way asap. The faster you withdraw yourself from those triggers, the easier it will be for you to say no.
Stay away from toxic friends
Sometimes, your external triggers are the very people around you, encouraging you to drown yourself in alcohol. So make sure to get rid of all the toxic people in your life. If doing this is quite impossible, make sure not to spend time with them. Stay as far away as possible; surround yourself with only family and friends who truly care.
Avoid HALT at all costs
Everyone in the recovery community knows what HALT stands for—hungry, angry, lonely, and tired. If you allow yourself to be very angry, lonely, hungry, or tired, this can all lead to a relapse. If you find yourself too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, stop, take a breather, and think before you react.
Stick to a routine
There is a reason sober living environments and recovery homes make use of strict routines. If you can establish and follow a strict routine, then you know what to expect despite all the madness in your life. Even a little order works wonders for people trying to stop themselves from falling to the same trap. So make sure that you create a to-do list that you can easily follow.
Set up goals and keep track of your progress
It is not enough that you want to stay sober for the rest of your life. If you don’t have motivation, it will be easier to relapse. This is why setting up goals, keeping track of your progress, and creating a strategy are a must. Every time you achieve a goal and make progress, make sure that you tick it off your list. Even the smallest achievements can give you enough motivation to keep going.
Allow yourself to relax
You deserve to rest, relax, and unwind. What you are trying to accomplish is never an easy task. S give yourself time to relax and not think about all of your stress. You can do this by eating healthy food, exercising regularly, doing yoga, or even going on a short trip. Learning how to relax will also help you avoid negative situations that make you want to go back to your bad habits.
Know that staying sober is a challenge that you will face for a long time. Learning how to control yourself may not be easy. But once you learn how to stay away from sticky situations, avoid toxic friends, and give yourself a break, you’ll eventually find it easier not to give in.
