With newfound sobriety, it’s important to shift your focus to set realistic, attainable goals for your future. Make a list of short- and long-term goals, and work towards them daily. Whether it’s returning to school, finding a job, or traveling, these goals can be extraordinary motivators and reminders of why recovery is worth it.
This includes the problems that stemmed from their addiction or perhaps even contributed to their addiction. Working through these issues is important for long-term health, happiness, and sobriety. Rebuilding relationships, building a new reputation at work or finding another job altogether, treating medical issues, and sorting out legal problems related to addiction can be stressful. In some cases, when things don’t go as planned, the individual may even be tempted to relapse into old habits and return to their addiction.
Rebuilding Your Life After Addiction: 10 Tips for a New Start
You should also consider either joining a gym or going to a park every day or every other day to exercise. Exercise has proven to be beneficial to those recovering from addiction. The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care. Rebuilding your life after addiction doesn’t happen overnight, but by being patient and setting your intention, you can improve your chances of maintaining sobriety.
While some substances such as alcohol, tobacco, inhalants and prescription medications are relatively accessible, other substances such as cocaine, meth and marijuana are illegal to purchase or use. In some cases, just carrying drug paraphernalia is enough to land an individual into legal hot water, resulting in fines or a criminal record. For many people, illicit or illegal drugs were an effective way to manage chronic pain. Even once the addiction is treated, the pain may be an everyday reality that significantly impacts their quality of life. Affirmations may help people feel more receptive and motivated to participate in treatment and recovery. One study found that in individuals with low self-esteem, self-affirmations helped improve their attitudes toward health risk advice.
Dealing with Triggers
Even if a person doesn’t know, doing this will gain their respect and trust.
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Those who are addicted to a substance usually don’t spend much time caring for their bodies. They’re too busy putting bad things into their bodies to worry about exercising and eating right. By setting a schedule for yourself, you will keep your body and, maybe more importantly, your mind busy at all times. It will prevent you from slipping back into bad habits because you have too much free time on your hands. Your SUD recovery may benefit from the social support and closeness, too. Respecting everyone’s boundaries and feelings can be key.
Rebuilding Your Life After Addiction: How to Regain Trust and Rebuild Relationships
It will be absolutely necessary for you to practice accountability in order to stay on course. Perhaps, you’ll need to look for an accountability partner or attend group therapy sessions regularly. If you’re recovering, it could help if you moved into a sober living rebuilding your life after addiction environment. Researchers showed that people living in sober houses over a long period of time (between months) see a considerable improvement in their lifestyle. Some studies show the more time you spend in a sober house, the more it is less likely you’ll relapse.
It’s only natural to feel healthy, reinvigorated, and on top of the world once you get clean, but it’s important not to take on too much at once. This can be challenging because it’s hard to recognize or establish your limitations. For instance, some of the people with whom you were close before addiction entered the picture may never be as close to you again. It’s important to avoid over-extending yourself in order to force things to go back to “normal”.
With a focus on healthy habits and new routines, getting back to your loved ones, and establishing new goals, you can achieve a fulfilling and happy life in your newfound sobriety. We hope these practical tips will help you on your journey towards recovery. Remember, with support and determination, the sky’s the limit. Another very critical thing to remember as you recover from substance abuse is the importance of self-care.
Americans often see the more destructive side of addiction, drug crime, people slumped in doorways and family members who are spiraling downward. A separate study published by the CDC and the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2020 found 3 out of 4 people who experience addiction eventually recover. Kelly co-authored apeer-reviewed study published last year that found roughly 22.3 million Americans — more than 9% of adults — live in recovery after some form of substance-use disorder.