Adjusting to Life After Addiction

How do I cope with life after addiction

For so long, your life would have been entirely revolved around drugs or alcohol; rebuilding your life after addiction can be tricky at the best of times. The transitional process from the addict into the recovery process and finally to living an entire life without harmful substances will require several changes that must be strictly followed to continue this successful route. Here at Shoreline Sober Living, we have helped millions of individuals get back their life after recovery and continue to live happy, fulfilling, and adventurous lives. 

If you want to learn more about coping with the potential struggles of life after addiction, the following article is for you.

Make a post-treatment plan for yourself

Recovery doesn’t end after treatment. Many individuals facing life after addiction will often have to deal with conflicting, intense emotions. We see individuals become excited about their substance-free life, fear the unknown of staying sober, and ponder if they will still have meaningful relationships.

One of the first things you should do once you return home from a rehab center is developing a plan to ensure you stay on the road to sobriety. Usually, you will be given the opportunity to work with your treatment provider before your addiction treatment ends. This will often include learning how to:

• Practicing a healthy lifestyle via exercise and nutrients
• Connecting with loving, reliable support
• Learning to manage a situation that may trigger your desire to abuse again
• Joining local support groups with individuals who are going through the same process as you

Those who have been sober for longer often help the newer members stay on the road to sobriety as they will know first-hand how difficult it can be when starting a substance-free life. If you have created a post-treatment plan that ensures you have support, a healthy lifestyle, and actively learns how to manage your triggers, you are on the road to staying sober with your new life.

Practise a healthy lifestyle

Long-term lifestyle changes that focus on your overall mental and physical health and wellness have been scientifically proven to help individuals recover. We would highly recommend:

1. Firstly, find an exercise that works for you, something that you enjoy entirely. Whether that is running, lifting weights, boxing, trampolining, it doesn’t matter what the exercise is as long as it makes you happy. Exercise is a fantastic distraction for your mind if you find yourself dealing with cravings; furthermore, your stress levels will be reduced, which can often be a significant trigger for relapse after rehab.
2. Maintain a healthy diet to ensure your body is being filled with essential nutrients and energy. Take up a cooking class once a week, watch you-tube tutorials, cook with friends. Turn it into an activity; therefore, it never feels like a chore you have to do. 

Recognizes and learn to manage your triggers

You need to learn to recognize the situations or even individuals that may trigger your cravings because this may lead you to relapse after successful rehabilitation. A helpful tip is to keep a small notepad nearby; you can record every situation that triggers you; this will help you avoid them in the future or learn to cope with the situation in a healthy way if you cannot get away.

 Many triggers can include:

• Individuals who are still abusing harmful substances
• Workplaces, bars, neighbors any environment where you may have used in the past can often be a painful reminder of your past life
• Stress and significant life challenges

Leave your old friends behind

Life after addiction can be challenging; the last thing you want is constant triggers due to the individuals you surround yourself with. Therefore, you must cut ties with all previous substance abusers if you are to indeed stay on the road to recovery. Regardless of the support they may give you during your journey, their presence alone will stall your entire progress.

During your treatment within our Shoreline Sober Living homes, you will learn that even family and friends who are happy you are sober still may not ultimately support your new adapted lifestyle. You will eventually realize that you and your past friends are now on entirely different paths in life. For the time being, it would be within your best interest to leave them behind until they choose to live a sober life.

Set and accomplish yearly goals

A crucial step to following substance addiction is setting out new life goals and working towards them. Not only will this create excitement, but it will give you meaning and keep you on track. These goals do not need to be centered around alcohol or drugs, such as staying sober for three months. Instead, you should set goals such as running for half an hour without stopping, learning to cook a new meal from scratch. You will very quickly be so busy achieving your goals you won’t give your past life a second thought.  

Don’t be afraid to call for help

If you are non stop worrying about coping with life after addiction, please call Shoreline Sober Living today. Sobriety is a sprint, not a marathon. Unexpected stresses such as a global pandemic can quickly push you mentally overboard and back into abuse. This is why it is crucial to ensure you have a loving, strong team of family, friends, and professional help to fall back on when you need to.

 The path to sobriety should never be taken alone; we are here to help you.