After completing drug or alcohol rehab, most people move into “recovery,” a time when they continue to work on improving their health. In recovery, you don’t have the intense therapeutic schedule you had in rehab. Instead, you’re relearning, rebuilding, and adjusting to life in the “real world” without the use of drugs and alcohol.
Staying Sober Is Just One Component of Life in Recovery
The goal of recovery is abstinence from alcohol and drugs. Yet there’s much more to recovery than what you no longer put into your body. Recovery requires consistent work to manage your thoughts and emotions.
Life in recovery can be meaningful, happy, and healthy. It can be a time when you have numerous friends and find yourself thriving day-to-day. But to achieve this level of well-being, you’ll have to put in the work. Recovery should be viewed as a process. It is not something that will end. It will not lead to a final product; it is a journey that is always adapting and changing.
How to Live a Healthy, Happy Life in Recovery
If you’re in addiction treatment and therapy now, you’re dealing with some of the most complex feelings and struggles of your lifetime. You may feel overwhelmed by what you’re experiencing.
Remember: addiction can be treated successfully, as noted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. People can stop using drugs. They can also live a productive, happy life in recovery.
In recovery, you’ll take what you learned in treatment and apply it to your life. How you do this and what you encounter during recovery will be unique to you. Yet there are a few key components that typically define success in recovery.
- Abstinence from Drug or Alcohol Use
Sobriety is one of the foundations of a successful life in recovery. Drinking alcohol or using any drugs cannot occur. During treatment, you learned about triggers and how to avoid situations where you felt like you were at risk. In recovery, avoiding relapse is your primary goal. If you’re thinking about using again, that’s an early indication of relapse. Don’t wait to get help. Keep yourself focused on just how much work you’ve done in recovery. Surround yourself with people who will not pressure you to use or use in front of you.
- Growth and Change
Recovery requires major lifestyle changes and consistent personal growth. Set goals for yourself to help motivate you to continue to grow and evolve. Life will not be simple, but you can use your recovery tools to help you deal with challenges. When stress becomes too much, reach out for help. Don’t try to take it on alone. Stay active in recovery by attending local meetings or working with your mentor. Be open and communicate with a trusted friend or therapist about the changes you’re seeing in yourself.
- Improving Health
The damage caused to your body by drug and alcohol addiction may start improving. You may feel like you have more energy. You may feel whole again. That’s often because you’re eating more nutritious food and sleeping better than you did in active addiction. You may also notice fewer mood swings. Some people feel more confident in themselves. To maintain your health in recovery, don’t let yourself get too hungry, tired, or stressed. This can trigger a relapse. Also, stay active. Exercise is an excellent tool to burn off cortisol, the stress hormone that could bring you down. Finally, focus on the health goals your doctor sets for you. You may need medications or a specific lifestyle to limit health complications down the road.
- Pay Close Attention to Your Mental Health
Another change you’ll experience in recovery is in your overall mental health. In therapy, you may work with your counselor managing depression, anxiety, or PTSD. Now that you’re in recovery, continue to pay close attention to your mental health. Recognize the signs of underlying mental health disorders that require attention from your doctor. Remember that sadness and down times are going to happen, but they don’t have to last. If sadness persists, talk with a therapist. Know when you need support and have a go-to person to call at any time.
Life in recovery can include returning to work, finding a new job, or going to school. It may mean rebuilding relationships by working through the complications brought on by addiction. It may even mean spending more time enjoying a higher quality of life.
Remember that relapse does not mean failure. Take steps to protect yourself, and put in the work–but don’t beat yourself up if you relapse. Take it as a sign that you need to return to treatment and reevaluate your goals and recovery tools.
