Recovery is hard, no matter what you’re recovering from. While it would be nice for the rest of our lives to stop and wait for us to catch up during recovery, unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. On the recovery journey, there will be other hardships placed in your path that will challenge you and your recovery. It’s important for you to know how to overcome these trials in order to continue your recovery and stay sober.
Get emotional help during recovery
Recovery itself is emotional. While you’re in recovery, take advantage of the therapists, doctors, and loved ones that are there to help you as you recover. Using them when the times are the roughest is going to help you when you’re faced with an emotional situation you’ll need to overcome on your own. There’s no shame in needing help; everyone needs help, and no one can go through recovery successfully on their own.
Surround yourself with support
No matter what stage of recovery you’re in, make sure that you have many loving and supportive individuals in your life. It’s also important that they understand that you’re in recovery and your commitment to a sober life. If you spend time with someone who is enabling, you’ll find your resolve slipping, especially during vulnerable and emotional times of your life. To avoid those situations, make sure that the people you’re spending your time with are supportive of you and your recovery journey. When you’re feeling discouraged, allow yourself to lean on these people for support. They love you, and that’s what they’re there for, is to support you when you need it.
Focus on yourself
This may sound selfish or self-centered, but it’s not. Focusing on yourself just means making sure that your needs are met. You won’t have the energy to take care of yourself if you’re focusing all of your energy on people or tasks that don’t need it. Take time every day to focus on your recovery, whether this is through a therapy session, writing in your journal, going on a peaceful walk, or a yoga class. However it is that you recover best, make sure you dedicate time to that every single day to prevent you from relapsing. When you find yourself in a negative situation that is tempting you to relapse, remove yourself from the situation and talk to someone who can help you while you’re feeling vulnerable.