Drug and alcohol addiction are multifaceted issues that can leave your life so far off track that getting it all back together feels overwhelming and unmanageable. Luckily, there are a plethora of things that can be done to help you take life one step at a time. Here are some tips to help you get your life back in your own hands and keep it there.
Change Your Patterns
One of the most difficult hurdles when trying to recover from substance abuse is finding yourself in that same old routine. Seeing certain friends or spending time in the same locations can trigger responses in your brain that give you the urge to fall back into the habit of relying on addictive chemicals. The best way to avoid finding yourself back in a bad place is to break out of your old patterns. Finding a new job, deleting drug contacts or companions from your phone, starting a new hobby or joining new clubs can start new connections in your brain that lead to more healthful decisions. This can also be a place to make new friendships with people that do not use the substances that you have been trying to avoid. There are plenty of exciting hobby clubs here in Utah to get your network started.
Connect With Family
It’s possible that your family members are contacts that trigger your substance abuse issues. In the case that they’re not, family members can be a great support network in times of need. Reaching out to a family member to get coffee and talk about the difficult things that you’ve been going through can be a source of inspiration and a way to form connections that don’t involve your triggers. If you are feeling nervous about joining a club by yourself, you might ask your sibling to participate with you. This can be a time to create, or reignite, a meaningful friendship that can help you stay on track.
Seek Help
Sometimes it feels like no matter what you do, you can’t break your cycle of addiction on your own. This is a common feeling, and you do not need to feel like you have to make it through this difficult time on your own. If you’re feeling helpless, you are able to seek help from drug treatment centers in Utah. Depending on your level of addiction and medical attention needs, rehabilitation centers can offer services from intensive in-care help to general outpatient help. Having a full-time support system, you’ll get the help you need through every stage of your substance abuse recovery. Medical professionals will be able to determine if you need medication-assisted treatment or mental health support and will guide you through each step so you never feel alone.
Forgive Yourself
Through any kind of addiction recovery, it is important to remember that you are only human and there will be times when you make mistakes. No matter how long an individual has been clean from his or her substance of choice, there is always room to fall off the wagon. In times like this, it is important to learn to forgive yourself for your mistakes. Getting your life on track is not a one-stop-shop fix. You’ll need to take life one day at a time and remember that even when you make mistakes, the only thing you can do is move forward and try again tomorrow. This is not an excuse to fall back into old habits, but dwelling on your self-destruction can lead to staying in an unproductive mental state.
There is no easy way to fix your life and keep it stable forever. Working through recovery from any addiction will be hard work. The first step is deciding you want to be better. Once you get focused on that mental state, reaching out to your community and finding ways to break your old habits can help you get your life back to where you want it, with less likelihood of returning to a destructive place.