When it comes to addiction recovery, one of the biggest threats posed to your success is having a relapse.
When stress, tension, and triggers come into play, you might find yourself tempted to return to your old habits. Despite knowing they are bad for you, it can still be hard to say no.
And, a relapse might end up making you feel like you are starting all over…
You will experience unwanted emotions and the sobriety clock restarts.
While there is no sure-fire way to prevent relapse, there are a few things you can do to help prevent it by preparing yourself ahead of time:
- Gather a support network.
One of the best and most effective relapse prevention assistants is a support network.When someone is struggling with addiction, they often surround themselves with dealers, other users, and enablers – which only worsens their situation.
But, once they are working on becoming clean, they might find themselves feeling quite alone as they are unable to hang around those they used to…
And, loneliness can lead to weakness. However, developing a strong group of people who support them and act as a positive influence in their life can make all the difference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkWsDNbzNi0&index=7&list=PLBXgZMI_zqfQVUkBryQS6lvyJJqomW5Oi
Don’t focus on reconnecting with those people who encourage bad habits, rather focus on surrounding yourself with people who will support you and assist you in moments of weakness.
- Avoid temptations.
It is highly likely that you know what tempts you. You know what situations make you feel vulnerable to your addiction. And, you can avoid those once you identify them.So, make a list of people and scenarios that make you feel tempted. Then, make every effort to avoid those.
Why would you set yourself up to fail?
- Create a healthy schedule.
When it comes to addiction recovery, it is all about learning how to live a normal and healthy life again. And, one of the best ways to achieve this new lifestyle is to create a new schedule. This will help keep you on track and keep you busy with healthy activities.You might incorporate family time, therapy, meetings, and an adequate amount of sleep into this schedule.
Thankfully, there are plenty of healthy and positive outdoor activities in Alberta for you to enjoy!
- Understand relapse is not a failure.
Of course, you don’t want relapse to happen. But, if it does, it is not a failure – rather just a bump in the road.In the event you do relapse, pick yourself right back up and get back on the road to recovery!