Finding Support For Your Addiction Recovery

When it comes to beating your addiction, the first steps can be the most difficult. That’s why it’s essential to find the proper support systems to help throughout your entire journey. Research has proven that good support systems increase the chances of achieving lifelong sobriety. If you’re wondering where to begin to set yourself up for success, start with this: 

Supporting Yourself

When on an addiction recovery journey, the first person you need support from is yourself. Even if you have the best support systems out there, if you’re not fully committed to changing, you’ll likely struggle to make the necessary adjustments. 

To support your current and future self in addiction recovery, start by identifying why you want to change, then tangibly writing them down as a reference. It’s okay and totally normal to have moments where you feel tempted to give up on the recovery process, but when you’ve established why you’re doing this, you’ll be able to get through those moments of temptation. 

Another way you can support yourself during recovery is to prioritize self-care and health. It’s easier to commit to recovery when you’ve formed healthy habits, like eating nutritiously, exercising regularly, and managing stress or other mental health concerns. Try to limit junk food and caffeine, and replace them with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Also, find an exercise you enjoy. Whether it’s cardio, weight lifting, or yoga, exercise provides countless benefits for people in addiction recovery. 

Mental health is just as important as physical health, especially when recovering from substance abuse. Prioritize using healthy coping mechanisms to manage stress. Practice meditation, journaling, or speaking with a loved one when you’re feeling an emotion that’s difficult to handle on your own. 

Inform Family and Friends

When you’ve decided to begin a journey toward recovery, it’s important to inform your family and friends and ask for their support. Part of the recovery process is strengthening relationships and building trust with the people in your life. Keeping those people up-to-date on your journey is a great place to begin. 

Your loved ones may be unfamiliar with the recovery process. Don’t be offended if they seem unsure about the best ways to support you. Tell them what they can do to help you in the process. When people in recovery have loved ones who believe in them, they’re more likely to achieve long-term sobriety. Let your friends and family members know that messages of encouragement and love are the most helpful things they can do. 

Find A Meeting Group

There are many types of meeting groups for supporting people in recovery. Some attend one group and feel it’s not a great fit, so they lose the motivation to continue attending. Don’t make this same mistake! Keep searching for the group that feels most comfortable to you. When you feel like you can connect with the people in your recovery group, you’ll feel more comfortable being honest during meetings and more willing to attend regularly. 

One of the most well-known groups is Alcoholics Anonymous. This group has meetings all over the country. But Alcoholics Anonymous isn’t the only option. There’s also Marijuana Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Refuge Recovery, and many more. Keep looking until you find the place you feel most comfortable.  

Build A Sobriety Network

It’s important to begin building a network of people who make it easy for you to keep your commitments to sobriety. Often, people with substance addictions get involved in networks of friends who encourage the addiction and make future relapses more likely. To avoid relapsing, you should replace the networks of people who prevent you from achieving your highest potential with others who help you move forward. 

Your family and friends can be a great community for you while in recovery, however, many people who have never struggled with addiction choose to drink or take substances from time to time. It’s best if a recovering addict can find people to spend time with who are committed to total sobriety.

Recovery centers and group meetings are both excellent places to build new networks of friends. Both of these options encourage people to work together toward sobriety. To form supportive networks that last for the long term, make an effort to form sincere friendships with the people you meet during your recovery journey.  

Decide On The Best Treatment For You

There are many different types of treatment options. You’ll want to decide between outpatient treatment, a full-time recovery center, or something in between. A conversation with a doctor or therapist can often help you decide which option will best help you reach full recovery. 

You may also want to reach out to a few different treatment centers to discuss if they’ll be a good fit for you. The people working at recovery centers are experts who have helped numerous people recover from addictions. Discussing your needs with those experts can help you decide if they’re a good fit for you. 

The benefit of outpatient treatment is you can continue working and attending your daily responsibilities. Treatment takes place during your free time, but you’ll continue staying at your own home at night. The flexibility of this option makes it perfect for many people. However, it can be difficult for some in recovery to avoid falling back into old habits when they continue living their old routines. That’s why many people choose to spend some amount of time at full-time recovery centers. 

Some treatment centers offer services to patients throughout the day, but patients return home at night to stay with their families. This can be a good option for people needing a balance between full-time treatment and just a few hours a day. 

If you are ready to speak with an addiction recovery provider to begin your journey toward sobriety, reach out to Jackson House Rehab for a free and confidential consultation. You’ll be able to speak with an expert about your needs, and assess if rehab is the best option for you.