The beginning of a new year is often a time of reflection and many of us take this opportunity to develop ourselves and adopt healthier habits. If your goal for 2017 is to strengthen your drug addiction recovery, below are five great ways to do exactly this.
Make a positive lifestyle change
One of the main reasons why most resolutions fail is because people expect too much from themselves too soon. If your New Year’s resolution is to get fit for example and you say you will go to the gym every single day when you haven’t exercised for years, chances are that you’re not going to be able to stick to it.
When setting a challenge for yourself, the key is to make small, gradual changes. If you want to set a goal for yourself related to your drug addiction recovery, this is fantastic. However, I encourage you to start with one positive lifestyle adjustment rather than trying to change everything at once. Some great examples include joining a support group, attending more meetings, reading self-help books or opening up about your feelings to loved ones.
Attend sober events
When you’re recovering from drug addiction, socializing can be difficult. Whether you associate going out with taking drugs or find it hard to come out of your shell without being high, social events can lead you to temptation.
Set a goal for yourself to attend sober events because this will help to keep your mind busy and allow you to meet other people who don’t use. There is plenty of help for those struggling with drug addiction and chances are that there are a number of sober events taking place in your area. If the thought of going alone is too daunting, ask a friend to go along with you for moral support.
Create a specific recovery goal
If you work with a therapist on a regular basis, create a recovery goal that you will work on with their guidance. Whether it’s a short or long-term ambition, it should help you to grow in your recovery and your therapist can create a clear map of activity that will help you to realize your goal. If you’re not having addiction counselling, set a resolution with a friend or someone else who is in recovery so you can support and encourage each other.
Spend more time with positive influences
The people you associate yourself with play a huge role in your recovery because the characteristics and morals of these individuals are likely to rub off on you. Whether it’s others who don’t use drugs or simply those who are supportive of your recovery, being around people who are doing good things in their life increase your chances of developing the same mentality.
Try new things
Trying new things is a great way to aid your drug addiction treatment because it’s one of the most effective methods of making progress in your life and distancing yourself from old and destructive habits. When in addiction recovery, you will get the chance to meet a variety of people, engage in new activities, experience positive growth and share stories that help you stay on the straight and narrow.
Engaging in new activities and hobbies also helps you to fill the time you used to spend taking drugs. What’s more, your new friends will be able to act as a support system and you helping them will also be a positive step in your recovery.
If you think that you or someone you know could benefit from drug addiction recovery, please feel free to contact Toronto Trauma and Addiction Counselling for more information about the signs, symptoms and different treatments that are available.
