Author: John Carter

18 Essential Coping Skills for Addiction Get 24 7 Help

Realizing you are capable of doing great things can help decrease high blood pressure, relieve anxiety and depression, ward off chronic pain like headaches and migraines, and lengthen your life, too. A great way to help another addict is to become a sponsor in a 12-step program yourself. Try eating sour or spicy food as a distraction when you are experiencing drug cravings or difficult emotions that might trigger substance abuse. Having a sober network that you can turn to when times get hard can be instrumental in preventing you from falling back into old habits. Additionally, this can be important for individuals who might not be able to return to their old social circles because of substance abuse.

Recovery suggests a state in which the addiction is overcome; clinical experience and research studies provide ample evidence. Mindfulness training, a common component of cognitive behavioral therapy, can help people ride out their cravings without acting on them. Recovery involves rebuilding a life— returning to wellness and becoming a functioning member of society.

#7. Exercise Regularly & Live an Active Lifestyle

A major part of addiction treatment is learning to control compulsions. Emotional reactions are just another type of compulsion that must be controlled. Not only is addiction relapse common, relapse is not considered a sign of failure. In fact, people in recovery might be better off if the term “relapse” were abandoned altogether and “recurrence” substituted, because it is more consistent with the process and less stigmatizing.

Studies show that craving for alcohol peaks at 60 days of abstinence. Cravings are the intense desire for alcohol or drugs given formidable force by neural circuitry honed over time into single-minded pursuit of the outsize neurochemical reward such substances deliver. Cravings vary in duration and intensity, and they are typically triggered by people, places, paraphernalia, and passing thoughts in some way related to previous drug use. But cravings don’t last forever, and they tend to lessen in intensity over time. • Meaning and purpose—finding and developing a new sense of purpose, which can come from many sources. It may include rediscovering a work or social role, finding new recreational interests, or developing a new sense of spiritual connection.

Relapse carries an increased risk of overdose if a person uses as much of the drug as they did before quitting. They also value having role models of recovery and someone to call on when the recovering self is an unsteady newborn. Data show that the programs are helpful for some but not for everyone. If you’re having issues with mental health, drugs, or alcohol or waiting for treatment to start, here are some small steps you can take.

Harmony Ridge Recovery Center Is Here To Help

Either way, it often keeps people trapped in addictive behaviors. It gets in the way of recovery, self-acceptance, and accessing help when needed. Although you’ve suffered a setback, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t hope left for you.

1. In part of our article about “Addiction Recovery Tools,” we discussed the importance of coping skills for substance abuse and throughout the recovery process.
2. Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters, and can provide a healthy outlet for pent-up emotions.
3. What must follow is the process of behavior change, through which the brain gradually rewires and renews itself.
4. Our treatment programs combine the 12-step process, clinical science, community, and spiritual and faith-based practices to reinvigorate your soul.
5. During social support, individuals seek aid from their social group.

A strong network of friends can help you stay on track and will be there to catch you when you fall. Take advantage of the social skills you learn in addiction treatment and be open to new relationships that will support your recovery journey. Before you decided to quit using drugs and alcohol, you probably spent a lot of time finding, buying, and using your substance of choice.

Our West Virginia rehab facility is an ideal place to reflect on and recover from negative behavior. With a recreation center, indoor pool, and gym, you’ll never be bored and will always have something exciting to look forward to. We can also teach you more about healthy coping skills in recovery. Addiction recovery is a lifelong process that can, at times, be exhausting, frustrating, overwhelming, stressful, and lonely.

Get Involved in Recreational Activities

More and more students are fighting anxiety and depression and need more than a winter break to recover. Identify other factors in your life—relationships, work—that can help take the focus off addictive behaviors. • Hope and optimism—nurturing belief in oneself, belief in one’s ability to persevere even through setbacks, and developing a future orientation. Turning to another activity—listening to music, going for a walk—when an urge hits can maintain recovery. Cravings diminish and disappear in time unless attention is focused on them.

People can learn to resist or outsmart the cravings until they become manageable. There are strategies of distraction and action people can learn to keep them from interrupting recovery. Another is to carefully plan days so that they are filled with healthy, absorbing activities that give little time for rumination to run wild. Exercise, listening to music, getting sufficient rest—all can have a role in taking the focus off cravings. Many people believe that they are powerless to change their own addictive behavior, and often it is a belief that keeps people addicted. The evidence shows that every day, people choose to recover from addiction on their own.

We also ensure there is an aftercare and follow-up plan for treatment in place before you leave our facility. Chunking is a problem-solving coping skill where you break up information available to you. As you dissect the available information, you’ll be able to understand it better.

Many individuals completing treatment programs continue to have therapy sessions after detox and may attend group therapy sessions as well. There are companies large and small that have recovery-friendly hiring practices. In addition, there are nonprofit organizations such as American in Recovery and the National HIRE Network that specifically help those with addiction or criminal history to find work. Usually for a substantial fee, career transition services help executive and higher-up employees define career goals and help with job searches. Many treatment programs have partnerships with area businesses to hire those in recovery. And one measure of a comprehensive substance abuse treatment program is the help it offers to enrollees to identify their interests and find and build a meaningful career path.

Further, those friends can serve as a cue that sets off drug craving and challenges the recovery process. For many of those who are addicted, enduring even that action is unimaginable. What must follow is the process of behavior change, through which the brain gradually rewires and renews itself. If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health or substance abuse, we can help. When you’re at Harmony Ridge, we can help you create a plan to put in place when you come across triggers.

Support Your Mental Health

This can lead you to focus on a solution instead of confronting someone. Meaning-making works well for some individuals, particularly those who are focused on changing the patterns of their lives. However, it does not work well for individuals who just ask “Why me” and allow themselves to feel victimized by life. Neuroscientist Adi Jaffe, Ph.D., who himself recovered from addiction, outlines five steps. • Empowerment—finding the wherewithal to cope with recovery and the challenges of life, which breeds a sense of self-efficacy. Saying a mantra, substituting thoughts of recovery goals, praying, reading something recovery-related, reaching out to someone supportive—all are useful tactics.

Learning to avoid triggers is a key skill for a successful recovery. You need to stay away from situations, places, emotions, and people who make you sad, angry, or afraid. Don’t be afraid to protect your sobriety by avoiding similar high-risk situations. Writing can be a great way to express, release, and work out any thoughts and feelings you may be dealing with. Seeing your thoughts on paper can also help you deal with your emotions quicker and more efficiently.