Deciding to get sober is never easy. But, starting afresh after addiction is a more difficult task. The withdrawal comes with many symptoms that a person has to deal with. Cravings make a person want to have more drugs or another drink. Cravings can even be more difficult to deal with when people are being urged to stay at home to help in preventing the spread of coronavirus.
Resuming the normal lifestyle or getting back to work after many years of active addiction can feel completely different. It is a transition process that requires numerous steps to be successful. What’s more, a person has to make several resolutions and changes to go through this transition.
If you have completed addiction treatment during COVID-19 AddictionResource and currently working on recovery, you want to ensure that everything goes right. Completing treatment for addiction at this time means you’re going back to a society that is fighting a pandemic. At this time, people are being urged to stay at home. This can be difficult for a person that has just completed treatment for addiction. Essentially, the rehab facility that you went to taught you to make new connections and hang out with sober people. But this might not be possible at this time when people are staying at home.
Here are 10 tips that you can follow to start afresh after addiction during this challenging time.
- Take it Slow but Steady
It’s easy to be tempted to go back to normal life fully after undergoing treatment for addiction. That’s because you feel reinvigorated, recharged, and great after the treatment. As such, you want to live your life fully. However, don’t be tempted to take on more than you can handle. Life pace can be very different for you. Therefore, take time to readjust.
- Make Up for the Damage You Caused
When living in active addiction, a person can wrong other people in many ways. Even failing to do some things can hurt some people. So, if you completed your substance abuse treatment during COVID-19, take some time to make up for your mistakes. Call the people you think you wronged during active addiction. Let them know that you’re a new person now and you feel sorry for the wrongs you made.
- Know What Others Expect of You
Talk to your friends and family. Know what they expect of you, now that you’re a sober person. Remember that if you started using drugs or drinking during your teen years, you could be in your 20’s or 30’s when you start afresh after addiction. That means life can feel and seem different from the way it was when you started using addictive substances. As such, it’s now time for family members and friends to assign you new roles or have certain expectations of you.
Research has shown that addiction affects family functioning in many ways. Therefore, having this discussion will enable your family to stop seeing you as an addict but as a non-addicted member. It will also enable you to know what exactly is expected of you and the role you’re supposed to play in your family.
- Act Responsibly
Completing your treatment for addiction in times of coronavirus can be a challenge because it means you will be going back to a society that is likely to face a lockdown. You will also go back to people that are having a hard time staying at home to help in curbing the spread of the virus. But, this doesn’t mean you have the right to relapse. It means you need to act more responsibly.
Therefore, once you’ve known what your friends and family expect of you, make sure that you follow through. You have already beaten the habit of using drugs or drinking alcohol. This is now the time to change how you relate to other people. Take your obligations seriously. Do what you promised to do when mending the relationships you had broken when in active addiction. And, do this responsibly to avoid catching the virus.
- Get Sober Friends
The people you went to drink or used drugs with might not help you at this time. They can even prompt you to start using drugs or drinking again. Although you might not meet them physically, they may post photos or videos on social media that will make you consider drinking or using addictive substances again. Therefore, make new friends that will support your recovery process.
- Engage in New Activities
Completing your treatment for substance abuse during COVID-19 may be hard because you might not want to go outdoors to engage in new activities. But, this is important for your recovery. Nevertheless, you can engage in new activities indoors. For instance, you can enroll for a new course, read a new book, or watch tutorials online. Such activities can equip you with skills that you might need after the pandemic.
- Eat Well
People in active addiction may not have had a good diet for a long time. That’s because their bodies are affected by drugs or alcohol. As such, they may look malnourished. To start afresh after addiction, stop eating junk food and minimize your intake of unhealthy fat and sugars. Instead, eat more fruits, vegetables, and lean meat. Additionally, avoid excessive coffee and drink more water instead. Eventually, you will be craving healthier foods, and your energy level, immunity, appearance, and overall health will improve.
- Start Exercising
Research has shown that exercise is an engaging, rewarding, safe, and healthy alternative behavior to drinking or using addictive substances. Exercising regularly can improve energy levels and bring a sense of self-confidence and well-being. And, you don’t have to go to the gym to exercise. Use the internet to find some of the exercises you can engage in at home.
- Get Adequate Sleep
When in active addiction, most people don’t get quality sleep. But, sleep is good for mental and physical health. To start afresh after addiction, restore the normal sleeping rhythm. That means sleeping for at least 8 hours per night. This will translate to a better mood, improved energy levels, and a sharper mind with fewer illnesses.
- Set and Pursue Your Life Goals
What are your life goals? When starting afresh after addiction, identify those goals, and start pursuing them. Even if you don’t want to go out because of the coronavirus, you can start by strategizing how you will accomplish them after the pandemic. Your future could be a blank slate, especially if you started drinking or using addictive substances during adolescence. Therefore, decide what to do, be, or have in your life. Follow through on your decision after the pandemic.
The Bottom Line
Completing drug addiction treatment during COVID-19 can be challenging because people are being urged to stay at home to help in curbing the spread of coronavirus. But as a recovering addict, you want to go out and make more sober friends and healthier connections. Nevertheless, you can follow these tips to start afresh after addiction even without leaving your home.