Did you know that one out of fourteen Americans struggles with a substance abuse disorder? All too often, people think that addictions magically go away once someone is out of rehab. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that it can be a challenge for many people to stay sober once they get out of rehabilitation. That’s why we made this article.
In it, we’ll go over some tips that will maximize your chance of remaining sober after treatment. Let’s get started!
Know Your Triggers
To stay sober after rehab, you need to recognize feelings and situations that can lead you to substance use. These are known as triggers.
Some common triggers that lead to relapses include things like stress, job insecurity, relationship problems, or just other people drinking/using drugs around you.
If you don’t know what your triggers are, then it’s easy to succumb to them when they arise.
But, if you know them, then you can seek help when you encounter them in your life. Eventually, you’ll be able to get through triggers without any help at all.
Create New Habits
Finding something to do with your time after leaving rehab is one of the hardest things for sober people. In the past, you likely drank or used drugs to fill your time. So, create new habits. Some good suggestions are things:
- Exercise routines
- A new art hobby
- Writing
- Cooking
- Working
It doesn’t matter what you do as long as it takes your mind off the substances. If you stick with these habits, then they’ll quickly become commonplace in your life.
Build Resilience
Resilience can mean a lot of different things to different people. When it comes to addiction recovery, you can think of it as the ability to bounce back after adversity.
There are a lot of different ways that you can build resilience. It might involve finding a purpose outside of substances or developing a sense of wellness in your day-to-day life.
If you’re interested in learning about building resilience, then you can read more here.
Cut Toxic Relationships
No one likes ending a relationship. Sadly, sometimes this can be necessary once you become sober. If your old friends are encouraging you to use, or just using around you, then you might need to end the relationship.
Instead, find new support groups through meetings or group activities. It’s never too late to start making new friends.
Appreciate Learning How to Stay Sober? Keep Exploring
We hope this article helped you learn how to stay sober once you’re out of rehab. We know that sobriety can sometimes feel like an impossible hill to climb. The most important piece of advice is to take it one day at a time.
Remember that every hour you stay sober is an accomplishment. Want similar health articles like this one? If you continue scrolling through our website, then you’re sure to find dozens more.