Patricia
Drug and alcohol addiction are significant issues in the United States, with over 53 million people in the United States using illegal drugs or misusing prescriptions within the past 12 months. Falling into the clutches of addiction is forgivable, but you must take the proper steps to escape and live a sober life. The addiction recovery process is a hard road but one worth walking.
The best approach to overcoming your addictions is choosing a rehab center that is welcoming and helpful. That said, you’ll need to avoid the common mistakes with drug addiction recovery to break from your old life and start living a happier, sober existence.
The good news is that you’ve discovered this valuable guide to the ten mistakes you should avoid when starting your addiction recovery process. Continue reading to move past being addicted to drugs and regain your old life today!
1. Expecting Too Much Too Soon
It’s possible to fully recover from being addicted to drugs and alcohol, but patience is crucial as you navigate the path. Your life will improve with support from family, friends, and the rehab center staff. That said, you shouldn’t expect things to get better instantly.
You’ll set yourself up for disappointment if you expect to resume a sober life within days of starting the addiction recovery process. You must develop new and healthy habits to overcome the dangerous ones that lead to drug addiction and substance abuse disorder.
The first months of your recovery process are the most challenging. Getting past the beginning of the process is vital to making the recovery you crave.
Focus on seeing improvements in health and happiness within the first year of seeking rehabilitation. Set your goal and commit to the process to see an improvement in your mental and physical health. It’s the best way to make progress without setting yourself up for disappointment.
2. Don’t Think You’re Cured
One of the worst mistakes with drug addiction recovery is thinking you’re cured after a few weeks or months of treatment. It’s a trap that leads to complacency and the idea that you can cut corners since you’re feeling better. Don’t get too comfortable after you’ve spent a few months in the addiction recovery process.
Skipping meetings and ignoring your self-care routine will put you on the fast track back to your original situation. Some people addicted to drugs slip into the habit of using smaller doses since they think they can handle moderation.
You’re feeling better and progressing because you’re taking care of yourself and making responsible decisions. Keep the progress you’ve fought so hard to make. Stick to your treatment plan and continue making progress toward a sober life.
3. Comparing Your Progress
Using other people in your rehab program as a benchmark is natural and a massive mistake for your recovery process. The best bar to use when determining your growth and progress is yourself. You don’t know the circumstances of your peers’ addictions and personal histories.
Their circumstances could result in an easier or more difficult recovery process. Everyone in your rehab center is facing a different problem. Recovery should be a collaborative process rather than one that focuses on comparing progress.
Assisting your friends in rehab creates a situation where everyone wins. Comparing progress turns the addiction recovery process into a competition. Assess your progress based on the goals you’ve set for yourself to overcome your addiction and resume a healthy life with drug and alcohol detox.
4. Hanging Out With Old Friends
The addiction recovery process is lonely, but you shouldn’t fall into old habits of hanging out with toxic friend groups. Peer pressure is a viable threat that will quickly undo all your progress working with the rehab center staff.
Visiting parties and events where drugs and alcohol use is prevalent is walking on a knife’s edge, even if your friends don’t pressure you to join. You’re more likely to have cravings triggered and relapse into old and destructive habits.
The risk is even higher if you’re only days or weeks into your recovery process. You’re not equipped to handle the pressure and negative triggers around you.
Set a goal to build a network of sober friends to hang out with when overcoming substance abuse. Your new friend group will act as a support system so you can take the next step toward a sober life. Your sobriety meetings are an excellent way to make new friends and collaborate to meet your goals.
5. Fighting Addiction Alone
Giving up control of your life is daunting and scary, but it’s necessary to overcome your substance abuse when addicted to drugs. Admitting you have a problem is the first step toward full recovery, but taking action to get the help you need is another battle you’ll need to fight.
One of the worst mistakes with drug addiction recovery is thinking you can overcome addiction alone. Your decisions led to substance abuse and addiction, so you might be unable to overcome the issue without slipping into old habits. Having social support from others who have battled addiction is an excellent pillar to lean on.
6. Ignoring Mental Health
Several cases of substance abuse co-occur with mental health disorders. It’s a mistake to think of being addicted to drugs and alcohol as an independent issue. Attending AA meetings and signing up for a 12-step recovery process is an excellent first step, but you should also consider the mental health side.
Mental health struggles could put you back into the addiction cycle if you don’t seek treatment for those disorders on top of becoming sober. You’ll fight a constant uphill battle to overcome your addiction if you never address your mental health and take steps to improve it.
7. Entering the Dating Pool
It’s a good rule of thumb to avoid dating anyone until you’re a year into your addiction recovery process. Your body and mind need time to focus on recovery and healing before you welcome a new person into your life.
The struggle is that most types of drug addictions start during early adulthood. The addiction coincides with the time when people are most active with dating. Still, there are significant reasons you should put your dating life on hold and focus on addiction recovery.
Dating is a challenge that could cause complicated emotions to process. These emotions could put you into a tailspin, resulting in relapsing and using drugs and alcohol to cope. You’re also giving up a lot of time to work on yourself and putting it into another person, which could stall your recovery process.
Put your dating life on hold and focus on your physical and mental health. It’s the best way to avoid reverting to destructive tendencies.
8. Ignoring Positive Triggers
Negative triggers like friends and peers pressuring you to drink or use drugs are common and obvious. The positive triggers are the most daunting since they’re hidden and easy to fall into the trap. Significant life events like college graduation, having a child, and getting married cause positive emotions.
Allowing those emotions to get the best of you could cause you to think that it’s okay to drink or use drugs. Don’t let your happiness catch you off guard and halt your addiction recovery process. Vigilance is essential to resume a healthy and sober life without drugs or alcohol.
9. Expecting Others to Change
It’s natural to expect your family and friends to change and support your efforts to recover from drug and alcohol addiction. You’re working on yourself and solving the issues caused by your habits, so you hope others will provide positivity and support.
In an ideal world, family and friends will be completely understanding and helpful. Sadly, it’s rare that people change and support your addiction recovery journey. Learn to set boundaries and go with the flow to maintain peace of mind as you move away from drugs and alcohol.
10. Treatment Solves Everything
Your addiction recovery treatment is designed to solve your substance abuse disorder and help you get on the right track to a whole and healthy life. You shouldn’t expect your treatment to fix every facet of your life. It’s unrealistic to think you won’t need to worry about your addictions again.
It’s best to make a healthy transition into daily life and a new routine after moving on from your recovery process. Focus on altering your attitude about life to start solving the issues you’re facing and move past your addictions.
Avoid the Costly Mistakes With Drug Addiction Recovery
You’re investing significant time, energy, and money to move through the addiction recovery process, so knowing how to stay on the right path toward sobriety is crucial. Assuming that you can do it alone is one of the common mistakes with drug addiction recovery that will hold you back.
Seek help when choosing a rehab center, and don’t compare your progress to your peers’ during recovery. Avoid hanging out with toxic friends, and learn your positive triggers to avoid a relapse.
Your health should always come first, and making the right decisions for your future will allow you to live life to the fullest. Check out more of our Health and Fitness blog content for tips to make the best choices for a healthy and happy future today!
