Embracing Uncertainty: How to Thrive in Recovery
Completing an inpatient treatment program is only the first step on the road to recovery, and you’ll likely discover many hurdles along the way. Those twists and turns can be your secret weapon in your quest for lifelong sobriety. Adapting to change is a critical skill to learn, especially amid the “new normal” of the coronavirus crisis. Here are some tips for embracing uncertainty.
1. Keep a Positive Attitude
Optimists are inherently better at adapting when life throws them a curveball. If you believe in yourself and your ability to succeed in recovery, you can avoid falling into the old behavioral patterns that held you back and kept you chained to your addiction. Listen to your mental monologue – is it self-defeating, or is it mostly affirming?
2. Accept What You Can’t Control
If you’ve been attending 12-step meetings, you’re probably familiar with the Serenity Prayer, which serves as a reminder that you are powerless to change other people. If you’re feeling anxious or upset in the face of uncertainty, reciting the Serenity Prayer can give you a sense of perspective and help you realize that many situations aren’t worth being angry about. Your inner state is the only thing within your control, so focus on the changes you need to make for yourself.
3. Believe in a Higher Power
Addiction can be a lonely place. Whether you set yourself apart from others to hide the amount you were drinking or using, or your self-destructive behavior gradually drove a wedge between you and your loved ones, you may have ended up isolated and adrift. Surrendering to something larger than yourself can connect you to others and give you a profound sense of inner peace.
There’s more than one way to experience this phenomenon. For some people, a higher power represents one or more deities. Others find their higher power in nature or the infinite expanse of the universe. Whatever the answer means for you, finding your faith and believing that things can always get better is a crucial part of embracing uncertainty.
4. Take Care of Yourself
Tending to your mental health by meditating or keeping a journal puts you in touch with a quiet internal strength that will always be there for you to rely on. You can get to know yourself better along the way, too, which will enable you to make better decisions about how to move forward in life.
5. Find a Support Group
If you reach a difficult point in addiction recovery, you might find yourself believing counterproductive things, such as that you are alone in your struggles or that nobody else has gone through such a challenge. Of course, plenty of other people have gotten stuck in a similar place and successfully overcome their hurdles. In support group meetings, you can hear those stories and draw inspiration from how other recovering addicts have dealt with their problems.
6. Be Patient
Addictive behavior often stems from a mindset of instant gratification. However, there’s no overnight cure for addiction. In seeking sobriety, you’ll need to relearn the value of patience and practice the art of forgiving yourself and moving on from mistakes you’ve made in the past. Patient people are often more resilient against stress and anxiety, as well.
7. Discover a New Purpose
Many people get caught in the cycle of addiction because they believe intoxicating substances give them pleasure they can’t get elsewhere. In recovery, you’ll need to find a new meaning and satisfaction in life by volunteering, going back to school or pursuing a creative hobby. These things can be personally fulfilling, which will help prevent you from falling back into your old patterns.
Change Comes From Within
Admitting you have an addiction is a significant hurdle, but owning the fact that you need help overcoming it is even more of a challenge. The emotional and physical damage from substance abuse can take years to heal. However, addressing those issues is crucial to leading a healthy, sober lifestyle.
Don’t let the uncertainty of what lies ahead prevent you from accepting treatment and becoming the best version of yourself. Renew your life at Beach House. We have shaped a compassionate culture that lends itself to healing, and the extraordinary steps we’ve taken to keep our campus free of the COVID-19 virus have made our facility one of the cleanest places in the country. If you’re ready to make a change, our admissions advisors are here 24/7 to talk with you.