
4 Important Pillars Of Life-Long Recovery From Addiction
Drug addiction treatment programs are effective and sustainable due to major tenets. These pillars may assure the patient that the program has their best interests at heart. These pillars also serve as guidelines for when the patient is released from rehab and rejoins society. They serve as constant reminders for the patient to live by these principles in order to achieve lifelong recovery.
The pillars are:
- Long-term health
- Stable home life
- Purpose-driven life
- Good relationships with people in the community
Pillars Of Long-Term Recovery
Long-Term Health
Ensuring your long-term health is the first line of defense against a relapse. A healthy mind and body guarantee that you will be in the best version of yourself. This allows you to abstain from alcohol or drugs.
You may start by living a healthy lifestyle and practicing healthy activities such as:
Abstaining from drugs and alcohol. Promote your sobriety by engaging in group therapy sessions, counseling, and other supplementary treatment plans. These sessions will also make the transition from inpatient rehab to normalcy easier on your mental and physical health.
Good diet. It is important to eat healthy and well-balanced meals so that your body will receive the nourishment it needs to stay strong and sober. A good diet will keep your body nourished and your hormones balanced. You will feel stronger, energized, and more stable. This also allows you to cope with the daily challenges in life.
Stay active. A good fitness regimen will benefit you in the long run. Make sure to live an active lifestyle wherein you find time to hit the gym. It is recommended to perform physical activities that bring you outdoors. Go on a hike with friends or swim in a gorgeous lake. These fun physical activities will also make your body stronger and your mood more stable.
Try yoga or meditation. These activities allow you to stay grounded so that you can kickstart the day with intention. Mindfulness practice also helps you stay calm at all costs so that you can manage your anger and other intense emotions better.
Stable Home Life
Stable home life is defined as a calm and peaceful living situation. The people residing in your home, yourself included, should reside in harmony. The house shouldn’t be a hub for people with addiction who will enable the patient.
A stable home life is also something that the patient can afford so that they wouldn’t be so stressed about their finances all the time. Money is a common issue among recovering patients since their illness often costs them their job, pushing them to the brink of bankruptcy and debt. It helps to research affordable housing options or to stay at home among family.
Purpose-Driven Life
A purpose-driven life is an excellent deterrent for relapses. This means that the patient has something to focus on so that they won’t become idle and experience cravings. Their purpose helps motivate them to get up each day and do something good that will make them feel good. Each person’s purpose varies and it should be something that they genuinely care about. It could be baking, being an educator, being an artist, or caring for the family.
We understand that finding one’s purpose in life is easier said than done which is why RnR Recovery offers counseling to help the patients uncover what they are truly passionate about. The patients can also be exposed to holistic treatments like art therapy or animal-assisted therapy to give them the space to explore and connect with what sparks joy within.
We also understand that the struggle does not end at finding one’s purpose. Pursuing it and following through requires time, dedication, and consistency. There will also be hiccups along the way. For example, being passionate about volunteer work is fulfilling but exhausting. The patient must find ways to cope with these stressors without resorting to drugs or alcohol.
Good Relationships With People
A community is important for everyone, especially for recovering patients. These patients will be struggling with physical and mental issues and it helps to be surrounded by people who can care for them. These relationships must be fostered to maintain sobriety.
The patient should learn strategies to make friends while setting healthy boundaries. One good place to start is group therapy. These sessions connect them with a group of people who are going through recovery, with similar experiences and struggles. No one could understand recovering addicts better than recovering addicts. They may support each other through the process, find inspiration in each other’s stories, and foster a healthy support network that can last beyond these sessions.
The patient should also have a friend or a confidant to whom they could talk about the things that are weighing on their chest. One-on-one connections are extremely helpful since it allows the patient to stay grounded and supported. They can talk whenever they need to and then they will receive emotional support.
Forging good relationships with the people in the community is a helpful tool for recovery, but the patient must be selective in terms of the people they connect with. They should avoid enablers and rather spend more time with sober and healthy people. Pets are also recommended since research suggests that pet adoption is beneficial for sobriety. Pets can provide unconditional love and company without expecting anything in return. This type of love will help a patient learn to be more open to fostering relationships that nurture them and make them feel good.
We at RnR Recovery are fully aware that recovery is a lifelong and active process. These pillars should help patients attain sobriety day by day. If you are ready to start your recovery process, contact us for more information. We can help you and your loved ones achieve a sober life.