Getting Through Tough Times in Recovery

Life Is Waiting

Once drugs and alcohol are gone from our lives, the hard part is over, and it’s nothing but smooth sailing from here on out, right? To quote the great John Bender, “Not even close, bud.” While overcoming an addiction is one of the hardest things most of us will ever do, the truth is that life is waiting for us once we’ve quit the substances. Compared to what we’ve been through, much of it will be good. A lot of it is going to be mundane, day-to-day-type stuff. But we’re sorry to say there will also be plenty of tough times. However, while we once would have used those difficult periods as an excuse to return to our old habits, today, we walk a higher path. Here are some tips for overcoming those tough times with your sobriety intact.

Stay the Course

Think back to the things you were doing in early recovery. Were you meditating? Did you have an exercise routine? Were you volunteering in the community or helping other addicts and alcoholics? Now ask yourself, “How many of these things am I still doing?” When we start getting our lives back, it’s really easy to forget the things that got us here. That’s a big mistake. If those things were effective in getting us through those tough times in early sobriety, they’d certainly be just as effective now with whatever new problem we’re handling.

Reach Out and Help Someone

It’s probably a good idea to reach out to that sober support network right now. These tough times are, after all, exactly what they’re there for. Some of them might have experience with whatever you’re currently struggling with. Or they may not. Talking to them about it will make your problem seem much more manageable. It’s a reminder that we don’t have to handle everything alone. And if you’re lucky, one of them may have a problem you can assist with. Helping other people is an excellent way to gain some perspective on your own problems while making the world a better place.

Check the Attitude

Speaking of perspective, how about taking a quick self-diagnosis regarding your relationship with the world? Does it seem like every possible thing that could go wrong is going wrong? If the answer is yes, you’re probably looking for the negative. Take a few moments to remember how you felt the day you got out of detox. Those lingering feelings of terror, the deep depression, all those bridges burned. And then think about how lucky you are to be alive after what you have been through and how far you’ve come since those days. It might not go so far as to solve your problems for you, but an attitude of gratitude can make tough times feel a lot easier.

Life is difficult sometimes. There’s no way around that. But today, we meet life on life’s terms rather than crawling back into a bag or a bottle. We see tough times as a challenge and an opportunity to learn rather than an obstacle. So if you or someone you love is struggling with drugs or alcohol, please consider contacting Ocean Recovery. The admission specialists at our luxury rehab in California are on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, ready to help you start building your foundation for success.

Sources

Ocean Recovery has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations for our references. We avoid using tertiary references as our sources. You can learn more about how we source our references by reading our editorial policy.