Whenever a patient is nearing the end of their treatment, they start to wonder how they will remain sober. It’s a great achievement when patients become clean and sober, but it is an entirely different achievement to maintain their sobriety. There are many ways patients can become confident that they can stay clean for a long time. Staying quit is an on-going process that a person will face each day going forward.
Tips for Staying Quit and Maintaining Sobriety
Quitting drugs or alcohol is a huge step, and now it’s time to make sure you maintain your sobriety. The first thing that is important to know is standard relapse triggers so that you can spot them and take action as soon as they occur.
- Stress
- Being around those who drink or use drugs
- Overworking
- Not taking time for yourself
- Not complying with treatment recommendations
- Having poor sleep quality
- Being isolated from supportive friends and family
- Being overconfident
- Feeling overwhelmed or hurried
- Feeling anger or self-pity
Patients learn vital skills and tools to help them when triggers occur, and they can continue to use these skills in the future for staying quit. Patients will need to think ahead when they may be tempted and plan on how they will use alternative activities to cope.
- Get support – if, at any time, you think you or a loved one may relapse, take action immediately. Call your sponsor or a trusted friend to receive encouragement and advice. There are several support groups that patients can attend after treatment to stay on track.
- Don’t be discouraged – Patients must be prepared for stressful situations to arise that may tempt them to start using again. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t feel like you handled a particular situation perfectly. It takes time using the skills you learned in rehab to feel confident in any situation.
- Take care of yourself – Exercising and eating a proper diet are all ways you can take care of yourself and decrease your chances of relapse.
What to Do if You Slip
If you slip up and start using or drinking again, the first thing to do is to recognize the slip for what it was – a brief return to the old behavior. Slips aren’t exactly a sign of failure, but if you feel that your slip may turn into a relapse, get professional help as soon as possible to prevent it. If you slip, don’t ignore it. If you need advice from your support group, talk to them. If you need more help, please contact a rehabilitation facility. It’s important to know that you are not alone and that there is always someone to help.
Maintaining Sobriety and Staying Quit
It’s an incredible day when our patients graduate from their treatment program. It’s a day that all of the staff and other patients are excited for. More than getting our patients clean and sober, we want our patients to maintain their sobriety for a long time. We provide the skills and tools necessary for patients to feel confident by the time they’re ready to return home.
At A Forever Recovery, we have sought to bring together several trained and licensed professionals or certified recovering members of many different modalities that have a background in the addiction field. We aim to provide a recovering environment that is unique by bringing together many different types of counselors.
We want to guide our clients into finding the type of treatments that are best for their specific needs. If you or a loved one is struggling with staying quit, you should learn more about how our services can help you maintain sobriety after treatment. Call us at our toll-free number to speak with one of our advisors today.