You’ve probably heard, from more than one person, that drug and alcohol addiction treatment is not easy, and that you have to “do the work.” While this is true, there are a few things you can do to make your stay at The Discovery House the best that it can be. Here are some ways that you can make the most out of your time in drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Time in Alcohol Addiction Treatment
Give Yourself Time to Heal
It does take a lot of work to get better but you’ve been through so much and the worst thing you can do is get carried away with the end goal. Reaching and maintaining long-term recovery is what you want but understand that it doesn’t happen overnight. Be kind to yourself, give yourself space and time, and allow your recovery to organically do it’s thing.
Know Your Triggers
In drug addiction recovery, everyone has triggers – situations, locations, or people that threaten to break their sobriety. For some it can be simply seeing a photo or a movie where someone is doing drugs or drinking. It can also be certain people that you hang out with that can lead you to a relapse. Once you identify your triggers, you can make a plan to navigate them before they lead to a potential relapse.
Participate in Group Therapy Sessions
Group therapy sessions are a big component of a lot of drug addiction programs and the more you participate, the better off you will be in when you’re recovering from drug addiction. If you are anxious about sharing for yourself, something to keep in mind is that by sharing you aren’t just helping yourself, you’re helping everyone else in the group including the group therapist. It works both ways, too. You will also benefit from other people in the group sharing and being active in the group therapy meetings.
Connect with Other People in Recovery
Addiction can be a very lonely disease. When you are in recovery, connecting with other people who have been through struggles that may be similar to yours can be instrumental to a strong recovery. It can help you avoid the isolation that you might be used to and can build the foundation of your much needed addiction recovery support system.
Build Trust with Your Therapist
Trust might be something you don’t have a lot of when you first start your alcohol or drug rehab program but it’s imperative that you are open to the option of building a trustful relationship with your therapist. When you trust your therapist, you will feel more comfortable talking about difficult experiences and relationships that you feel contribute to your addiction and you can both work together more effectively to build a strong foundation for your recovery. You are both on the same level when it comes to your recovery – they want to help you and you want to help you, too.