One of the most important things to know about recovery from substance abuse is that quitting the drug or alcohol is the easy part. Once you rip off the Band-Aid that’s been obscuring you from your own self is when the real work begins. Establishing a set of coping skills to rely on will benefit you for the rest of your life.
What are Coping Skills?
Coping skills are tools for recovery that strengthen resiliency, prevent relapse, and help you continue a journey of personal growth. Specific to addiction, coping skills serve as an immediate support system as you return to navigate the world free of substance.
Relapse Prevention Coping Skills
The best way to think about coping skills is to first use them as a sort of structure for the day.
Begin the Day with Morning Meditation
Many studies have shown that people are in their most creative states upon waking. This means that morning time offers the best time to set intentions for the day. Beginning with a 5 to 10-minute guided meditation can help you to immediately focus your mind on gratitude and an overall positive state of mind.
Guided meditations can be found for free on YouTube as well as through the use of other applications.
Exercise
Of course, we all know that exercise provides a variety of health benefits, but did you know exercise has actually been shown to reverse brain damage caused by drugs like methamphetamine? In addition, according to an article published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, regular aerobic exercise decreases the likelihood of an individual using and/or abusing illicit drugs.
Write Your Wrongs
If you’re having a bad day, feel more stressed than usual, or experiencing anxiety about an upcoming event, writing it out in a journal can free your mind from the cyclical worry that might otherwise lead you to seek out a mind-altering substance to escape the stress.
Stick to Your Recovery Plan
If you find yourself falling down on going to AA or NA meetings or avoiding calls with your sponsor, it’s time to ground yourself back firmly in your recovery. Remind yourself of the reasons you are in recovery. Remind yourself of how you felt when you were hitting bottom.
Don’t be Afraid to Talk About Temptations
The truth shall set you free. Experiencing cravings is part of the disease. Don’t suppress these thoughts, tell someone.
Begin Relapse Prevention Coping Skills Training
In the case that a relapse funnels you back to full-blown addiction, finding addiction treatment can offer the best service toward getting you back on track.
Mental illness and chemical dependency often run in tandem. Regardless of which came first, diagnosing and treating all underlying conditions has been observed as one of the best routes toward long-term recovery. This is because dual diagnosis treatment focuses on coping skills and relapse prevention coping skills.
Adequate treatment goes beyond just quitting a substance. If the root of the problem is left behind, the chance of relapse increases.
In addition to offering addiction counseling, First Step Center of Arizona also specializes in trauma-informed care. With a small clientele base, First Step Center’s all-male residential treatment facility is designed to create custom treatment plans for each client in order to meet individual needs.
Coming soon, First Step Center will also offer:
- Partial Hospitalization Program
- Intensive Outpatient Program
- Outpatient Program
Don’t wait any longer to get the help you need. To learn more about coping skill or to take the first step in your recovery journey, call us now at 8668326398.
