Getting Ready for Social Changes With Alcohol Recovery

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alcohol recovery

Coming out of alcohol addiction isn’t simply flipping a switch and one is back to life as it was before everything as affected by the condition. Life has changed dramatically and, even though a person will have successfully achieved recovery, socially things will oftentimes be very different.

Like Changing Lives at the Train Station

During the alcohol detox Austin recovery process most patients have a support network. It starts with family and close friends and medical staff in the recovery treatment. This is critical because recovery involves far more than just kicking a physical need; it requires a support system for your mind to fall back on when it feels weak at times trying to maintain recovery. Many have found such support on a long-term basis through groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and similar.

However, at some point, one has to engage with regular life again. And that means potentially interacting with a lot of the same faces and people one knew before going into treatment. In some cases, that’s a good thing knowing a familiar face is still there. In other cases, some of those old faces can be part of the problem, being the characters that helped the addiction along instead of stopping it.

Start Planning Early When You Can Focus

Solid relapse prevention also needs to include recognizing your social world has changed and that’s a good thing. You need to recognize early which people as well as which things trigger relapse and need to be avoided. By identifying these risk factors ahead of time, you are creating a prevention wall that takes you out of the awkward and troublesome situation in the first place. Focus instead on new friendships and relationships that support your recovery. This can be hard at times, especially when the old relationships came with a lot of emotional attachment and baggage, maybe even family or close ones. And they tend to pop up at the worst possible times, even in front of other people in an embarrassing manner. But your social health depends on making a clean break all the way through from your old life to your new one. Even the toughest of patients struggle with social dynamics in their recovery because they affect the mind the most.

A good social plan includes the following:

  • Predetermine what and whom to avoid that can trigger a relapse
  • Stay fit and exercise and keep your mind focused on what improves you
  • Eat healthily and avoid fatty cheap food
  • Sleep regularly every night
  • Use stress control techniques
  • Avoid those who would likely work against your recovery when you see them coming

It Takes a Lot of Work

No one ever admitted or honestly argued alcoholic addiction recovery is easy; it takes a lot of work and constant effort. However, you are not alone, and thousands of others have been in the same boat and reach sobriety and healthy living again successfully. The first step on your part is to try and change.

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