14 Ways of Recovering from Drug Addiction & Starting a Sober Lifestyle

Sobriety as a concept can be a scary thing to look forward to, especially when you hear statements like “once an addict, always an addict.” However, if you are determined enough, there is no reason for you not to continue living an everyday life without facing any extensive trouble. 

Self-improvement is about consistency, and so is abstaining from alcohol and drugs. If you have made it this far, it is time to pat your back and continue succeeding on the same journey.   

This article lists 14 ways to help you recover from drug addiction in the long run. If getting healthier and improving your quality of life is on your to-do list this year, continue reading ahead! 

The Benefits of Living A Sober Lifestyle

Did you know that 80% of patients have vouched for health benefits after going through an alcohol and drug rehab program? Needless to say, you will experience a range of benefits from quitting the consumption of addictive substances. Here are a few reasons why focusing on maintaining a sober lifestyle should be your top-shelf priority:

• Health Improvement: When you quit inhaling addictive substances and the level of toxicity in the blood decreases, your immune system strengthens. Additionally, being sober can help maintain blood pressure and body weight. 
• Better Money Management: Not funnelling money endlessly to buy alcohol and drugs will ultimately increase the amount of savings. Also, you will be able to focus on work and improve the overall revenue. 
• Enhanced Appearance: Apart from negatively impacting health, addiction can also lead to an unruly appearance due to a lack of personal hygiene and grooming. Remaining sober will give you more energy to focus on your body, thus enhancing your looks.
• Stronger Relationships: Once you start consuming drugs or alcohol regularly, you tend to stray away from family members or friends. Sobriety will allow you to mend broken relationships and build stronger bonds with people around you.  

 How To Stop Drug Addiction

Addiction treatment is complex. Even after its completion, you must follow strict guidelines to quit and prevent your brain from getting distracted into looking for addictive substances. Even though everyone reaches sobriety using different tactics and treatment plans, a few well-known methods are proven to work. Some of them are: 

Focus On Improving Your Mental Health 

One of the core reasons for addiction is self-hatred. Therefore, it is crucial for people in recovery to get rid of any negative thoughts and think along positive lines. Doing so is possible when your mental health improves and allows you to do more productive tasks. 

Love Yourself  

Focusing on consistent progress is challenging when people keep berating themselves and seeking perfectionism. Instead of self-criticism, try accepting the flaws and counting your daily wins. You can also keep a journal nearby to write down all your privileges and strengths. When feeling demotivated, it will act as a reminder of your challenging journey and how well you have moved forward. 

Concentrate To Improve Your Personal Relationships

If you have fallen out with someone during the addiction period, try expressing your feelings and improving personal bonding. Not being with your family or surrounded by understanding friends can cause undue stress. Therefore, build a solid community ready to support you through thick or thin. 

Improve Your Physical Health  

Most people consume addictive substances to experience the feeling of euphoria. Regularly working out and engaging in more physical activities also has the same effect. When exercising, your brain releases endorphins and helps you feel more satisfied. Additionally, being outdoors and doing hard work is known to heal emotional disorders, reduce PTSD biomarkers, and reduce the constant depressive feeling. 

Healthy Diet Plan & Intake Enough Nutrition 

Once you’ve begun your sober journey, your body goes through some changes and might feel weak. However, it is vital to not return to the older ways and maintain strength by consuming nutritional food. Try cooking different recipes, eating fresh fruit, and managing your daily protein intake. Eating healthy will improve your physical experience and keep you in a better mood. 

Avoid Alcohol Or Drug Substance

One of the most crucial parts of maintaining sobriety is curbing the constant urge to drink alcohol or intake other forms of addictive substances. Try coming in close contact with bars or other shady places dealing in such stuff. Clear your home and get rid of all the alcohol bottles or drugs. 

Build New Habits 

When trying to distract your brain from the thoughts of alcohol consumption, having something productive to do can help tremendously. Try picking hobbies you have never tried before. Doing so will keep you engaged for a more extended period and give a sense of efficiency with time. A few things to try could be volunteering at the nearest charities, painting, indulging in athletics, etc. 

Build a Supportive Network & Community  

Sobriety can feel quite isolating at times. Therefore, it is crucial to surround yourselves with supportive people. Multiple communities are operating to help people overcome their addiction by learning from each other’s experiences. By joining them, you will also be able to access more resources and tools to seek help whenever needed.

Avoid Triggers and Harmful People 

During the course of addiction, you may have connected certain people and things to substance abuse. For example, maybe hanging out with a friend or listening to a particular song always leads to the consumption of alcohol. If so, you should acknowledge such triggers and avoid harmful people threatening your sobriety. 

Find A Sober Buddy Or Partner 

Having the companionship of someone walking the same path can be a great motivation and help. You can easily rant to them about your weaknesses, expect them to understand you without inhibitions, and find a reason to continue being sober. If you ever feel like returning to addiction, you can seek their help without worrying about getting judged. 

Control Yourself When You Are Going Through Relapse Session 

Relapsing during sobriety can be pretty demotivating. It might feel like your entire efforts have gone down the drain. However, it is quite standard, and more than 85% of individuals are known to relapse even after seeking treatment. Therefore, it is essential to look at things from a realistic view and continue the progress forward instead of giving up. 

Find Opportunities To Improve Your Skill  

Staying busy can help distract your mind from continuous thoughts and urges of relapsing. One efficient way to utilize your time is by participating in certain skill activities. For example, if you are an avid photographer, try improving your skill by taking classes or learning online. 

 Focus On Your Career Or Business  

Not having any work at hand can derail your entire progress. However, once your body starts to recover and the mental fog lifts off, you will feel more distracted or confused. Instead of returning to old ways, work to perform better in your job or expand your business. Once you start noticing success, following a particular productive schedule will become easier. 

Stay Away From The Risky Situations 

Does returning to a specific place remind you of the addiction days? Or maybe you feel compelled to have alcohol while hanging out with your buddies? Regardless of the reason, try to maintain distance from such situations. Cut off any toxic relations in life and focus on living in an emotionally nurturing and encouraging environment. 

How does AMAR Home help you to lead a sober lifestyle?

AMAR Home is a Dhaka-based rehab centre for all individuals struggling with drug addiction. Accredited by the government, this facility has been successfully running for over ten years and providing quality patient care. 

Here are a few reasons to trust AMAR Home with your sobriety journey:

• Personalised treatment plans: We focus on creating customized programs instead of treating clients with a standard methodology. As such, we can understand each patient’s different requirements. 
• Family support services: We believe clients and their families must bond well for the treatment plan to work. Therefore, we offer functional family support programs. 
• Cultural and social activities: Culture is integral to most clients’ lives. We consider such actions to be therapeutic and celebrate every festival accordingly. 

Final Thought

So, you have acknowledged you need help to overcome your addiction? If so, be proud of yourselves and consider the first hurdle crossed. The path to sobriety is full of multiple challenges. However, you can overcome them with the right people by your side. 

Form a community of supportive people, eat healthy food, consistently work out, and do other productive activities to distract your mind from relapsing. Doing so will ultimately make you feel better in various ways.

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