In this, the third in a four-part series on the faces of drug addiction and alcoholism recovery, we’re going to speak about Phase 3, Maintaining Abstinence.
Maintaining Abstinence.
Phase 2 of addiction recovery dealt with learning how to stay abstinent. In this phase of recovery we are going to discuss maintaining abstinence.
One thing that is difficult in discussing phases of recovery is attempting to put a general time frame on things. There is not a specific plateau such as 30 days one year or five years when you move into another stage of recovery is dependent upon how much work and effort is put into acquiring recovery skills. I knew a spiritual care counselor of his favorite saying was “recovery begins when the work begins”.
Their two major areas of development occur when learning the skills to maintain abstinence:
1. Identifying and dealing with internal, external, and sensory triggers and cues. The most difficult part of this is dealing with social and emotional stresses and triggers. It is relatively easy and commonsensical to avoid negative places and things. But learning how to identify, own, and process uncomfortable emotions is a real challenge.
2. Developing life skills to handle “life on life’s terms”. Life is life, good things happen, bad things happen. Enacting recovery must face the challenge of handling life’s unpleasant moments, the addictive thinking they can trigger, the unpleasant emotions it can be generated and avoid returning to use. For many, in choosing abstinence we have voluntarily given up the ‘magic pill” that used to heal our discomfort: drugs and alcohol. Now we must learn a new way.
When a person slides deep into addiction their life skills often deteriorate, often to the point of not being able to care for oneself. Here are some examples of things that may need to be dealt with or brushed up on:
1. Communication skills.
2. Repair and restore relationships
3. Managing resentments and anger
4. Developing a positive support system
5. Improving self-esteem and self image
6. Repairing finances, employment
7. Maintaining proper health and nutrition
8. Learning how to have fun without drugs and alcohol
9. Learning drug and alcohol refusal skills
10. Start living a life based on principles, not emotions
A lot of people early in recovery would look at a list such as the one above and say “I can’t possibly do all that.” Well, there is an old adage in the recovery community that says “the same person will drink or drug again”. What that means is that if nothing changes, nothing changes. Is imperative start to begin again and rebuild our lives in a responsible and mature manner.
An excellent way to develop a strong social support system start to learn to live a life based on principles to participate in a 12 step program. They are not a bunch of religious fanatics were called people after your money. It is a group of people headed in the same general direction toward recovery and sobriety while learning how to deal with life.
For the complete series Click Below:
Part 1. – Beginning Addiction Treatment
Part 2. – Learning abstinence.
Part 3. – Maintaining abstinence.
Part 4. – Entering and maintaining recovery.
