One of the hardest parts of recovery is resisting the temptation of our drug of choice, the addictive substance or behavior we’ve become dependent upon and attached to over the years. As we’re working to stay sober, one of the best things we can do for ourselves is consciously to avoid our drug of choice. We don’t want to put ourselves in situations where it’s easier for us to just compulsively, impulsively do what we’ve always done – reach for our drug of choice. Sometimes we feel most tempted when we’re in certain situations, spending time with certain people, or doing specific things. We might have created an association between our drug of choice and partying with our friends, for example, so now any time we’re around those certain friends, we instinctively want to use again. When it comes to resisting sources of temptation, figuring out what habits we’ve developed around our drug of choice can help us to avoid it and stay committed to our sobriety.
Taking Inventory of Our Habits
Maybe you habitually use whenever you’re feeling stressed about work. Perhaps you most want to get high when you’re having an issue in your relationship. Let’s become more mindful of the ways in which we’re using our drug of choice, when we feel most tempted to use, and why. We can learn more about ourselves and our addictive routines and patterns, which can help us start to shift our habits in new directions. Usually, we’re not conscious of our habits. We’ve been perpetuating them without thinking about them for so long that they’ve become second nature to us. As part of our recovery, we want to become more aware of how we’re operating when it comes to our addictions, and how we’re living our lives. Developing mindfulness around our addictive patterns is the first step in changing them.
Developing Healthy Coping Skills
We can more easily avoid our drug of choice when we find healthier alternatives to it when we develop coping mechanisms that actually help us to confront our difficulties rather than escape them. What helps to calm you down and feel a sense of peace? How do you express yourself? What helps you to process your thoughts and emotions? Take some time to think about how you’re currently coping, and experiment with healing methods until you find what works for you. Many of us journal, work with a therapist or coach, attend support group meetings, and use healing practices like meditation to help ourselves cope with our emotions. The more we strengthen our self-healing resources, the more we’ll be able to avoid our drug of choice and keep ourselves from falling back into our addictive patterns.
At The Guest House Ocala, our recovery programs include many experiential modalities including traditional therapy, conscious connected breathwork, equine therapy, somatic experiencing, art in healing, grief therapy, mindfulness and other forms of therapy.
Call 855-483-7800 today for more information.
theguesthouseocala.com
3230 Northeast 55th Avenue Silver Springs, FL 34488