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Building Your Confidence During Recovery

As you finished treatment for your substance use disorder and entered recovery, you began a journey that can be amazing and, at times, scary. You worked incredibly hard to overcome your addiction and understand your mental health issues. You learned coping skills, developed tools to face challenges and established boundaries to help you work through early recovery. 

However, it is very common to find yourself apprehensive as you leave treatment and begin to integrate yourself back into society. Building your self-confidence and your ability to make healthy choices will grow with time. Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind if you find yourself struggling to find your confidence.  

Think of Your Journey

You have come a long way since your first day of treatment. You faced many days where you focused on uncomfortable topics, your challenges, and your future. Treatment was not always fun, and many days were hard. 

However, treatment was also a time of profound change; the day you left treatment, you were probably a much different person than the day you arrived. Embrace the changes you have gone through, and acknowledge all of your hard work. When you notice how far you have come, your confidence will begin to grow with every step that you take. Recovery is a process, and growth takes time. Acknowledge the small moments and praise yourself along the way.

Talk With Your Support System

A considerable aspect of a successful recovery journey is knowing when to reach out for help and support. Your support system will probably be made up of family, friends, and mental health professionals. Sometimes talking with your loved ones will help you to navigate your challenges and feel comforted. Other times a professional might be the one you want to speak with if you need guidance and support on your recovery or a mental health issue.

Many times there is this notion that after treatment, you will not need extra support or additional therapy. You faced your addiction and learned about your mental health. However, as you probably discovered quickly, the learning process is not over. You will face challenges every day that test the skills and tools you learned in treatment. Most people continue to receive professional support in some capacity as they navigate through a life of sobriety. 

Face Your Challenges Head-On

As you face triggers, challenges, and daily life and begin to see your ability to manage your sobriety and mental health, your confidence will grow. You are capable of maintaining your sobriety. You are capable of navigating life and managing your triggers. 

When you were struggling with active addiction, you probably coped with challenges and stress in unhealthy ways. As you work through recovery, you are learning new coping strategies for almost every situation. As you begin to succeed and conquer those skills and situations, your confidence is going to soar. 

Understand Your Triggers

We all have different triggers. It can be frightening to re-enter society knowing that certain situations and events will affect your sobriety and test your willpower. You may find that your triggers change over time. 

However, as you learn more about your triggers, you gain power over them. Sometimes, you will want to avoid certain situations in early recovery because you are not ready to handle them. Setting yourself up for success means knowing what will trigger you and how that trigger will affect you or cause you to react. 

You are capable of facing your triggers. You have the knowledge, skills, and tools to manage your sobriety. What holds many people back is the fear of not being able to make healthy choices at the moment. As you face situations and successfully manage your sobriety, your self-confidence will begin to flourish. 

Know Your Worth

Recovery can be an amazing time because you have the chance to relearn everything about yourself. Before recovery, addiction most likely dominated every aspect of your life. Every decision you made was probably impacted by your addiction. You stopped participating in activities you enjoyed, developing your relationships, and growing towards your goals. It is not surprising that your self-esteem and self-worth suffered.

Living a sober lifestyle and moving through recovery is a beautiful accomplishment. You faced challenges that tested every aspect of your mind and body. You should be proud of yourself. Even as you stumble, you are still succeeding. Discovering your sense of personal worth is empowering. When you find it, you will discover that your confidence will bloom. 

Recovery can be a fantastic time because you are relearning everything about yourself and becoming the person you have always wanted to be. However, recovery can also feel scary and even overwhelming at times. You so desperately want to make all the right choices, and your confidence may not be that high at first. Building your confidence takes time. As you successfully face challenges and reach goals, your confidence will grow. Here at The Guest House, we know that everyone’s journey is unique as we all face individual challenges and strive to achieve specific goals. It is common to continue to need support through recovery and as you address mental health issues. You do not need to face your challenges alone. We are here to support you and help as you continue to grow and develop your skills. Call us today at (855) 483-7800 to learn more about our treatment options.