No two recovery journeys are identical. The journey you take when deciding to get sober is dependent on your needs and where you are starting. Identifying your needs and crafting a plan to cater to them is essential to successful long-term recovery. A recovery plan that considers your unique needs in relation to health, home, purpose, and community is more likely to be one that you will stick to. Recovering from addiction is a marathon, not a sprint. There are no quick fixes, so choosing treatments and changes that resonate with you is crucial.
Supporting a Life in Recovery
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), there are four dimensions that support a life in recovery:
#1. Health: Learning to overcome, manage, or more successfully live with symptoms and making healthy choices that support your physical and emotional wellbeing.
#2. Home: A stable and safe place to live.
#3. Purpose: Meaningful daily activities, such as a job, school, volunteer work, or hobbies, along with meaningful engagement in society.
#4. Community: Relationships and social networks that provide support, connection, love, and hope.
Reflecting on how to integrate these four dimensions into your recovery plan can be a springboard for identifying what areas of your life need the most attention. Addiction often affects every aspect of one’s life, so it’s essential to take account of what will need the most rebuilding.
Embrace Variety
There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution when it comes to recovering from addiction. Treatment will likely take a combination of therapeutic approaches to help you successfully recover. Consider looking at addiction treatment facilities that offer multiple interventions; this way, you can find what works best for you. Be prepared to explore the various options for treatment.
Behavioral therapies are commonly used treatments for addictions that can help you build new life skills and healthy coping mechanisms. Behavioral therapies can also help you recognize patterns in your behavior and begin the deep work of addressing past traumas. There are many different kinds of therapies to explore, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), brainspotting, or motivational interviewing.
The mind isn’t the only area that benefits from treatment. Consider holistic treatments that focus on the body and spirit too. These types of therapies can be just as effective in your healing process. Yoga, sound therapy, and mindfulness therapy are all avenues you can explore to recenter and reconnect with yourself. Yoga, in particular, can be helpful when you’re feeling emotionally overwhelmed and need some movement to unwind.
Other areas to explore can be learning more about nutrition, employment training, and incorporating basic-self care. This is your journey, and you know best which areas you need professional support or guidance with.
Start Small
With how many treatment facilities exist, it can be easy to become overwhelmed with all of your options. You do not have to do all of this at once. To avoid overwhelming yourself, start with a couple of options that are easy to integrate. Create records of the activities you enjoy and set a goal to engage in them for 30 days. Any steps, no matter how small, contribute to your recovery journey.
Getting sober can be a difficult transition. In the beginning, there will be cravings to overcome. By having a couple of activities and treatments to focus on instead, you can get through this challenging period. It is okay to take it one day at a time. Each day, evaluate what is and isn’t working and adjust your plan accordingly.
Honor Your Needs
The most crucial part of treatment is that your plan caters to your needs. A result of addiction can be getting out of tune with your needs. You may have gotten used to numbing yourself to avoid difficult emotions. These habits undermine your ability to recognize and honor your needs.
However, you can start honoring your needs in recovery by practicing mindfulness and noticing where the feelings are in your body. Slowing down to notice this can help you become more in tune with your needs in the long run. Once you become more in touch with your needs, you’ll be able to advocate for yourself more readily identify what options work for your situation best.
Recovery isn’t easy work. Try not to pressure yourself into doing what you think you should do. Your experiences are yours alone. What worked for someone else may not work for you, and that is okay. Instead, hone in on what needs you have to be addressed and honored. Look into treatments and programs that align with your schedule, living situation, and values.
You’ve decided to embark on the journey of recovering from addiction. That’s half the battle. Now begins the second half —identifying your unique needs and creating a plan to honor them. This can be intimidating at first. How does one discover what their unique needs are? What treatments and programs will be the best match for you? You don’t have to answer these questions on your own. Dream Recovery can work with you to tailor your treatment plan to your unique needs. We offer a variety of treatments to ensure there will be an option that meets your needs. Whether you need to meet once a week or multiple times a week, we have a program that can accommodate your schedule. Addiction is a multi-faceted problem that requires a multi-faceted solution. We work with you to discover those solutions. Call (949) 732-1960 to learn how Dream Recovery can support creating a plan that meets your needs.
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