10 Healthy Coping Skills For Addiction Recovery

Overcoming Addiction Through Emotional Development

When you or someone you love is suffering from drug addiction or substance abuse, the road to recovery entails developing the proper coping skills and individual therapy to overcome adverse urges. There are no shortcuts on the path to addiction recovery, and long-term sobriety success hinges on several different but interrelated factors.

To achieve long-term sobriety and maintain your newfound sobriety, relying on coping skills and relapse prevention tips can provide emotional and spiritual support to achieve lasting addiction recovery. And without those skills, true sobriety will be difficult, if not impossible, to attain.

If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, call WhiteSands substance abuse recovery rehab today at 877.969.1993 to learn how we can help unhealthy coping skills.

Giving Addicts the Coping Skills They Need During Outpatient Rehab

Drug addiction involves many root causes, but at its core, a lack of coping skills has an adverse effect. Many addicts did not have the nurturing and support they needed when they were young and turned to substances to fill in those gaps. Therapy sessions can aid in providing guidance on how to learn to avoid unhealthy coping skills. Through a proper relapse prevention plan, individuals can learn how to manage environmental triggers as well as external triggers.   

That hostile environment makes it essential for rehabilitation centers and others in the drug addiction treatment industry to provide their clients with additional emotional skills throughout the various levels of care. By providing these missing coping skills and giving the emotional support our clients are craving, WhiteSands Alcohol and Drug Rehab can improve the odds of success. It’s time to develop healthy coping skills and mitigate negative thinking. Positive coping skills can make a world of difference in addiction recovery.

Our approach can also increase real addiction recovery chances, a process leading to a lifetime of sobriety and freedom from drug dependency. When you recover from addiction, you are also creating a new lifestyle. During intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization, patients will learn about the cycle of addiction so they can mitigate their chances of relapse. Whether you are struggling with cocaine addiction, heroin addiction, benzodiazepine addiction, or alcohol addiction, coping skills in recovery is absolutely essential for relapse prevention.

10 Most Critical Coping Skills in Recovery to Develop When You Are Recovering From the Abuse of Drugs and Alcohol:

1. 1. Identifying and avoiding high-risk situations: Being anxious, stressed, tired, or hungry can exacerbate existing triggers and increase the odds of a dangerous relapse. Recognizing these high-risk situations and taking steps to relieve them is a vital part of addiction recovery.
   2. Rest and relaxation: Avoiding stress remains key to success and a valuable coping skill for recovery. Learning to meditate and take time for yourself can help your recovery and allow you to cope with stressful situations better.
   3. Be honest with yourself and others: Many addicts have become habituated to being untruthful to hide their addiction.  Abandoning those behaviors is a crucial part of long-term addiction recovery. Learning to trust yourself and those around you will be a vital coping skill in the future.
   4. Maintain a gratitude journal: No matter how bad your addiction is, there are people who love you and things to be grateful for. Recording these positive influences and events in a gratitude diary can help you develop the coping skills for proper addiction recovery.
   5. Reach out to others: You may be in recovery, but others are still suffering from the pain of addiction. Contacting others who are also in need can enhance your well-being. It will also help you build the coping mechanisms you will need to live a successful and drug-free life.
   6. Get some exercise: Moving your body is good for your mind, so take a walk, join a gym, or seek activity at home. Exercise is good for the physical body, but it can be even better for your emotions and spiritual well-being.
   7. Join a support group: Attending support group meetings and counseling sessions is an essential part of achieving addiction recovery. Studies have shown that these kinds of support systems work, so don’t overlook the group options.
   8. Watch out for the H.A.L.T. triggers: It is easy to get stressed out as you work through your recovery, but developing coping skills will make those stressful situations more comfortable to manage. H.A.L.T. is an acronym for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. As you continue with your addiction recovery, watch out for these H.A.L.T. warning signs.
   9. Learn to meditate: The addict’s mind is always in motion, and that can be a terrible trigger. Learning to silence your thoughts and keep your mind still through the power of meditation will be vital to your recovery.
   10. Build a support system: Relying on a stable support system is vital in developing the coping skills you need. No one overcomes a drug addiction on their own, and the help of family members and friends will be a crucial part of your addiction recovery.

The road to recovery is not without its challenges, but there is hope at the end of the journey. Developing coping skills through individual therapy can make your addiction recovery more manageable and ultimately more successful. Finding a coping mechanism that works for you can be a challenge; allow our team to help you. If left unchanged, addiction can be life-threatening. Our recovery center can help you prevent relapse; call today.

 

If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.