What Happens After Rehab: 4 Tips for Sober Living
Many recovering addicts wrongly think they have won their battle with addiction after completing rehab. Completing rehab is just a milestone in the journey to sobriety, not the end goal.
Recovering addicts need to understand that temptations can lurk around every corner after they complete rehab. They can’t let their guard down and should use the skills they learned in rehab to overcome temptations. Recovering addicts must commit to a healthy, sober lifestyle which can take some doing but isn’t impossible.
Here are some tips for sober living.
Consider Moving to a Sober Living Home
Many recovering addicts return to their homes after completing rehab, conveniently ignoring the fact that their environment may be full of temptations. These temptations can present themselves in several ways. A recovering addict who has just completed rehab may be unable to resist these temptations and succumb to them.
Therefore, it is advisable that recovering addicts move to a sober living home after completing a rehab program. A sober living home is managed by a house manager who is responsible for enforcing house rules and ensuring the well-being of the residents.
Sober living homes offer recovering addicts a structured, safe, and sober living environment free from temptations. Residents are encouraged to continue their Napa addiction treatment and join support groups that provide opportunities for members to share their feelings and personal experiences, coping strategies, and firsthand information about treatments.
Exercise Regularly
Research shows that physical activity can help recovering alcoholics resist the urge to drink. Regular physical activity can help ease the symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression – some common mental health problems that recovering addicts face that can trigger relapse.
Exercise can help one think clearly and stabilize the mind to prevent it from wandering. People who exercise regularly have high self-esteem and self-control. A feeling of euphoria or bliss that occurs after exercising can prevent recovering addicts from going back to their old ways to feel the rush produced by drugs.
Establish a Routine
A routine creates structure and can help a person sleep better, eat healthy, and get active. Some other benefits of a routine include better physical and mental health and reduced stress. Recovering addicts should include household chores as well as everyday tasks (that can help them reach their recovery goals) on their to-do list. When a person completes the tasks in their to-do list, they feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Surround Yourself with People Who Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices
A recovering addict should be very careful when choosing whom to hang out with. They should keep their distance from alcoholics and people who do drugs and should hang out with people committed to a healthy lifestyle. Recovering addicts should also avoid visiting bars, pubs, and other places filled with temptations.
Life-Rock is committed to helping recovering addicts within Napa and the surrounding areas stay on track. Our addiction recovery program is designed to help recovering addicts gain the life skills to manage cravings. To schedule an appointment, call 707-575-9100 (men’s helpline) or 707-575-9599 (women’s helpline).