Recovery from your addiction and substance use disorder is a lifelong process. Once the initial days of treatment are over, the real hard work begins for our patients. With that being said, it is crucial that you develop tools and methods for staying motivated during your recovery journey. At Victory Recovery Partners, a network of eight addiction-recovery centers on Long Island, New York, we provide ongoing support to help you stay motivated long-term.
Here are some useful tips to remember:
- Your motivation and your drive to stay sober may vary from day to day. For example, on Monday you may feel extremely motivated and positive about staying sober. However, the next day may be a struggle where you feel like using again. By recognizing that there is no straight path to long-term recovery, you will be more understanding of your own emotions and struggles.
- To stay motivated, you should have a clear understanding of what recovery means to you. What are your goals? What kind of person do you want to be? Why do you want to become sober and drug-free? By setting clear answers to these questions, you will have a plan that will keep you motivated even on your worst days. When you answer the “why” and “what” questions, you will feel even more motivated to continue your recovery journey.
- Recovery is more attainable in the long-term if there is structure in your life. This includes going to sleep at a good time (ensuring you can get a good night’s sleep of at least eight hours), exercising regularly, and eating healthy foods. You would be surprised by how effective this is – keeping a routine and structure will certainly help you stay motivated.
- Staying connected matters. We find that when you reduce isolation, you will feel happier, more positive, and more motivated to stay in recovery. At Victory, we offer group therapy which allows patients who are all in recovery to bond and share their successes while providing support to each other. Group therapy has proven helpful for many of our patients, and it keeps them motivated to stay sober. Finding other means of staying connected is also important. For example, spending time with friends and family can keep you from becoming isolated.
- Realize that there may be some relapses along the way. Maintaining long-term recovery is not easy. Understand that there may be days where you may have a relapse. Unfortunately, relapses may occur, but this does not mean you have failed. Rather, relapses are simply a sign that you are human – nobody is perfect 100% of the time. The goal here is to get back on track if a relapse has occurred. You can speak with your counselor and discover the underlying reasons for the relapse, and how to avoid another one in the future. By recognizing the causes, you will stay motivated and determined.
Victory Recovery Partners, a network of eight addiction-recovery centers on Long Island, New York, provides outpatient services to those suffering from addictions and substance use disorders. We provide total and complete care under one roof, consisting of behavioral health, medication-assisted treatment, psychiatric and wellness services. For more information on Victory, please visit our website.