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Coping with the Challenges Faced During Drug Addiction Recovery

Drug addiction is overwhelming and it destroys a person’s life as the drugs take control of your life. Shaking off a drug addiction is not easy. 

Coping with the Challenges Faced During Drug Addiction Recovery

Tuesday January 10, 2017,

4 min Read

Drug addiction is overwhelming and it destroys a person’s life as the drugs take control of your life. Shaking off a drug addiction is not easy. It requires a lot of courage to first admit that you have a problem and a great deal of effort is required to seek help and recover from addiction.

Recovering from addiction is a long road and stopping the substance abuse is just the first one. Getting sober is just the stepping stone for fully taking back the control of life. There are so many rehab facilities and programs to help people through the rehab process.

Here are some the challenges an individual might face during the rehab period:

Fear of Losing Familiar Coping Mechanisms:

One of the biggest challenges people face is losing their tools for coping with the problems. There are several people who turn to substance abuse because they feel as if they are overwhelmed by their problems and the drugs feel like the perfect escape route. Sobriety raises the fear replacing the coping mechanisms with new ones that are unfamiliar. The best way to deal with the fear is to face it. Go to a therapist or a support group where there are other people going through the same thing and facing same fears. People also share their success stories in support groups and they can help in dealing with the fears as you will know they are conquerable.

Fear of Relapsing:

Fear of relapsing is always a challenge that person has to face during the recovery process. There are going to be several moments which will make you doubtful and you will think that you are not strong enough for becoming sober. You may think that you do not deserve to be because you have failed at it once. The best way of coping with the relapsing fear is to always be ready to try again. Accept the fact that you have made a mistake and try to learn from the mistake. Support groups or talking to therapists can help in dealing with this fear as they remind you that you do deserve better. You can also get motivated by the stories of people who have overcome the fear.

Falling Prey to the Boredom:

There are many people who use types of illegal drugs because of the find it thrilling and exciting. For such people, the rehabbing period can prove to be devoid of all the excitement that they crave. It means that boredom can be a possible trigger for a relapse. It is important that y find a way to eliminate the boredom. Rediscover your hobbies and interest and invest your time in them. Focusing on interests and hobbies will keep the mind occupied and it will not need any more distraction.

Redefining your life and Identity:

When you are indulged in substance abuse you may find yourself facing an identity crisis. During the rehab rediscovering the identity is a huge challenge. Addiction changes you as a person and you need to discover what your desires, aims, ambitions and hopes are. Recovery time gives you an excellent opportunity to answer these questions. Look back at the person you were before addiction took over your life and it will help in determining ways in which you have changed or not changed.

Fear of Rejection and Abandonment:

Recovering people often suffer from fear of losing people they care about which leads them to deny the problem. They also fear being judged which prevents them from reaching out for help. Deal with these fears by joining a recovery program which will help in with interacting people going through same things as you. Trust a friend or family member and ask for help.

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