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Effort, willpower, and discipline are crucial for recovery from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Oppositely, these alone may not be enough for maintaining sobriety. You also need a strong support system to help you stay on track and keep you from relapsing.
While most individuals have the determination needed to stay sober, recovery is much more complicated when you’re trying to navigate it alone. A robust support system will give you a sense of belonging and minimize feelings of isolation. It can even give you a better sense of purpose, leading to hope and optimism for the future. So don’t hesitate to reach out to friends, family, and peers to walk with you on your journey to sustained recovery.
Here are five ways to reach out for help during alcohol recovery:
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Addiction is commonly a socially isolating disease. Add a pandemic to the mix, and you may end up with challenged Addiction Treatment outcomes. In fact, when you feel estranged from others, it can double the odds of relapsing. This makes it crucial to stay connected with your friends and family throughout your recovery journey.
Catching up with them regularly or meeting them every week can work wonders for your mental wellbeing. This, in turn, can give you more stability to fight against AUD and maintain a sober lifestyle.
If you live in a different city from friends and family or have to self-quarantine due to the pandemic, video chatting is a great way to stay connected. You get to see their face and have a heartfelt conversation with your loved ones even though they’re miles away. This can help fight off the loneliness and social isolation that can be particularly damaging for one’s recovery.
Sometimes, connecting with fellow sober individuals can make all the difference in your recovery. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings allow you to interact with people battling the same disease as you and trying to make the same changes. And it also gives you the chance to get practical tips from people who know what you’re going through.
Researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine even went so far as to rule Alcoholics Anonymous the “most effective path to alcohol abstinence.” In some cases, AA was even more effective for achieving abstinence than psychotherapy. This is mainly because of the social interaction element, which other types of interventions don’t offer.
So, find a local AA meeting if you’re craving community to help you stay on the path to recovery. If you’re self-isolating at home due to the pandemic, you can still attend online meetings with members.
Even though it’s the last thing you probably wanted to do, there may have been times when your AUD caused you to hurt your loved ones. For most struggling individuals, addiction can have an impact on their interpersonal relationships. According to the American Psychology Association, anger, conflict, and trust issues often plague the interpersonal relationships of people struggling with addiction.
That’s why rebuilding trust with your loved ones is a critical step to Addiction Recovery. Further, it’s also one of the most challenging parts of the recovery process. Due to past experiences, your family may have difficulty taking your word for it when you tell them that you’ve been sober.
Encourage loved ones to get involved in your recovery journey by helping you stay accountable with the remote alcohol monitoring system Soberlink. With Soberlink, you can document and send proof of sobriety in real-time to your Recovery Circle or support network. With built-in tamper detection, facial recognition, and Advanced Reporting capabilities, Soberlink allows newly sober individuals to gradually rebuild trust and improve their lives and interpersonal relationships over time.
Soberlink’s real-time reports notify the Recovery Circle if a slip or relapse occurs, allowing for swift intervention and possible reassessment. This component reduces the shame associated with sharing with loved ones that you are having difficulty maintaining sobriety.
If you’re housebound or have difficulty attending in-person meetings, there are other ways to connect with sober individuals. Online recovery forums and groups have members worldwide coming together for a single purpose — to strengthen Addiction Recovery. So you’ll find members at different stages of the recovery process to provide you with the help and emotional support you may need.
These forums are a great place to listen and communicate shared experiences. The mutual sharing of experiences can help form friendships and give you a sense of community. Veterans in the group can also provide newcomers with practical tips and valuable resources to help with their recovery. So they often play a crucial role in preventing relapse and maintaining long-term sobriety.
Leaving Addiction Treatment may be a harrowing experience, but the hard part isn’t over yet. Most individuals put their skills to the test during Aftercare, where they learn to adjust to a sober lifestyle to prevent relapse. Helping them navigate this critical time is typically a Treatment Professional or a Recovery Coach.
These are trained professionals who can guide you through the recovery journey by providing social, emotional, psychological, spiritual, and employment support. They help you put together an actionable plan to achieve your long-term recovery goals. Also, they help ensure that you develop the necessary skills to stay on your path to health and wellness.
As a result, working with a Recovery Coach can improve your overall treatment experience while minimizing your risk of relapse.
Most people require guidance and support from a support network to successfully navigate and sustain recovery. While you may be strong enough to get sober on your own, having the right support system can make the journey less challenging. For those in early recovery, it’s critical to get all the help you can through AA meetings, online forums, accountability tools, and Recovery Coaches.
Addiction is a chronic illness, not a moral failing. Surround yourself with people who want to see you soar and be the best version of yourself you can be. No one has to or should navigate this perilous journey alone.
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