How Do You Overcome Barriers in Recovery?
You should take great pride in the fact that you’ve decided to get sober. That being said, you may have a challenging journey ahead with several barriers in the way. These barriers may come in the form of withdrawal symptoms, temptations, or several other things. When you come across these barriers, they may seem near impossible to overcome. However, there are many ways to move past them and reach your goals.
What are Common Barriers to the Addiction Recovery Process?
Barriers experienced during the addiction recovery process can significantly depend on the individual. However, there are common ones that many people may experience.
One barrier that can significantly hinder someone going through an addiction recovery program is the inability to open up. If you cannot confront your thoughts and feelings, especially when it comes to past trauma, it will be impossible to recover. However, most addiction recovery programs have professional therapists and helpful communities, both of whom can make it easier to open up.
The inability to afford treatment is another barrier that many may experience when trying to get sober. However, there are many financial assistance programs offered in the United States that can help finance treatment. Additionally, some insurance companies will help cover your treatment.
The biggest hindrances to addiction recovery come in the form of mental barriers. This usually means that you aren’t in the right mindset to get sober or don’t believe that you can change. Fortunately, there are many ways one can beat these thoughts and move forward.
Getting in the Right Mindset
For a long time, you may have believed that you couldn’t get sober. This mindset needs to change to get the most out of addiction recovery. You should work to purge the negativity from your mind and learn to look forward to things in life. Changing your mindset isn’t something that can be done overnight in most cases. You will need to work daily to change your perspective by performing self-care.
Self-care can include getting exercise, eating healthier, talking with others, or various other things — anything that is helping you grow into a more positive mindset can be utilized. Additionally, when you put more care into your physical and mental health, you will likely be more motivated to get sober.
Using Your Resources
If you are undergoing an addiction treatment program, make sure to utilize all the resources they offer. Most addiction treatment programs have professional therapists on staff, with whom you can have one-on-one sessions. Open up and be honest with your therapist during these sessions. They can usually offer you some of the best advice about getting sober.
Involve yourself in all the programs and events hosted by your addiction recovery treatment facility. This will help you get more involved and build stronger relationships with your peers.
Barriers After Treatment
Even after you’ve left your treatment recovery program, there are many addiction recovery barriers you might experience in daily life. These may include temptation from former friends or having a hard time dealing with life’s stresses.
Hopefully, during your time in treatment, you have picked up several life skills to help you combat these future barriers. These skills might include breathing techniques or other mental exercises to alleviate any anxiety you might feel about daily tasks. You may have also learned better communication skills, which allow you to ask for help when you need it.
Going through recovery has likely helped you realize which people you should keep in your life and which ones you should avoid. It is never a good idea to be around people that aren’t supportive of your recovery, be that former friends or even family members.
Any hobbies you picked up during recovery can help you avoid negative thoughts and increase endorphins. For example, at Choice House, we encourage our guests to pick up outdoor hobbies, artistic skills, and more. Through these new hobbies, you can make new friends and find healthy ways to fill your time.
Lastly, the friends you’ve made during recovery will likely be a phone call or text away if you need to talk. Don’t try to deal with things yourself if you don’t have to.
Whether during treatment or after, one of the most important things to do when dealing with one of these barriers is to remember why you decided to get sober. You’ve already come so far by deciding to take part in a program, don’t squander the opportunity by giving up on yourself.
The road to addiction recovery is long and winding. You will probably experience many barriers along the way that may make you want to quit. Common barriers include temptations and the inability to open up. However, there are plenty of ways to overcome these barriers as long as you have the will to do so. At Choice House, we offer a variety of resources that you should utilize during recovery. Through using these resources, you can avoid any future temptations or relapses. We have several professional therapists on staff who can help you find the right mindset for addiction recovery. With the right attitude, addiction recovery is almost assured! Choice House also offers guests many ways to practice self-care, including outdoor exercise, meditation, art therapy, and much more. With proper self-care, you will find the motivation to keep going, even when you experience a barrier. Contact Choice House today at (720) 577-4422 to learn more about starting your journey to recovery.