Importance of self-care in Addiction recovery

As the term suggests, self-care entails simple acts of caring for your own self. It is easy to get lost in the sea of self-sabotaging behaviours when you are recovering from addiction. Going through a major shift in perspective about your identity and how you choose to live your life calls for tending to your needs in a healthy manner. This way, you can gently ease into thriving in life at a spiritual, emotional, social, and physical level – without being dependent on substances.  

Self-care empowers you to gradually dismantle the cognitive barriers that accompany addiction. 

Also read: What is the difference between alcohol dependence and alcohol addiction?

What is Self-Care

Self-care is a multitude of healthy behaviours that promote holistic well-being, promote health (physical and mental), and actively manage any illness that occurs. It also means being patient towards yourself, allowing yourself the space to make mistakes, learn, and grow in the process of addiction recovery.

‘Putting yourself first’ can sound selfish, but self-care is far from that. It can mean different things for different people. The important aspect is prioritizing what your body, mind and soul need to heal and remove substance dependency.

For some, it can be working out daily and eating healthy. For others, it can be going to therapy and building emotional awareness. It can even be pampering yourself every once in a while. There’s no right or wrong, but in essence, it must contribute to your overall well-being through healthy and constructive behaviours. Addiction recovery should ideally include seeking treatment and following your recovery plan, which is also a part of self-care.

What role does it play in addiction recovery

Self-neglect is a notable symptom of substance abuse – combating this tendency through actively working towards your mental and physical health and can help you stay on the path to recovery.

If there’s a lack of self-care during addiction recovery, it can drain your motivation to get better and feel better. This can leave you feeling drained and depressed, triggering the need to abuse. For these reasons, self-care is a deciding factor on your road to recovery, and must be integrated as part of your daily routine, so you can create the life you aspire for, while staying mentally and physically fit.

Also read: How to Overcome Your Nicotine Addiction: A Step-by-Step Guide

Self Care – How to?

Begin with the basics and try to stay consistent with these:

·  Maintain Personal Hygiene

·  Get 7–8 hours of sleep every day

·  Eat Healthy

·  Drink enough water

·  Exercise for at least 30 minutes everyday

·  Organise and clean your surroundings

·  Take medication on time

·  Show up for therapy sessions

Once you’ve built the foundation, you can move on to adding more to your routine, like joining a hobby class, meditating, meeting new people, and working on your long term goals.

To further your journey towards realizing your full potential and eradicating attachment to substance, set focus on the following areas when you feel comfortable enough to do so:

· Set Boundaries: Learn to set healthy boundaries in relationships to safeguard yourself. Saying no, or being selective with social relationships, can go a long way in overcoming addiction. Surround yourself with people that have your best interests in mind and uplift you.

· Go Within: Explore your inner world with your therapist. Therapy can be a great tool to understand the nuances of destructive patterns of behaviour that characterize substance abuse.

· Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness is a kind of meditation practice where you tune in to your surroundings or the body – letting the intrusive thoughts pass by and solely focusing on awareness. You can learn more about mindfulness from your therapist or resources available online. Mindfulness has been shown to be highly effective for addiction recovery.

Also read: Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome: All You Need To Know

Conclusion

Recovering from addiction is no easy feat, but it is also a challenge worth facing – it can equip you with valuable insights about yourself, adding a layer of emotional awareness. You can approach life in truly the way you desire, learning how to best tackle your urges and work towards becoming the best version of yourself. Self-care strategies will help you successfully progress on the path of recovery.