You’ve done it – you have made the decision to take on your addiction and you are on the road toward long term sobriety. This is huge! And you deserve congratulations. However, as you may know, the recovery journey is not always easy. It will come with twists, turns, ups, downs, highs, and lows, but you are strong, and you can get through it.
It is important to be able to identify what triggers you to want alcohol and know how to overcome these cravings. Below, we have some tips on how to ease your alcohol cravings when going through recovery.
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Know Your Triggers
When you go through addiction treatment, part of the program is attending counseling sessions to identify and understand what causes you to resort to alcohol. Once you know what triggers you, you can better avoid or cope with those experiences. If going out with your friends on Friday night causes you to want to drink, maybe try another social interaction. Reorganize your schedule to include more constructive activities that do not revolve around drinking.
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Have a Support System
You do not have to go through alcohol recovery alone. Treatment is a good time to analyze who surrounds you. It can be difficult to admit that some people in your life may not be the most positive influence, but you are in a time of growth and change. You should surround yourself with people who have your best intentions at heart. If you refrain from drinking and this causes strain in a relationship, maybe it is time to reevaluate that person’s role in your life.
Once you have found people that can support you throughout your journey, you have a support system to lean on. These are the people you can talk to when you are doubting yourself and your ability to stay sober. They can talk through these feelings with you and help you stay on track.
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Be Mindful
Being mindful essentially means focusing on the present moment. People use mindfulness to help to connect with their inner selves and confront what they are feeling. Mindfulness can help people going through alcohol treatment because it allows you to lock in on why you feel a certain way at a certain moment. Maybe you are feeling the urge to drink – stop and focus on this feeling to understand why it exists and how you can overcome it.
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Remember Why You Started
At the end of the day, you started your sobriety journey for a reason. Your alcohol habits were not serving you in a positive way and you made the decision to live a happier and healthier life. Sometimes you can lose sight of your goal because the road seems long and hard but reminding yourself of why you started your journey can be a great motivator to stay on track.
The road to recovery is not always easy, but it is always worth it. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, do not hesitate to reach out to us. Journey Pure is committed to providing high quality addiction treatment through personalized programming and providing the resources necessary to succeed. Start your journey today.
