If you’re reading this article, you’re either entering addiction treatment and wondering what rehab entails, currently in recovery or just about the exit rehab — and it goes without saying that deciding to regain control of your life without drugs or alcohol is a brave effort of self-reclamation. Recovering from addiction becomes a lifelong journey that begins now.
The real challenge begins when you step back into daily life, whether it’s right after an inpatient/outpatient program or living in a sober home. “Why stay sober?” or “What does stay sober mean in the long run?”, you might ask. Many people underestimate just how difficult it can be to remain clean for good once they leave the structured environment of addiction treatment.
Doubting your ability to stay sober is common. Will you have the willpower to avoid temptations and triggers after all the hard work you’ve put into recovery? The good news is that your recovery is sustainable. Here’s what you need to know about how to stay sober and avoid relapse with some tips for staying sober.
What Is Sobriety?
Sobriety, in a word, means living a life free of drugs or alcohol. At its core, it’s about regaining control over your life if substance abuse has consumed you. For some people, sobriety means complete abstinence from all substances. For others, it’s about cutting back on one’s drinking to a more manageable level.
But sobriety is also a journey and not just a destination. What are the underlying reasons that drive and feed your addiction? Through detox to clean your system of addictive substances, to therapy with a counselor or in a group setting with other people looking to get sober, you can open your eyes to why you use drugs or drink, and how you can stop being dependent on them.
It could mean taking different pathways unique to your addiction and your personality, like learning to manage stress, build healthier relationships or develop new, healthy habits, like replacing drinking or drug use with a fitness plan or a new passion.
Why Do People Struggle to Stay Sober After Rehab?
Addiction remains a prevalent problem with lasting impacts. One in 10 adults suffer from alcohol use disorder, 12% (2 million) people are hooked on prescription drugs and over 10 million people misuse opioids in a given year, notes the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics.
However, the strength of recovery and treatment offsets some of these numbers. 23.5 million adults — 10% of the entire population — are currently in recovery for drug and alcohol addiction, a promising sign that rehab works to set you on the path to recovery.
What percentage of alcoholics stay sober? According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly 36 percent (more than one-third) of people with alcohol use disorder remain in full recovery.
So why do people still encounter setbacks and struggle to stay sober even after seeing treatment through to the end? “Substance use disorders are often described as ‘chronically relapsing,’” notes a study through the National Institutes of Health. Studies have shown a relapse rate of about 50% within the first three months following treatment.
Substance Abuse and the Brain
Addiction is a brain disease. When you become dependent on a substance long-term, it produces neurotransmitters like dopamine that flood your brain’s reward centers. Chronic, heavy alcohol use can make changes in the brain and your nervous system that govern emotional regulation and decision making.
“With chronic use of the substance, over time the brain’s circuits adapt and become less sensitive to dopamine,” notes a study by Yale Medicine. “Achieving that pleasurable sensation becomes increasingly important, but at the same time, you build tolerance and need more and more of that substance to generate the level of high you crave.”
“Because substances of abuse act directly on the reward center of the brain to deliver their high — this involves speedy and intense release of the neurotransmitter dopamine — addiction can be seen as a shortcut to reward, one that, over time, can have a high cost to physical and mental health.
Even after going through medical detox to flush drugs or alcohol from the body, the brain takes time to heal, its reward pathways having become so accustomed to being fed addictive substances for so long — just one reason one can still be vulnerable to relapse triggers after rehab. The brain’s neuroplasticity means it can heal over time, but it requires your sustained effort to apply what you’ve taken away from treatment.
Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders
About 21.5 million people have a co-occurring disorder, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. What is a co-occurring disorder? It’s when you have a substance use disorder and a mental health condition at the same time.
Many people struggling with addiction also have underlying mental health conditions like depression, anxiety or PTSD. Since both interact with each other, co-occurring disorders can exacerbate the risk of relapse if not properly managed.
“Substance use can worsen the course of another mental health condition and untreated mental health concerns can increase the vulnerability to high-risk substance use or developing a substance use disorder,” says Dr. Elizabeth Evans, a psychiatrist with Columbia University, quoted in an article from the school’s department of psychiatry.
With a dual diagnosis, where both conditions are diagnosed under one umbrella, substance abuse and mental illness can be treated. “Individuals with co-occurring concerns often need specialized treatment that can appreciate the complexity and nuance of an integrated approach to treatment,” adds Dr. Evans.
Reach Out for Help With Drug Addiction
Are you struggling with substance abuse?
Royal Life Centers at Spokane Heights is here to help you recover. Because we care.
How to Stay Sober After Rehab
Let’s review some stay sober tips to keep you on track:
Aftercare
Aftercare is what it says — continuing care and support after you complete formal rehab. Say you’ve completed an inpatient stay at a treatment facility. Where can you go to maintain awareness of your newfound sobriety once you’ve graduated? Here are some options:
Recovery Support Groups
Some people might wonder how to stay sober without AA, but the truth is that support groups remain one of the best places to reinforce relapse prevention. Your local branches of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and others are places fostering compassion, community, mutual support and accountability.
Here, in a group setting, you have a platform to share your challenges and successes with others trying to stay sober. It’s OK if you’ve been tempted to drink again, whether it’s from stress or triggers; support groups are a safe, nonjudgmental space to open up and lean on others. If traditional 12-Step programs don’t align with your values, support groups like SMART Recovery are alternate options.
Sober Living
People with more severe addictions may find that they need a transitional environment after an inpatient stay. They may not be prepared to re-enter life without the fear of relapse. A sober living residence is one of the ways to stay sober that provides the structure and accountability to practice sobriety with others in the same circumstances.
What does a sober living home look like? You’ll live in a house with other people in recovery, pay rent, keep attending 12-Step meetings (or your preferred support group) and share household chores. Drugs and alcohol are not permitted in a sober living home, giving you peace of mind that your sobriety won’t be placed in danger.
At Royal Life Centers, we offer two sober living options if you’ve undergone treatment at our Cascade Heights campus.
Establish a Support System
Your family, friends and loved ones can be a rock in your recovery. Surround yourself with the people who uplift and encourage you, but most of all, believe in you — shoulders to lean on if you’re having a weak moment and need someone to talk to instead of reaching for a drink.
If you’re also immersing yourself in groups like AA, ask about connecting with a sponsor, someone who has also been in recovery and knows the rigors of addiction and rehab well. They’re there to be a mentor as you navigate sobriety for the first time.
Establish a Daily Routine
Creating a structured daily routine and sticking to it can give you some much-needed stability in your sober life and can fill the time once occupied by substance abuse. Substance abuse may have blinded your ability to try new activities or return to the things that once gave you joy. Consider some of these healthy habits:
- Start eating balanced meals.
- Get regular sleep — go to bed and rise at the same time each evening and morning.
- Discover (or rediscover) a hobby that keeps your mind and body engaged.
- Begin an exercise regimen — you can join a gym, take group fitness classes or start by working out at home.
- Write your thoughts and feelings in a journal. Think of what you’re thankful for and use the pages to reflect on your successes.
Identify and Avoid Triggers
Recognizing the situations, the people or the places that trigger the urge return to alcohol or drugs can help you avoid relapse. Since addiction is a brain disease, triggers work to conjure memories and emotions that tempt you to want to start drinking or using again.
Do this by using your other coping strategies in tandem. Lean on your support system, fill your time with a rich schedule and activities that keep you busy and apart from substances and remove yourself from high-risk environments, like bars or places you once used or obtained drugs.
Practice Coping Mechanisms Learned in Recovery
You’ll have learned valuable skills in rehab to manage cravings and confront stress or negative emotions as they arise without running to substances for comfort.
If you have a moment where you’re feeling triggered, tempted or weak, take a moment. Remember some of the breakthroughs you might have had during talks with your therapist, or a moment when you or someone in group therapy said something particularly insightful. How do those memories resonate? Use them to reaffirm the value of your sobriety, something you’ve worked too hard on to break by relapsing. Practice deep breathing, place yourself in the moment and remember that your former addiction does not define you — you do.
Educate Yourself on the Dangers of Substance Abuse
Think of rehab as your education on how to stay sober. That education doesn’t end when treatment does. Always stay abreast of new studies related to addiction and substance abuse and continually keep educating yourself about the risks of alcoholism and substance use disorder. Refer to the links in this article and explore more on those organizations’ websites to learn more about the nature of addiction — by continuing to understand the nature of addiction and how it affects the brain and body, you can continue to stay on a healthy course, Plus, it’ll reinforce your commitment to sobriety and remind you that you did the right thing by traveling the road to recovery.
Holistic Options to Help You Stay Sober
The best thing about rehab and treatment is that there’s another side to the clinical — the holistic. Holistic means “whole,” and holistic practices that nourish your mind, your body and your spirit can keep you on the recovery journey.
Mindfulness and Meditation
Meditation is a technique that helps you still the mind and remain mindful of the present moment. When you meditate, your mind wants to race and run to thoughts of drinking or using drugs. By remaining mindful, let these thoughts come and go and remember that they have no effect on you. Make mindfulness meditation a daily practice to manage stress and cravings and keep you grounded at all times.
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient practice started in India that combines physical movements with breath control and meditation to promote personal growth and a stronger connection to oneself. A regular yogic practice can help to enhance your mood regulation, relaxation, physical balance and strength and promote better sleep — all of which can go far in staying sober and avoiding relapse.
Expressive Arts Therapy
Taking up pursuits like painting, music, writing or dance allows you to tap into your creative side during times when it might be difficult to verbalize what you’re feeling. It’s a therapeutic outlet where there is no right or wrong way to express yourself. In rehab, it helps to surface unconscious pain and unresolved feelings so you can process your emotions in a cathartic, meaningful way.
Exercise
Regular physical activity not only keeps your body fit, but it releases endorphins in a natural, healthy way instead of seeking a high from substances. Studies show that exercise poses a host of benefits, from lessening withdrawal symptoms to curbing cravings and boosting your self-esteem. It’s also a healthy, positive way to replace triggers, since it can help you avoid the people or places who might have been a bad influence on your addiction.
A Treatment Center Can Help You Remain Sober After Rehab
If you’re completing rehab, don’t close the door just yet. Some of the post-rehab benefits we can provide include structured aftercare and continuing therapy. Towards the end of your treatment, ask to align with a case manager at Spokane Heights; they’ll be able to connect you with housing (including sober living), employment opportunities and other resources, like support groups and ongoing care.
Other Options for Substance Abuse Recovery
Addiction can feel like being in a hole you can’t dig out of. Trust that help is available, and that help is effective. You can get clean and stay sober and know how to help someone stay sober by contacting us today to learn about our Spokane Heights rehab facility and the service we offer. We offer medically supervised detox, inpatient and outpatient services, substance abuse counseling, a supportive staff and compassionate people who can help because they want to.
If you’re ready to take that next step or help someone you love on the road to recovery, contact us today with any questions you might have.
REFERENCES:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551500/
- https://drugabusestatistics.org/opioid-epidemic/
- https://www.naatp.org/addiction-treatment-statistics
- https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/2001-2002-survey-finds-many-recover-alcoholism-researchers-identify-factors-associated-abstinent-and
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6602820/
- https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/how-an-addicted-brain-works
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4476600/
- https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/treatment/co-occurring-disorders
- https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/mental-health-and-substance-use-disorders-often-go-hand-hand-both-must-be-addressed
- https://na.org/
- https://www.aa.org/
- https://smartrecovery.org/
