How to Enjoy Long-Term Recovery

Two people clasp hands and offer support to each other, a key element of enjoying life in long-term recovery.

Addiction recovery is a life-long journey. Unfortunately, overcoming addiction doesn’t guarantee sobriety forever. In fact, about 40-60% of people treated for substance use disorders relapse at some point in their lives. In this article, you’ll learn more about how to enjoy long-term recovery while also reducing your risk of jeopardizing your recovery journey.

Outpatient LA is a premier outpatient drug rehab in Los Angeles that has helped many patients safely overcome addiction and enjoy long-lasting sobriety. We understand that each recovery journey is different. That’s why we offer a comprehensive range of addiction treatment to ensure you receive the best possible care for your personal recovery needs. Ready to break free of addiction once and for all? Contact us today! 

5 Ways to Enjoy Long-Term Recovery  

While maintaining your sobriety is important as you progress along your recovery journey, there are many ways to enjoy long-term recovery without jeopardizing your sobriety. Keep reading to learn several ways how to enjoy long-term recovery without risking your health and quality of life. 

1. Develop Healthy Coping Strategies to Maintain Sobriety

First, it’s important you develop and practice healthy coping strategies to maintain long-term sobriety. This may include practicing healthy habits such as hiking, biking, taking an art class, journaling, or taking yoga classes. All of these coping strategies not only support your recovery journey but are also enjoyable and great self-care practices to improve your overall physical or mental health and well-being. 

2. Celebrate Your Recovery Victories

Next, it’s also important to celebrate your milestones and wins in your recovery journey. Whether you’re celebrating one month, one year, or one decade of sobriety, all of these are recovery victories that deserve to be celebrated. Celebrating your wins will keep you motivated and allow you to look back and see how much you’ve progressed along your road to recovery. 

3. Build Meaningful Relationships with Others

Another way you can enjoy long-term recovery is by building meaningful relationships with others. This may look like rebuilding relationships you may have hurt while you struggled with your addiction. For example, if you hurt friends and family members who witnessed destructive behaviors you did while you struggled with addiction, it may be helpful to reach out to them to repair the relationship.

Building meaningful connections with others can also look like attending support groups. Support groups not only help support your road to recovery but also give you the opportunity to meet other peers who share many similar struggles and experiences as you do. Therefore, you will be more likely to connect and resonate with other members in your support group. 

4. Prioritize Healthy Lifestyle Habits

Another way to enjoy long-term recovery is by prioritizing healthy lifestyle habits. This may look like maintaining a consistent workout schedule and eating a well-balanced diet. Healthy lifestyle habits not only improve your physical and mental health but also help support your recovery journey. 

5. Enjoy Hobbies and Activities that Interest You

Last but not least, there are so many healthy hobbies and activities that are waiting for you. Whether you have always wanted to learn how to play an instrument, travel, learn a new language, or join a local religious organization or sports team, there are so many hobbies and activities you can explore and enjoy as you progress along your road to recovery. 

Not only will you likely find enjoyment and newfound purpose in these activities, but these hobbies also help reduce your risk of relapsing. This is because rather than focusing on triggers or urges to abuse drugs, you are focusing your energy on healthy activities that genuinely interest you and improve your physical, mental, and emotional health. 

Help Is Available 

There are a number of ways to determine how to enjoy long-term recovery without jeopardizing your sobriety. From celebrating your recovery wins to building relationships with others, life after addiction is possible. These methods to enjoy recovery can greatly increase not just your own physical and mental health but also your ability to form more meaningful connections with others in your life. 

At Outpatient LA, we understand that no two recovery journeys are ever the same. This is why we provide individualized treatment plans to meet you right where you’re at on your road to recovery.

Ready to start your recovery journey? Contact our California outpatient drug and alcohol rehab today!

Tips for Healthy Coping Skills in Recovery

Addiction recovery is filled with many ups and downs. Even if you receive treatment, it doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to achieve lifelong sobriety. Nearly 40-60% of individuals who receive substance use disorder treatment relapse at some point in time. Relapsing is a recovering individual’s biggest threat to long-lasting sobriety. Fortunately, there are healthy coping skills for addiction you can use to effectively fight against triggers and cravings to relapse. Keep reading to learn coping skills in recovery you can use to help maintain your sobriety.

Outpatient Los Angeles is a premier outpatient drug rehab in Los Angeles that is committed to helping clients safely and effectively achieve sobriety. Our compassionate team of addiction specialists is here to help you every step of the way on your road to recovery. We offer a wide variety of outpatient addiction treatment in Beverly Hills so you can receive the right care for your recovery journey. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you overcome addiction. 

7 Tips for Healthy Coping Skills in Recovery

Learn to Communicate Your Feelings

Attending support groups and communicating your feelings with others you trust for support can help maintain your sobriety long-term. Rather than bottling up your emotions and struggles, communicating your feelings helps you connect and relate to others. Whether it’s in a support group with people who can relate to what you’re going through, or among loved ones who are there to love and support your recovery journey, communicating your feelings can help you feel supported in maintaining your sobriety. 

Try Journaling to Get Your Thoughts Down

Journaling is another healthy coping skill in recovery you can use to get your thoughts down on paper. Rumination and constantly sitting with negative thoughts can be damaging to not just your mental health, but also put your sobriety at risk. Therefore, next time you are struggling with negative self-talk and can’t immediately talk to a trusted loved one or friend about it, consider writing down your thoughts. 

Attend Therapy

Even if you’ve been sober for years, attending therapy can serve as another highly effective coping skill to help maintain your recovery. Meeting with someone who is a licensed professional will ensure you are receiving expert guidance to effectively progress along your road to recovery. 

Establish a Healthy Support System

Your friends and family are another vital component of your sobriety journey. You should never feel like you have to progress along your road to recovery alone. Establishing a healthy support system of loved ones, peers, and mentors allows you to reach out to people for support when you’re struggling so you can reduce your risk of relapsing. 

Prioritize a Healthy Lifestyle

Next, it’s important to prioritize a healthy lifestyle, which includes getting quality sleep each night, eating a well-balanced diet, and exercising consistently. A healthy lifestyle will ensure you are living a balanced lifestyle to best support your road to recovery. 

Invest in Activities and Hobbies You Love

Doing activities and hobbies you love are more healthy coping skills in recovery you can turn to support your sobriety. Whether it be running, hiking, swimming, painting, or reading, there are endless sober activities you can do that are not only fun, but will help you lead a healthier, happier life free from the chains of addiction. 

Practice Self-Care

Last but not least, it’s important you practice self-care often on your sobriety journey. Even if you have been sober for years, it’s important to take time out of your day, even if it’s for five to 10 minutes, to check in with yourself and how you’re feeling. Otherwise, failure to address feelings causing your stress can eventually lead you to turn back to old unhealthy habits to cope with those negative feelings. 

Help Is Available 

Coping skills in recovery and beyond are essential for maintaining long-term sobriety. This is because inevitably at some point in your recovery journey you’ll be faced with cravings to abuse drugs, which can put your sobriety in jeopardy. However, with coping skills in addiction recovery, you can learn how to work through cravings and maintain your sobriety without falling back into old habits.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, help is available. At Outpatient Los Angeles, we offer a comprehensive range of California outpatient drug and alcohol rehab programs so you can receive individualized support for your unique recovery needs. You should never feel too ashamed or afraid to ask for help in leading a happier, healthier life. Contact us today so we can help you on your recovery journey.