6 New Year’s Resolutions for Men in Addiction Recovery

For many of us, the new year brings forth the hope of better things to come in life. This is why listing down a New Year’s resolution has become a practice for some. Because turning over a new leaf takes conscious effort to put to practice, Haven House Recovery is here to give you ideas on New Year’s resolutions for men in addiction recovery.

We at Haven House Recovery understand that addiction is a dysfunction in the brain that makes people crave a certain substance or have a fixation on something. There are numerous reasons people become addicted to substances, but the most common is stress brought by external factors.

Sometimes, people will want to fast forward an addict’s recovery from addiction, but as mentioned, it is a process to undergo. Before creating a New Year’s resolution for drug addiction recovery, we must first discuss the common misconceptions surrounding addiction that make it difficult for some people to complete their drug sobriety and alcohol sobriety.

How to Understand Addiction to Support Recovery

Conversations about addiction – whether it’s drugs or alcohol – are still widely misunderstood because of misinformation and aversion towards meaningful and proactive conversations regarding addiction and addiction recovery.

Here are the common misconceptions about addiction that need to be addressed:

1. Addiction never occurs to people with normal lives.

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports, one in every 14 Americans has experienced a substance use disorder. The truth is that there is no identifying factor that causes addiction.

Some may lead to drug use to deal with stress, trauma or to address a mental health issue. In fact, some develop opioid disorder after misusing a prescribed opioid by their doctor. The bottom line is that using drugs over time can make anyone addicted to them.

In the case of alcohol, the CDC explains that increased stress can cause alcohol use. As such, reducing stress may help jumpstart the alcohol addiction recovery process.

2. People can easily quit their addiction.

The answer to this is an astounding ‘no.’ A person’s willpower is not enough to administer recovery from addiction, especially if it reaches the point where it already damages bodily functions. The thought of people easily quitting addiction is, ironically, one of the reasons people get addicted, to begin with.

3. Addiction is a choice.

Addiction is a mental dysfunction. It makes a person seek the high they get from consuming substances. While substance use can be voluntary at first, addiction is not.

As mentioned, substance addiction changes how the mind works, including the release of certain substances like dopamine and serotonin. Once a user becomes addicted, the bodily functions differently as well.

Relapse is a normal part of recovery. This is where most people arrive at the lowest point of their lives. Different emotions will surface, causing a person to yearn for the high that a substance previously gave.

Understanding that addiction is not a choice will help a patient understand that there are people who know what they are going through. This will minimize the anxiety attacks and frustration that a patient will feel.

4. Long-term use of prescription drugs is not addictive.

Some people may perceive that taking prescription drugs over time would not cause addiction. However, that is not the case.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that 14% met the criteria for abuse for prescription drugs with the perception that prescription drugs are less harmful than illicit drugs.

When we say misuse of prescription drugs, this is the usage of over-the-counter medicine outside of their prescribed uses. There are instances when people who are addicted to prescription drugs go as far as stealing the medicine from other people just to satisfy their craving.

5. Relapse is a sign of failure.

Relapse can happen to anyone who uses drugs, and it can happen to anyone who has been clean for several years. In fact, relapse is an indication that additional treatment or a different treatment is needed.

New Year’s Resolution for Addiction Recovery

Knowing the common misconceptions about addiction helps not only yourself but also the people who surround you because they will be able to render support to whatever resolutions you have for the new year.

Getting back to sobriety is not an overnight task. If you are coming from rehabilitation, whether it is drug addiction recovery or alcohol addiction recovery, you might get anxious about the relapse. Don’t worry. Always know that there are professionals who are willing to help you get back to drug sobriety and alcohol sobriety.

If you are looking for ways to somehow ease the road to full sobriety, here are some tips that can be added to your New Year’s resolutions.

1. Depend on loved ones for support.

The most important and the hardest lesson to learn during the battle against addiction is to understand that you are never alone. There will always be people who will take care of you in your darkest times. They may be family, friends, and even the community as a whole. It is healthy to depend on such people for support and just to feel special. This step is easier said than done, but first steps are necessary to take.

Choose someone — a close friend or a family member — whom you think you can easily talk to without passing judgment. It doesn’t have to be profound talks at the start. You can always share about your day or other trivial things like the weather, the food you ate, or even a TV show you just watched. Conversations, no matter how mundane, help in addiction recovery.

2. Stay optimistic.

The current condition proves to be challenging for everyone to stay optimistic, but with the right support group and the right encouragement, staying optimistic will create a new mindset that can help you speed up your road to sobriety.

Experiencing frustration and different emotions during the recovery process is normal and valid. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you are getting confused and anxious about everything that has happened.

3. Own up to your mistakes.

Addiction hurts people and not just yourself. People around you and those who genuinely care for you are hurt by your actions, whether physically or emotionally. Accepting this fact and owning up to your mistakes can be difficult, but it is a necessary part of the addiction recovery process. Consider it a giant leap for yourself towards recovery if you can identify your mistakes and own up to them. It is difficult to ask for forgiveness from people, but at least we can sow the seeds towards it.

4. Try to be more physically active.

Engaging in physical activity not only helps the body, but it can also be a meditative process that can help clear the mind.

Try surrounding yourself with plants and do some gardening. This can be meditative as well as physically challenging. If you are doing rounds of walking and jogging, do it in green spaces so it can relax the mind while giving the body that much-needed workout.

Invest in exercise equipment for your home. It can be as simple as a yoga mat or a dumbbell or as grand as a treadmill. There are a variety of videos online that you can subscribe to for challenging workouts.

5. Exercise a little gratitude.

Each day is an opportunity to be grateful to your body which has not given up the fight. It is also healthy to express gratitude to people who stuck by you during your darkest battles with addiction. Simple acts of gratitude are not limited to saying thank you. Thank your body by preparing healthy and delicious meals. Keep the mind healthy by reading books and doing hobbies, and opening communication lines with people whom you shut out because of addiction.

6. Visit your loved ones regularly.

Identify your support group in life. It can be your immediate family members or friends. Your support group can help you in your recovery. While isolating the self is sometimes what happens while at recovery, committing to visiting your support group on a regular basis can be helpful for you. A visit could help you stay in touch with the outside world and remind you that good life does exist outside your sober abode. Including this practice can help with your recovery from addiction.

Haven House Recovery Guides Men In Their Addiction Recovery

If a man in your life is struggling with drug addiction or alcohol addiction, it is best to encourage him to seek treatment. Haven House Recovery Center caters to people who are working on their addiction recovery in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. It is not always easy to see loved ones suffer from addiction and slowly descend into the shadow of what they once were.

Haven House Recovery Center adds a 12-step faith-based program that will detoxify the bodies and ensure that after the rehabilitation, the patient will once again become a productive member of the community. If you want to know more about our drug addiction recovery and alcohol addiction recovery, feel free to contact us. For details and queries, call us now!