Addiction recovery isn’t easy.
You probably know that all too well.
There are, of course, the cravings. There are also the sleepless nights, the tortuous days, and the desire to cope by any means, even it results in using again.
This is why self care is so important for addiction recovery.
You are already out of balance as your mind and body adjust to no longer using substances.
Thus, you begin to realize how deprived you were of the things your body really need to not only survive but also thrive.
Self Care and Nutrition
Most likely when you were using substances you were not paying attention to what you were eating. That’s because your main concern was to get more of the drugs or alcohol that you craved. Now that you are in addiction recovery, your body is telling you that it needs real fuel, not substances. If you are participating in a residential recovery program, then they can take some of the guesswork out of nutrition with meal planning. Even outpatient programs may be able to help. In general though make sure you are eating a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates. Beware though of eating too many sugary foods, as these are just empty calories and can easily become a substitute addiction.
Including Exercise into Your Recovery Plan
Another important component of your recovery plan should include exercise. Why? Because, now that you are in addiction recovery, you need to build up your physical strength again. This includes both cardio and strength training activities to improve your endurance, as well as your muscles. Plus, we know that exercising has lots of extra benefits too. For example:
Focusing your attention on the present
Improves self-esteem
Creates endorphins and influences mood
Boosts stamina
Plus, getting involved in sports or other physical activities is a great way to meet supportive people and create positive friendships.
Fulfilling Your Spiritual Needs
Addiction recovery also involves fulfilling your spiritual needs. This doesn’t have to necessarily involve religion. For example:
Understanding who you truly are as a person
Discovering or reaffirming your values
Being a part of something bigger than yourself. Creating meaning for your life
One important part of fulfilling your spiritual needs and self care is forgiveness. This can involve seeking out forgiveness from others for the things you did while struggling with substance abuse. However, it also means forgiving yourself and learning to love yourself again. Oftentimes people in addiction recovery will feel loathing or be ashamed for the things they did. Although it is important to feel and acknowledge these emotions, it is also critical for your recovery that they not become a burden. In many ways, addiction recovery represents a new beginning in your life.
What Happens if I Don’t Practice Self Care?
The short answer: it makes addiction recovery that much harder. This is true regardless of your addiction. That’s because before you were not leading a balanced or healthy life. Now, that you are in recovery, you have to relearn how to create a healthy lifestyle again. This is actually really important if you have struggled with sex addiction. The feelings of shame and guilt can be even stronger when it comes to this kind of addiction. Also, it’s not that hard at all to slip-up your recovery and fall back into old patterns. All it takes is a few clicks on the computer or taps on your phone. Thus, you need to create a whole new lifestyle that allows you to not only find meaning but also forgiveness too.
There are many aspects of addiction recovery that are important. Therapy and medication are two factors. Yet, self care is also critical for the recovery process. Regardless of your addiction, you need to be able to take care of yourself physically and spiritually in order to find a new beginning.
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