Recovery Motivation Ways to Get Motivated to Achieve Sobriety

Maybe it was filled with adventure and carefree days with friends who understood you or maybe you felt like you belonged in that world and not in the new one you are living. Recovery is a huge life change and life can often feel duller https://ecosoberhouse.com/ as you begin to recover. You may feel like you are stuck in the same routines, have less friends than you used to, or are struggling to find a purpose. It is no secret that choosing to embark on the path of recovery is not easy.

Initially, the resident may avoid relapse primarily as a response to external pressure. However, our focus group participants suggested that over time, and when coming from trusted peers, they may be more receptive to accepting the validity of potential harm. The care and concern from fellow residents becomes important reasons to stay sober, and relapse could result in the loss of valued personal relationships. The challenge to managers of SLHs and other types of recovery residences is facilitating an environment within the SLH where social interaction among peers facilitates motivation for recovery. First, studies typically measure motivation only at treatment entry and overlook how motivation can change over time.

Are You Ready to Get Motivated?

These disorders are very complex, and this post does not take into account the unique circumstances for every individual. For specific questions about your health needs or that of a loved one, seek the help of a healthcare professional. You have “built-in forgetters .” People in recovery have notoriously short memories when it comes to the pain of the past. Mainly once you have made amends and healed some relationships, you can start remembering the “good times” you had with your substance of choice. Known as romancing the drug or drink, this type of thinking can easily cause people to lose their motivation to stay sober. When people struggle with substance abuse problems, family members may argue more often, harbor shame or develop an anxiety disorder. For many individuals with drug or alcohol problems, motivational factors such as religion can inspire them to change their lives and avoid substance use.

Sometimes addiction calls for you to make some of the most difficult decisions that you will make in life. These decisions can involve ending relationships/friendships, diving into a new career field, or moving out of an old town. All of these choices may not be what make you the most comfortable, but they could still be the right decisions for your recovery. If you stay in a relationship, job, staying sober or town that influences you to use, then sometimes the right decision is to leave these situations and start anew for your own personal benefits. Based on an individualistic experience, finding what motivates you to stay sober is a big part of the battle of staying sober. Since everyone is different, there is no set methodology that will work for every person besides a willpower to change.

How to Stay Motivated in Long-term Sobriety

I am a better husband and father thanks to D’Amore, thank you to you all. The support provided during his 6-week stay was very effective. His assigned therapist was excellent and provided the appropriate personalized care and treatment he needed. Consider something you are intrigued by and would like to learn more about. This could include philosophy, photography, history, dance, languages, and more.

• For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health .
• Motivation is one of, if not the most, crucial aspects of recovery.
• His assigned therapist was excellent and provided the appropriate personalized care and treatment he needed.
• If these emotions become excessive, they can hold you back from recovery.

If this individual just gives up alcohol or drugs without making any other changes, then they will just be back where they started. More work is needed so that this person is not only able to escape their addiction but also build a good life. This is why it is sometimes said that recovery is a process and not an event. The individual who passes through rehab does not graduate .Their journey is only just beginning. In other words, motivation can be externally developed through support systems, through sober living communities, through group therapy, and so on.

Muscle Relaxers & Alcohol – Is it Safe? | Transcend Recovery Community

In sobriety, your support group may include people from treatment, meeting attendees, and supportive family members and friends. Your support community will help to ensure you are staying motivated when you are struggling. Motivation is believed to be a strong factor in the potential outcome of rehabilitation from substance abuse and can even predict the success of recovery. The Reasons for Quitting Questionnaire, developed for smoking cessation, has since been adapted for other forms of addiction. The RFQ identifies intrinsic motivation factors, such as concerns about health and self-concept issues, and extrinsic motivation factors, like legal issues and social influence.

You can celebrate this achievement in several different ways. If you choose to celebrate with others, perhaps you can plan a get-together with tasty snacks and fun non-alcoholic drinks. When celebrating alone, you could treat yourself by ordering food from your favorite restaurant or making your favorite dessert. The expression, “He lacks motivation,” is often used negatively. This type of criticism is usually not a true reflection of what is happening because even someone who sits around all day might be motivated. The problem is not that they lack motivation per se, but that they are, instead, motivated to do what others would consider wrong.

How Addiction Affects Motivation

Complacency — Believing that your recovery doesn’t require ongoing care and maintenance can make you vulnerable to relapse. It’s healthy to maintain a little bit of fear about the danger of foregoing meetings and counseling. Statistics show about a 40-60% relapse rate in addiction recovery. This is comparable to the relapse rate for other chronic diseases like diabetes (30-50%) and hypertension (50-70%). By renewing your motivation to overcome addiction and get back into a treatment program, you can move past relapse toward a successful recovery.

Today it is easier than ever to connect with like minded individuals who are going through the same journey as you are. According to previous research, finding a support group leads to higher chances for recovery and less of a chance for relapse.