Breaking bad habits and forming new ones is a good strategy for long-term addiction recovery. Frequently, habits form without any type of planning. You may make promises to yourself to stop these habits, but over time, your willpower decreases. That can limit your motivation to keep going. Yet, there are strategies to help you to break bad habits during recovery that can be very effective. At Crestview Recovery, we aim to provide you with that support.
Breaking Bad Habits
When you work at breaking bad habits on a consistent basis, it can create a clear path forward for you. You’ll feel empowered and motivated. You’ll want to find a way to keep improving. Here are a few strategies that can help you to stop the bad habit and replace it with a new one.
Take Small Steps
The road to creating a new habit is to be consistent about the change you decide to make. Patterns are what help habits to form. Start small instead of putting yourself at risk for a too complex or too hard challenge. For example, you may have always stopped for a drink with friends after work each day. You can no longer do that when you are participating in an addiction treatment program. Instead, start a routine with your friends that involves healthier activities. Replace bad habits with a good one.
Work to Avoid Triggers
Another simple step that makes a big difference has to do with your ability to stay away from the bad risks. Make a conscious effort not to put yourself in a position where you are at risk for using again. For example, you may have spent a lot of time using drugs on the weekends with friends at their apartment. Don’t go there. Try to avoid those people you used with on a consistent basis. Don’t go into bars or hangouts where you know the risks of using are very high.
Focus on Yourself
Breaking bad habits is hard to do. After all, this is something that your body has grown used to doing. That is why it is very important to reward yourself and give yourself some self-care when you are making the right decisions. You may want to simply journal about the good things you are doing. When you make the right decision, make sure you acknowledge just how hard that was, but how good it felt to know you were in control over your future. The more times you can string these types of good moments together, the more success you will have long term.
Invest in Yourself
Another important component to breaking bad habits is simply to know when you need help. You have to put the time into substance use treatments to see your success. Our team offers a range of treatment programs that can help you to form new habits, including just working one-on-one with your counselor. Group therapy is another good place to learn more about the good habits people are working to form to help them to maintain their sobriety.
Let us help you with programs such as:
Individual Therapy Programs
Individual therapy programs are a type of treatment that focus on helping the individual work through their unique issues and problems related to their addiction. This type of therapy can be done in an outpatient or inpatient setting, depending on the severity of the addiction and the resources available.
Family Therapy Programs
Family therapy programs for addiction help families to understand and deal with the addiction of a family member. The program may involve individual or group counseling, education about addiction and its effects, and support in learning new ways to cope with the addiction. Family therapy can help families to improve communication, understand each other’s feelings, and resolve conflict.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment
Dual diagnosis treatment is when someone is diagnosed with both a mental health disorder and a substance use problem. This can be tricky to treat because the two disorders can feed off of each other, making it difficult to identify which came first or which is the primary problem. It’s important to get treatment for both problems at the same time in order to improve the chances for a successful recovery.
Trauma Therapy Program
Trauma therapy programs for addiction are designed to help people who have experienced trauma heal the emotional and psychological wounds that trauma can cause. Trauma can lead to addiction because it can create feelings of shame, powerlessness, and isolation that make it difficult for people to cope with their emotions. Trauma therapy can help people learn how to deal with their emotions in a healthy way, which can decrease their need to turn to drugs or alcohol to cope.
Group Therapy Programs
Group therapy programs for addiction are designed to help people with addiction disorders recover from their illnesses. These programs typically involve weekly meetings where members discuss their progress and struggles, offer support to one another, and share coping techniques. Group therapy can be an important part of an overall treatment plan for addiction, providing a safe space for people to openly discuss their experiences and work toward recovery.
Call Crestview Recovery
Breaking bad habits is a big part of your long-term addiction recovery. It can be vitally important for you to constantly work to improve yourself. At Crestview Recovery, we offer the treatment plans you need to start on the path towards healing. All you have to do is to reach out to us for support. Call 866.262.0531 today for help.