You are stronger than you think you are, but transitioning from a drug rehab facility to the real world can open some dark and dangerous doors. You find yourself in the same environment you left but with the added stress of trying to fight the urges and cravings of beginning to use drugs and alcohol again. Rather than undo all your hard work to get clean, here are five ways to help avoid a relapse.
Change Your Friend Circle
Often, the same friends you come home to are the ones who encouraged your drug or alcohol habit in the first place. While it might be hard to turn your back on them, changing your friend circle is often the best way to begin your clean and healthy lifestyle on the right foot. Those same temptations don’t surround you, nor are unsupportive friends there to tempt you back into a life of drugs and alcohol. Instead, surround yourself with friends and family who you know will encourage you to live your new, clean lifestyle.
Communicate with Your Support People
When you go to drug rehab, you’re typically assigned a support person, or people, to help you both while you’re in rehab and when you leave. If you find yourself struggling with everyday life without drugs, make sure you communicate these feelings with either your support people or your family. Don’t isolate yourself and hide how you’re feeling. The more people who know about your battles, the easier it is to stay on the right path.