It can be difficult to recover from addiction when it has such a strong hold on your life. If you’re an addict in addiction rehab recovery, there are some things you can do to stay sober and deal with the challenges that may come up as you live your life without resorting to the behaviour that you once relied on to feel normal. Here are five tips to help you get through those tough times and make it through your sobriety journey with flying colours.

1) Attending 12-step meetings

Research in the UK  has shown that attending 12-step meetings improves a person’s chances of avoiding relapse. Having regular contact with other addicts who are also trying to stay sober can help remind individuals of their own struggles and provide them with a sense of community, particularly in early recovery. The meetings also allow people in recovery to learn from others about coping with triggers and cravings; individuals often find it helpful to talk about what works for them and what doesn’t work when it comes to staying sober.

2) Keeping a journal

Writing in a journal is a great way for addicts in recovery to help deal with cravings and triggers. For that reason, I recommend that recovering addicts keep a journal. It will not only help with cravings and triggers but it can also be used as a daily gratitude log or as a written record of how their addiction has changed over time. Keeping a journal can be very rewarding because they’ll see just how far they’ve come when they look back on all that they have accomplished.

3) Going out with sober friends

Having sober friends is a great way to combat temptation. We’re human, and when we surround ourselves with people who are using, it can be difficult not to join in. Having supportive friends who don’t use it will remind you that there are healthier ways of having fun than getting wasted or high.

4) Meditating

Meditation can help a recovering addict stay sober by helping them focus on positive emotions and memories that they want to feel instead of cravings and negative feelings that trigger relapse. Meditation can also allow them to cope with stressful situations more easily, as well as improve their problem-solving skills. They can begin meditating by simply taking five minutes every day in a quiet place where they won’t be disturbed.

5) Getting support 

It is highly recommended that a person in recovery seek out support from their peers. This support can be found in many alcohol treatment  programs. While they are designed specifically for addiction, they can also provide tools and coping strategies that could help anyone struggling with addiction-related problems stay sober. It’s also important to remember that it isn’t always easy staying sober and that you may need a little bit of extra support every now and then.

Addiction is a lifelong disease. A person in recovery will find that they have to abstain from the substance or behaviour that they were once addicted to and continue to use the tools and coping strategies that they learned during their time in treatment.