You are not alone. Women helping sad young woman who's been victim of emotional abuse and domestic violence, comforting her and showing their solidarity in support group meeting or therapy session
Addictions to drugs and alcohol are issues that many people face, and you’ve decided to start tackling your personal struggles with substances in order to live a better life. You likely have a lot of questions about what to expect as you go through this journey. Keep in mind that everyone has a different experience. You can, however, get a sense of what your recovery may be like.
Support
Realizing that you’re not alone on the journey is important, and you should ensure that you have a support team around you. Support might come in the form of relatives, friends, or a significant other. Also, explore different rehab programs to find the right fit for your needs. Enrolling in rehab, whether an inpatient or outpatient program, can offer you support from professionals and from others who are going through similar experiences.
Therapy
An important part of recovering from addiction is therapy. In therapy sessions, you can speak with a counselor about your triggers and ways to avoid them. Further, therapy can help you to uncover issues from your past that might have led to your substance abuse. Another benefit of therapy is that you can discuss how to handle triggers and challenging situations in more productive ways.
Setbacks
Once you start your road to recovery, you might expect that the process will go smoothly and perfectly every day. This mindset can set you up for disappointment and failure. Understanding that there are going to be difficult days as you travel to a better life is important. This realization is one of the reasons why you need a good support system and therapy sessions.
Cravings
You are likely going to crave alcohol or the drug that you used to abuse. The idea is that you are going to learn to control these cravings. Ultimately, the cravings can be reduced over time. Don’t go into the process expecting the desire to drink or to use drugs to immediately go away. Learning how to cope with these desires and temptations is a part of the process.
Your recovery from alcohol or drug abuse is going to be an individual experience. However, you still have the opportunity to connect with other people who can help you. At a rehab facility, you’ll have an entire support team working to assist you in the achievement of your goals. Further, you can rely on your loved ones for support as you learn how to navigate the world and resist old habits.
