Addiction recovery can be a difficult journey filled with many ups and downs. This is because, inevitably, those in recovery will face cravings and urges to abuse drugs or alcohol, which can put them at risk of jeopardizing their recovery journey. Fortunately, there are several ways in which you can establish healthy coping strategies to resist cravings that run the risk of harming your recovery journey. In this article, you’ll learn more about building resilience in the face of cravings, so you can achieve long-term sobriety.
At Worthy Wellness, we are a premier women’s San Diego drug rehab committed to helping patients overcome addiction and regain control over their health and quality of life. We provide a range of addiction treatment services and mental health care support so you can receive the personalized care you need to effectively break free from the chains of addiction for good. Ready to start your recovery journey? Contact us today!
How to Build Resilience to Resist Cravings
Cravings, urges, and triggers to abuse drugs and alcohol are an inevitable part of every individual’s road to recovery. While it’s impossible to avoid cravings entirely, there are several ways in which you can proactively resist cravings to help maintain your recovery journey. Keep reading to learn more about building resilience in the face of cravings and how you can build resilience to maintain lasting sobriety.
- Understand That Cravings Are Inevitable
The first part of building resilience in the face of cravings is understanding that cravings are an inevitable part of your recovery journey. While you can reduce your risk of being exposed to triggers by limiting your interaction with certain people, places, and situations, it’s impossible to avoid cravings entirely. Therefore, this understanding that cravings exist will help you be more vigilant and recognize when you may be struggling with cravings that run the risk of jeopardizing your sobriety.
- Remain Calm and Don’t Fall into Temptation
Next, when it comes to building resilience, it’s important to acknowledge the craving, remain calm, and don’t fall into temptation. If you have a high emotional response to a craving, you are giving the craving more power over you, which in turn can make you question your sobriety more and be more at risk of falling into the temptation of your craving.
- Divert Your Attention to Something Else
After you’ve acknowledged the craving, when it comes to building resilience, it is important to accept it, but then divert your time, attention, and energy toward something else. For instance, when you are constantly investing time and energy thinking about the craving and abusing drugs, you are inevitably putting your mind and body at greater risk of acting upon that craving.
- Ask for Support from Your Support System
You don’t have to face your addiction recovery journey all on your own. It’s important to understand that you can ask for help from your support system. Your support system should consist of trusted family, friends, therapists, and others who can help encourage and keep you accountable along your recovery journey.
- Practice Healthy Coping Strategies
Last but not least, it’s important to have a healthy set of coping strategies you can turn to when you are faced with cravings. While resilience can help you resist temptation, it’s critical to have coping strategies you can turn to, like journaling, mindful meditation, breathing exercises, or another healthy strategy to divert your attention and protect your sobriety.
Help Is Available
Now you know more about building resilience in the face of cravings, and how to build resilience so you can protect your sobriety and maintain long-lasting sobriety. Building resilience can help you recognize your cravings and not react or be tempted to act upon your cravings. Although cravings are inevitable, resilience will give you the discipline and stability to say no and not give into your cravings to fall back into old, unhealthy habits.
Our experienced team of addiction specialists at Worthy Wellness is here to help you safely and effectively progress along your road to recovery. We help patients overcome addiction and learn healthy coping strategies to maintain long-lasting sobriety. We also offer a range of mental health treatment options to ensure you receive the best possible care to lead a healthier, happier quality of life. Ready to start your road to recovery? Contact us today!
