People who struggle with alcohol in some way are often surprised to find out how prevalent these kinds of struggles are. The truth is that close to 15 million people in the United States alone have an alcohol use disorder. The magnitude of that number is a testament to how difficult it can be to avoid drinking in unhealthy ways.
Of course, many people find a quality alcohol rehabilitation program to help them get over an alcohol addiction. However, many people do not know what to do once they leave rehabilitation. Unfortunately, that lack of a plan can sometimes lead to a relapse.
It is important to be prepared to re-integrate into ordinary life after leaving rehabilitation. That means having a plan for how to stay sober after you leave a rehab center.
But how exactly can you do that? Read on to learn all about the most important things to understand about how to stay sober after leaving a Tennessee alcohol rehabilitation treatment center.
Sit Down and Think Through Your Patterns
Alcohol rehab centers completely disrupt your normal patterns. To stay sober, you have to find a way to do it while returning to your normal life. After rehab, you need to sit down and think through what triggers you to drink alcohol.
Take stock of the places, people, and activities that have led you to drink in the past. You need to be able to avoid these.
Don’t think that you will be able to avoid temptation once you are already in that situation. Instead, make a plan to avoid that situation in the first place.
Identify Pathways to Relapse
You might be able to sustain a sober living lifestyle. However, once you establish that pattern, you need to think through what pathways might lead you out of it again.
Life has its ups and downs. In most cases, it is during a down episode of life that people start to turn to old coping mechanisms. Think through all of the things that might go wrong in your life that might lead you to seek out some form of comfort.
If you have a plan to stay sober during normal life but not a plan to stay sober during difficult episodes of life, then you essentially do not have a plan to stay sober in the long term.
Have a Plan That You Will Follow
Overcoming alcohol addiction is simple, but that does not mean that it is easy. It is trivial to write down a plan that if followed will lead you to stay sober. However, you need a plan that does more than that.
You need a plan that you can follow, but also a plan that you actually will follow. Don’t tell yourself that you will simply use willpower to force yourself to follow a plan. Be honest with yourself about whether or not you actually would follow your plan if you were going through a difficult moment.
In order to be able to honestly say that you would follow your plan, your plan needs to be somewhat easy to follow. One great technique is to make it so that the first step in your plan is actually very pleasant.
For example, you might have a friend that you love to spend time with. You can make a deal with them that you can call them to set up a fun activity. That way, instead of trying to force yourself to enact a plan that is not enjoyable, you can actually feel a certain amount of pleasure about beginning your plan.
Once you are with your friend, you are much more likely to stay sober. Of course, this only applies if your friend will not tempt you in any way to drink alcohol.
Even if you cannot use this exact plan, you can apply the basic principle. Make sure you have a plan that will take you away from temptation and keep you away. Make sure that that plan is enjoyable to enact rather than difficult. Make sure that it is always ready for you to use no matter what situation comes your way.
Focus On Other Things
Many people make the mistake of only trying to avoid certain behaviors. If you simply sit quietly trying not to do something, you will eventually become bored and tired. That will make you more likely to give in to temptation.
Instead, you need something else to strive toward. Instead of having a plan for what not to do, make sure you have a plan about what to do. In your everyday life, find goals that you can strive toward.
Set Up a System of Support
No matter how good your system is, it will probably degrade over time. In order to maintain it, you need to regularly pay attention to it and fix any pieces that are falling apart. One great way to make sure that your system does not fall apart is to ask people to regularly check up on you.
If you can find a dedicated friend or family member who will set weekly or monthly reminders, they can take half an hour with you and examine your plan to stay sober together. Make any changes that you need to so that your plan stays intact.
Many people enter rehabilitation without much of a plan for after they leave. However, what you do after rehabilitation is just as important as what you do while you are in rehabilitation.
Understand How to Stay Sober After Tennessee Alcohol RehabÂ
We hope learning about how to stay sober after Tennessee alcohol rehab has been helpful for you. Before you leave rehabilitation or even before you start it, it helps to have a clear idea about your plan for after you are done.
To learn more about how to stay sober after alcohol rehab in Tennessee or to speak with experts who can help you, feel free to reach out and get in touch with us here at any time.