5 Deadly Mistakes Which Can Ruin Your Alcohol Addiction Recovery in Arizona
Recovering from alcohol addiction is no easy accomplishment. Anyone who has undertaken to do so knows this. Addiction recovery requires focus, dedication and commitment. Above all, it requires religiously following all the steps outlined in the treatment programs.However, to sustain recovery, you need to do much more than just implement programs like the 12 Steps. You also need to understand the pitfalls which can cause a relapse. Generally speaking, recovering addicts often relapse because of making certain simple mistakes. The five most common of these mistakes are the following:
Thinking You Can Get Away With “Just A Little Sip”
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This mentality typically arises when someone has been sober for a while. They begin to take their recovery for granted. They imagine that they can take “just a little sip” and get away with it. The only problem is that the “little sip” quickly leads to another. And another. And another. Before you know it, a person has consumed a whole lot of alcohol and are back to where they started. To maintain your alcohol addiction recovery, steer away from all alcoholic substances. Don’t give in to the temptation of thinking that you can get away with a little sip. Otherwise, even if you’ve been sober for 10, 20 or even 40 years, a single sip will undo your hard work.
Hanging Out Around Tempting Situations
In most cases, drinking alcohol is a social activity. People typically drink when hanging out with friends in bars, pubs, clubs, and the like. As such, drinking often has a lifestyle element to it. Those who drink usually have a network of people around them who partake in that lifestyle. The mistake which people in recovery often make is thinking that they can maintain their drinking lifestyles – but without the alcohol. So, they think they can spend time in bars and pubs – with their buddies who are drinking – and still stay sober.
This is actually playing a dangerous game. Hanging out in situations where people are drinking is subjecting yourself to temptation. When you are seeing people drinking, having a great time, and not getting harmed, it is easy to momentarily forget why you decided to stay sober. Constantly exposing yourself to temptation almost always leads to relapse. It is easy to fight the occasional temptation. However, if you are bombarded with it constantly, giving up becomes much easier. Therefore, to stay safe, reduce the time which you spend in tempting situations.
Continuing To Use Other Drugs
This often arises when someone was taking alcohol and other drugs. In most cases, such people compartmentalize their substance problems. For instance, someone may be taking both alcohol and marijuana. When they take marijuana, they don’t lose control. However, with alcohol, they do. In such a scenario, a person can view that they have an alcohol problem, but not a marijuana problem. Therefore, even when they begin their alcohol addiction recovery program, they assume that it is safe to continue using marijuana.
However, this is equivalent to playing Russian roulette. Using one psychoactive substance makes it much easier to use another. This is because people often use mind-altering substances either for leisure or coping with life’s situations. Therefore, if you continue using other psychoactive substances, relapsing can be very easy. Let’s imagine a person in recovery is continuing to use marijuana. If the cravings for marijuana arise at a time when they have no access to it, they can easily turn to alcohol as a stop-gap measure. So anyone committed to recovering from alcohol addiction needs to steer clear of all psychoactive substances. Otherwise, assuming that you can stay sober while taking other drugs is setting yourself up for relapse.
Reluctance To Ask For Help
Every person undergoing addiction recovery experiences moments of frustration and vulnerability. Everyone also reaches moments when they feel like giving up. In such moments, people need help. The help can be in form of social support from friends, family or fellow addicts who are undergoing recovery. In some instances, the help they need is from experts such as counselors or psychologists. Whenever such moments arise, people need to seek help. Failure to do so can easily set someone up for relapse.
Unfortunately, most recovering addicts are often reluctant to seek help. This is because they view asking for help as a sign of weakness. They think it means that they have failed to take control of their lives. However, this is a misconception. Seeking help isn’t a sign of weakness. In fact, it is a sign of strength. It shows that you are strong enough to admit your vulnerability. Therefore, whenever you feel in need of help, don’t be afraid to ask. There’s no shame in getting help.
Adopting Maladaptive Behaviors
In most cases, people turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism for dealing with life’s challenges. When they begin on the road to recovery, they experience a void which was formerly filled by alcohol. To fill the void, people often adopt maladaptive behaviors.
Most of these behaviors actually begin innocently. For instance, a person can turn to exercise in order to occupy the time that they used to spend drinking. However, with time, exercise becomes their new escape. As a result, they become addicted to exercise.
The same process can occur for just about any behavior which someone adopts to boost their recovery from addiction. In the end, most people wind up substituting alcohol for another form of addiction. The only challenge with maladaptive behaviors is that they make you susceptible to relapse. This is because they prevent you from tackling the actual root causes of addiction. Therefore, when selecting behaviors to support your recovery efforts, be careful not to substitute alcohol for another addiction.
In a nutshell, those are the 5 deadly mistakes which can ruin your alcohol addiction recovery. These simple mistakes can easily undo months, years or even decades of hard work and sacrifice. Therefore, if you are truly committed to your recovery, then take steps to avoid these mistakes. Otherwise, the time, effort and sacrifices made to stay sober can easily be undone by one tiny mistake.
Thinking You Can Get Away With “Just A Little Sip”
Treatment Center in Arizona
Addiction Recovery in Arizona
Alcohol Rehab Mesa AZ
Alcohol Rehab Phoenix AZ
Alcohol Rehab Tuscon AZ
This mentality typically arises when someone has been sober for a while. They begin to take their recovery for granted. They imagine that they can take “just a little sip” and get away with it. The only problem is that the “little sip” quickly leads to another. And another. And another. Before you know it, a person has consumed a whole lot of alcohol and are back to where they started. To maintain your alcohol addiction recovery, steer away from all alcoholic substances. Don’t give in to the temptation of thinking that you can get away with a little sip. Otherwise, even if you’ve been sober for 10, 20 or even 40 years, a single sip will undo your hard work.
Hanging Out Around Tempting Situations
In most cases, drinking alcohol is a social activity. People typically drink when hanging out with friends in bars, pubs, clubs, and the like. As such, drinking often has a lifestyle element to it. Those who drink usually have a network of people around them who partake in that lifestyle. The mistake which people in recovery often make is thinking that they can maintain their drinking lifestyles – but without the alcohol. So, they think they can spend time in bars and pubs – with their buddies who are drinking – and still stay sober.
This is actually playing a dangerous game. Hanging out in situations where people are drinking is subjecting yourself to temptation. When you are seeing people drinking, having a great time, and not getting harmed, it is easy to momentarily forget why you decided to stay sober. Constantly exposing yourself to temptation almost always leads to relapse. It is easy to fight the occasional temptation. However, if you are bombarded with it constantly, giving up becomes much easier. Therefore, to stay safe, reduce the time which you spend in tempting situations.
Continuing To Use Other Drugs
This often arises when someone was taking alcohol and other drugs. In most cases, such people compartmentalize their substance problems. For instance, someone may be taking both alcohol and marijuana. When they take marijuana, they don’t lose control. However, with alcohol, they do. In such a scenario, a person can view that they have an alcohol problem, but not a marijuana problem. Therefore, even when they begin their alcohol addiction recovery program, they assume that it is safe to continue using marijuana.
However, this is equivalent to playing Russian roulette. Using one psychoactive substance makes it much easier to use another. This is because people often use mind-altering substances either for leisure or coping with life’s situations. Therefore, if you continue using other psychoactive substances, relapsing can be very easy. Let’s imagine a person in recovery is continuing to use marijuana. If the cravings for marijuana arise at a time when they have no access to it, they can easily turn to alcohol as a stop-gap measure. So anyone committed to recovering from alcohol addiction needs to steer clear of all psychoactive substances. Otherwise, assuming that you can stay sober while taking other drugs is setting yourself up for relapse.
Reluctance To Ask For Help
Every person undergoing addiction recovery experiences moments of frustration and vulnerability. Everyone also reaches moments when they feel like giving up. In such moments, people need help. The help can be in form of social support from friends, family or fellow addicts who are undergoing recovery. In some instances, the help they need is from experts such as counselors or psychologists. Whenever such moments arise, people need to seek help. Failure to do so can easily set someone up for relapse.
Unfortunately, most recovering addicts are often reluctant to seek help. This is because they view asking for help as a sign of weakness. They think it means that they have failed to take control of their lives. However, this is a misconception. Seeking help isn’t a sign of weakness. In fact, it is a sign of strength. It shows that you are strong enough to admit your vulnerability. Therefore, whenever you feel in need of help, don’t be afraid to ask. There’s no shame in getting help.
Adopting Maladaptive Behaviors
In most cases, people turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism for dealing with life’s challenges. When they begin on the road to recovery, they experience a void which was formerly filled by alcohol. To fill the void, people often adopt maladaptive behaviors.
Most of these behaviors actually begin innocently. For instance, a person can turn to exercise in order to occupy the time that they used to spend drinking. However, with time, exercise becomes their new escape. As a result, they become addicted to exercise.
The same process can occur for just about any behavior which someone adopts to boost their recovery from addiction. In the end, most people wind up substituting alcohol for another form of addiction. The only challenge with maladaptive behaviors is that they make you susceptible to relapse. This is because they prevent you from tackling the actual root causes of addiction. Therefore, when selecting behaviors to support your recovery efforts, be careful not to substitute alcohol for another addiction.
In a nutshell, those are the 5 deadly mistakes which can ruin your alcohol addiction recovery. These simple mistakes can easily undo months, years or even decades of hard work and sacrifice. Therefore, if you are truly committed to your recovery, then take steps to avoid these mistakes. Otherwise, the time, effort and sacrifices made to stay sober can easily be undone by one tiny mistake.