Nostalgia During Recovery: What You Need to Know

As summer rolls around, it’s easy to get nostalgic for your former days of hanging out on sunny days or warm nights drinking or doing drugs with your old group of friends. After all, addiction was likely a substantial part of your life and it’s pretty normal for these memories to pop into your mind now and again. 

But if you find yourself romanticizing and daydreaming about these times you need to take notice. This is because nostalgia can be a slippery slope into relapse. 

Let’s first talk about nostalgia – what is it and how can it hurt or help your recovery? 

Nostalgia is often defined as “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, and often for a period or place with happy associations.” Feeling nostalgic isn’t always negative, especially if you’re summoning past memories that help motivate you to stay on the sober path. In this way, a bit of nostalgia can serve as a great reminder of why you’re working so hard in your recovery. 

However, if you begin longing for a past way of life that included abusing alcohol and/or drugs, it can be dangerous. For one, when you’re nostalgic, you tend to focus on only the good and not the bad. In other words, you’re not daydreaming about being hung over or embarrassing yourself or all the hurt you may have caused friends and family members. And this type of nostalgia can easily make you lose your way and forget why you’re sober and even help you rationalize an unhealthy decision. 

Certainly you can’t stop nostalgia, but you can redirect your thoughts so they better serve your recovery. And you can also make sure that part of your recovery includes meeting new friends, experiencing new things and making new memories that keep your mind busy. And, hopefully, one day you'll look back fondly on all you've learned on your journey toward lasting sobriety.  

Making New Memories at HAUS Recovery

We believe that sobriety is the beginning of a fun, fulfilling, and lifelong adventure. Our schedule of activities is designed to strategically fill your time, nourish your body and enrich your spirit. To learn more how we can help you transition from rehab to everyday life without losing your way, call us today: 888-551-4715.