Surprising Relapse Triggers

You likely know by now that relapse is a pretty common part of recovery – but that doesn’t mean it’s inevitable. No matter what stage of your recovery, it’s crucial to stay aware of all the various (and even subtle) ways your brain and body can be triggered.

It takes a long time for new skills and patterns to take hold – so keep your guard up. This is especially important since, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), people often relapse when they feel better and more in control.

Here are a few lesser-known triggers to add to your mental list.

• Lack of sleep. As you begin to get back into work and get more involved with healthy hobbies, you may mistakenly think that you can skimp on sleep to fit more sober fun into your day. Poor sleep makes it hard to focus, make smart decisions and control your emotions. One study found that when people in recovery were treated for insomnia, they had a lower risk of relapse. 
• Overconfidence. Self-confidence is a healthy part of recovery – but overconfidence can be a slippery slope into relapse. After some time in recovery, you may think to yourself that you’re “cured” or no longer need to attend support groups or follow your relapse prevention plan – but this is dangerous thinking. It can lead you to put yourself in risky situations or no longer work your recovery program. 
• Your loved ones. Even loved ones with the best intentions can cause stress in your life, which is why it’s important to examine your relationships at every stage of your recovery. 
• Recovery plans that have “stopped working.” It’s common to discover that the tools and strategies that worked for you during early recovery might not work as well later in recovery. For some, this could lead to relapse. This is why it’s important to continually tweak your relapse prevention plan and recovery plan. 
• Happy events. Any change or big event – positive or negative – can cause stress if you’re not careful. What’s more, during a happy celebration you can easily let your guard down. The key is always having a plan in place for stress management and sober fun. 

Post-Treatment Support for Men & Women
At Haus Recovery, we provide our clients with continued support as they transition from a secure recovery environment to sober life filled with daily stress and triggers. To learn more, call today: 888-551-4715.

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.  

Study: Loneliness Growing Threat to Public Health

Loneliness and social isolation may be a greater threat to your health than obesity, according to research presented at the 125th annual convention of the American Psychological Association. What’s more, researchers found that people with a greater social connection cut their risk of premature death in half. 

"Being connected to others socially is widely considered a fundamental human need — crucial to both well-being and survival,” said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD, professor of psychology at Brigham Young University, in a statement. "Yet an increasing portion of the U.S. population now experiences isolation regularly." 

According to the most recent U.S. census data, more than a quarter of the population lives alone, more than half is unmarried, and the number of children per household has declined. Heavy use of social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram has also been linked to feelings of social isolation.

"These trends suggest that Americans are becoming less socially connected and experiencing more loneliness," said Holt-Lunstad.

How Loneliness Harms Your Recovery

This isn’t the first study to show the dangers of being lonely. In fact, one previous study cited loneliness as being as bad for your health as 15 cigarettes per day. And those of us in the addiction community know the dangers all too well: Loneliness is a common relapse trigger. It may even have contributed to your addiction in the first place. 

Loneliness goes beyond feeling alone; it’s feeling alone, misunderstood, and uncared for even when loved ones are there to support you. The good news: You can do your part to prevent loneliness from harming your health and your sobriety.

• Go to a 12-step meeting. There’s nothing like meeting others who have been in your shoes to remind you that you’re not alone and that staying sober is worth the work.
• Vow to volunteer: We promise you’ll get back as much (if not more) than you give. That’s because you’ll get out into the community, meet positive people and make a difference. 
• Find a hobby. We’ve talked about the many health benefits of hobbies — and you can add combating loneliness to the list. The right hobby can help you make new friends and give you something to be passionate about – something that you want to share and talk about with others. 
• Make time for friends and family. Carve out time to spend with your loved ones, whether a weekly dinner or morning walk. And remember: This is perhaps most important on those down days where your natural instinct may be to retreat into isolation.  

Consider HAUS Mentoring

Another way to remain connected to the recovery community and combat loneliness is to take advantage of our recovery mentoring services. We’ll ensure that you have a wonderful support team to help you as you transition from treatment to “normal life.” To learn more, call today: 888-551-4715.