The decision to enter detox and treatment is huge. Moving into recovery takes additional decisions. You may need to end some relationships, recommit to others and focus on improving your work relationships. You may need to dig back into your home life and rebuild your relationship with your spouse and your children. It takes fortitude and strength to work through detox and treatment and as you move into recovery. Big decisions should be put off unless you must make them for safety reasons.
Why should I have no major life changes first year of recovery? Decision fatigue is a serious concern. You may also find that your brain does a better job of making decisions at a specific time of the day. Too many choices can lead to stress and overwhelm, which can be extremely hard as you work to maintain your recovery mindset. Recovery takes daily commitment and work, but the first year of recovery takes a more intense focus. As you manage moving back into the world for that first year, you may find yourself better able to consider big changes after those crucial 12 months.
Focus On the Necessities
The pain of detox is generally the most intense in the first 7 days. However, detox, treatment and recovery can all be hard work. Detox is very hard on the body and brain. Even if you can get through the physical pain, chemical changes and hallucinations of detox with no serious damage to your understanding of the world, you may notice that troubling memories crop up.
Many addicts are trauma survivors. Your early experiences may contribute to the stress of detox and rehab and you will need to address those traumas as you move into recovery. There may be many damaged relationships in your past that need work as well. You may have chosen to go through detox and enter treatment in an effort to protect and rebuild your marriage. This rebuilding will take work by both of you; your decisions of where to use your time and resources will take a lot of brain power. Making decisions about where to move or where to work in these early stages should be avoided unless you absolutely have to make these choices.
Habit Formation and Stress Management
Like it or not, we are always building habits. If getting home from work and having a drink was a habit, you will need to build new habits as you work into recovery. For example, you may get home from work, grab a water bottle and walk the dog or take your children to a local park. If you live with your spouse, you may choose instead to go for a bike ride or fix dinner together.
No matter what, these new actions will make new habits. A habit is a behavior that comes automatically. Functionally, it’s a groove in the brain that you don’t have to think about it. There’s the initial trigger or cue: You get home from work. The response used to be having alcohol or another drug; your new action will take time to become an automatic response. The result of your response to the trigger will make this new habit formation easier if you get a positive result. For example, if you get home from work and go for a bike ride, the sunshine on your skin and a conversation with your spouse may yield the positive result you need.
The laughter of your children or the joy of your dog at the end of the leash may lift your spirits enough to make tomorrow’s outing an automatic choice. This new habit will take time to build; moving house or changing jobs in this first year of recovery will increase your stress level and limit the effectiveness of your reward. Of course, many in recovery seek out community by attending meetings or getting private counseling. Changing counselors and finding a new meeting can be incredibly traumatic, particularly if you have had to rebuild community because family and friends are no longer in the picture. Isolation is incredibly hard for recovering addicts; this is often a stressor that gets in the way of entering treatment at all. Finding new community takes courage and confidence. A year in recovery will increase your confidence. Our counselors are available 24 hours a day. Call 844-844-3463.