8 Key Early Recovery Challenges and How to Overcome Them

I remember when I first got out of rehab after 3 months and relapsed after just 25 days. I didn’t understand what the early recovery challenges were or how to handle them. These challenges are crucial; we go through boredom, low motivation, lack of aim, and lost hope. Our life feels mundane. In rehab and early recovery, we are so obsessed with our substance that we don’t understand anything else. Our old friends call us, we feel bored sitting at home, we forget how to enjoy life, and our routine has been centered around getting high, finding alcohol and substances, and using them to relax that’s all. But now reality is different. We are alone at home, nobody understands our feelings, and how we are feeling. This suffocates us, and ultimately, we fall back into the same path and relapse. To overcome early recovery challenges, I will share some tips that have been helpful for me. I am now 1.7 months sober and enjoying my life and day to the fullest.

Boredom in Recovery

Boredom has always been a significant challenge for me; the biggest challenge was figuring out how to eliminate boredom. To address this, I started going to the gym and began creating my own diet plan. At that time, I also attended a course on blogging, and look, today I am able to share my message with you because of that very boredom. Managing boredom in a constructive way is very crucial because you need to enjoy the recovery process. If you don’t enjoy the recovery, you may fall back into chasing the same high found in drugs and alcohol. You can engage in travel with sober friends, find new hobbies, play games, or explore new fields or careers. You might discover a new hobby and passion.

Staying Motivated in Early Recovery

We lose all hope and feel broken; everyone around us has lost faith in us, and in this challenging time, we lose all motivation to start a new life. Start by practicing living one day at a time and make the best out of it. In recovery, the biggest and most important priority should be to stay sober in the early days. You need to manage sobriety for 90 days.Motivation comes from focusing on small, daily tasks: just go to the gym for one day, stay involved in a new hobby, or attend an NA or AA meeting. When we acknowledge these small wins, like staying sober today, we get motivation. Remember, no matter what happens, you are dealing with the biggest demons. Even fighting for one day makes you a warrior, so don’t lose hope and motivation.

Finding Purpose After Rehab

We lack purpose and feel aimless, and we don’t have any skills or expertise. We may have lost our jobs, and not knowing what to do can lead to relapse because we can’t find our purpose. Purpose helps us get involved and prevents boredom, so don’t expect to find a purpose immediately. Our main purpose is to stay sober; just focus on living each present day happily and avoid boredom, as it can trap us and lead us back to our old habits. Our main purpose is to stay away from drugs and alcohol. That’s all; it’s the only thing our parents, spouses, and children want from us. Don’t push too hard to find a purpose. Just take it one day at a time.

Managing Isolation During Recovery

 Managing isolation is very challenging and we deal with obsession and craving. Sometimes we think that only indulging in these feelings can end our isolation. So, for this, try to connect with family, sit with them, and talk. Attend meetings and, most importantly, share your feelings because you need to ventilate your sense of isolation. Talk to your well-wishers or NA meeting members and someone from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) fellowship. One way I tried in early recovery was to work through the 12 Steps with a fellow member. In this way, you will strengthen your recovery and also make new friends, which will further strengthen your recovery.

Handling Cravings and Triggers

Oh, and this is very challenging. Our old friends are calling us, and we encounter the same places bars, wine shops, and clubs and the same old things that bring back all the emotions. Managing your triggers and cravings is the most important thing. What I have used in my recovery is to avoid all the people, places, things, and situations that trigger me or remind me of drugs and alcohol. I completely delete the chats, messages, and all associated things that can remind me of the substance. Whenever I go to the market, I used to take one person with me because in the initial days, you can’t trust yourself. Take someone with you if you are traveling outside your home and get rid of all objects and things that remind you of drugs. Stop romanticizing the things associated with the drug.

Emotional Challenges in Recovery

 One of the challenges in early recovery is managing our emotions. We feel anger, irritability, discontent, restlessness, and other emotions bombarding us. We feel empty and don’t enjoy even the little things. There are so many emotional things we are going through. To handle these emotions, we have to ventilate all the emotions with well-wishers and NA or AA fellow members. It is very obvious that we feel these emotions, but it is crucial to ventilate them; otherwise, they create a bubble inside us that eventually bursts in a very bad way. For example, if anger arises, let it out—talk to people and say, I am feeling this and that, and you will see that you get help with those emotions. Do not keep the emotions inside you; it will suffocate you, and in the long run, it will come out in another way that can jeopardize your recovery.

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Repairing Relationships Post-Rehab

See, the main reason relationships break is due to breaking trust. In our disease of addiction, we have lost our friends, family, and spouses. In the end, we are left alone. We have cheated or ignored social, financial, career, and work colleagues in one way or another, damaging those relationships. Believe me, it happens , I have experienced it too. Remember, some things take time and will heal only with time. I am still restoring my relationships to this day. When you get along in recovery, people will see the change in you, and slowly, trust will be rebuilt. They will eventually realize that you were not a bad person, just a sick person. Time will heal, just focus on doing and being good to yourself and others.

Read More How Do You Recognize and Manage Anger in 5 Easy Ways?

Relapse Prevention Plan/Strategies

See, there is not a specific relapse prevention plan or strategy; you just have to focus on today’s journey, one day at a time, and avoid people, places, situations, and things that can trigger you. Manage the HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired) and keep yourself engaged in activities. Find a hobby and work on it every day. I recommend attending 90 days 90 meetings , getting a sponsor and sharing in NA and AA meetings. Focus on your health, enjoy the little things, sit with sober friends, and start something new. Just don’t waste idle time on social media or watching movies. Start doing things that resonate with you, and you will see your life becoming more fulfilling.  You will produce natural dopamine, and you will find that recovery and a new life are beautiful.

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Conclusion

See,  early recovery is very challenging, and even getting through a single day can feel incredibly difficult. In the end, focus on your journey it’s a long road, and we have to take it one day at a time. To be honest, I experienced a relapse after 25 days of being out of rehab. However, after that setback, I committed to the 12Step program, attended meetings, and surrendered fully to the process. By following the steps and practices I have  shared, I found a path forward.

No matter how much you try, you cannot do it alone. Seek help and you will find that your recovery becomes stronger. Concentrate on getting through just one day at a time. Don’t overthink it; just focus on the present and ask for support when needed. Recovery is a journey, and with perseverance and the right support, you’ll find that it is indeed possible to build a fulfilling and sober life. Sending you hope and love