Drug Abuse and Dependence
Recovery
Recovery from drug abuse or dependence means finding a way to stay drug-free while changing your attitudes and behaviors. In recovery, you work to restore relationships with your family and friends and with people at your job or school. You seek to find meaning and happiness in a healthy lifestyle that doesn't include drugs.
Recovery is not a cure. It is a lifelong process. It begins in treatment, but it doesn't end when your treatment ends. There are 10 principles of recovery that can help you reach your goals and learn new things to help yourself. They help you gain self-confidence and respect for yourself. They make clear that you're in charge of your recovery. How far you go is up to you.
To help stay drug-free after treatment, find things to do, such as sports or volunteer work. Stay away from friends or family members who use drugs. Learn how to say no to alcohol and drugs.
Support
An important part of recovery is being sure you have support. You can:
- Develop and use social support and support groups. Support comes in many forms. You can find it in seminars and groups led by professionals, in 12-step groups made up of others with drug problems, and in your relationships with family and friends. You can make support groups more helpful by being an active member.
- Connect with family and friends. Your family and friends can help you stop using drugs and stay drug-free by encouraging positive steps. But for them to do this, you have to be honest about your problems and help them by trying.
- Take part in recovery group activities. You may have used drugs to make friends or be with a social group. Your counselor or doctor can help you learn skills to make friends without using drugs. For example, your counselor may help you find a social skills training class.
- Find a sponsor and work with this person. A sponsor is someone who has been in recovery for a long time and helps you stay drug-free.
Lapse and relapse
Stopping drug use is very hard. It's normal to have setbacks, even years later. Very few people succeed the first time they try. A lapse or relapse is likely.
- A lapse is the first time you use a drug again after you have quit, or brief episodes of drug use later on.
- A relapse is not being able to stay drug-free over time. It can occur if you have a series of lapses close together or a lapse that leads to heavier drug use over a longer period. A relapse is most likely to happen a few months after you have quit using drugs.
A lapse or relapse doesn't mean you or your treatment has failed. It may mean that you just slipped up. If this is true for you, accept the mistake and move on. Try to find out why you relapsed and make changes in your life so that it won't happen again. You also may need more treatment, another type of treatment, or more time in support groups such as Narcotics Anonymous.
A relapse is most likely to occur in the first few months after you stop using drugs. It's smart to plan for a relapse before it happens. Your doctor, family, and friends can help you do this.
A healthy lifestyle
When you use drugs, you often get away from some of the basics of good health. Part of recovery is finding your way back to a healthy lifestyle.
- Exercise and be active. This may give you something to do instead of thinking about drugs, and it also can help reduce stress. People who are fit usually have less anxiety, depression, and stress than people who aren't active.4
- Relieve stress. Stress can trigger a relapse. If you learn how to manage your stress, you can help prevent a relapse. Stress-relief exercises can help.
- Get enough sleep to help your mood and make you feel less stressed.
- Eat a balanced diet. This helps your body deal with tension and stress. Whole grains, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and protein are part of a balanced diet.
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| Author: | Paul Lehnert Ryan Powers | Last Updated: February 15, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine James R. McKay, PhD - Psychology | |
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