In just about any building you might enter, you are likely to find parts of the structure that are present to make sure the whole thing stays standing. You might find load-bearing walls, for example, which not only divide one space from another but also support the weight of the structure built about them. Or you might find pillars of one shape or another that do the same work—holding what’s above them to ensure the building does not come crashing down.
If you are a person in recovery from a substance use disorder, you might think of your ongoing recovery as a building you have built to keep drugs and alcohol out of your life. That metaphorical building—just like a real building—requires strong supporting pillars to keep it from falling down around you. Those pillars might take many different forms, and in this post, we are going to consider four things that can help ensure your recovery stands strong.
Pillar Number One: Physical Health
There is a good chance that your physical health declined while you were using drugs or alcohol. After all, substances of all kinds can chip away at your well-being while also depriving you of the motivation to do anything about it. So maybe you are facing the start of your recovery journey while your body is beat up and out of shape.
If that is the case, it is a good idea to build up the pillar of physical health. That means eating healthfully, sleeping restfully, and exercising regularly. You do not need to make drastic changes as though you were preparing for life as a professional athlete. Rather, you can make small, steady changes that will have big benefits over time. You could start, for example, by replacing one daily sugary snack with a piece of fruit, putting your screens away an hour or two before bedtime to support your sleep, and adding a 10-minute walk to your daily routine. Each improvement you make in these areas strengthens your physical health—which in turn strengthens your recovery efforts.
Pillar Number Two: Mental Health
Just as drugs or alcohol chipped away at your physical health, they probably damaged your mental health as well. Good mental health and an ongoing recovery go hand in hand, so taking care of your mental well-being is just as important as improving your physical health.
The good news is that the activities that support your physical health also support your mental health. And there are other things you can do in this area, too. For example, a combination of talk therapy and medication is often effective in helping individuals make improvements in their overall mental health. Talking with a doctor and/or a therapist about what might be a good path for you is an excellent step toward making your mental health pillar stronger.
Pillar Number Three: Mindfulness
Our minds seem to have a hard time staying focused on the present moment. We tend to ruminate about the past or worry about the future. Neither of those activities is particularly helpful when it comes to building up the foundations of your recovery. You are better served by learning to stay in the present moment rather than wallowing in regret or worry.
Mindfulness practice (which we should note is not effective for everyone) is one way to work toward keeping your attention in the present more of the time. (Here is a quick and simple example of how it works.) But even without a formal mindfulness practice, it can be useful to remind yourself that you are not defined by your past and your future is yet to be written. The present moment is all any of us have, and you can use this attention to the moment as a pillar for your recovery.
Pillar Number Four: Your Support System
It is only natural to consider your wider support system in a blog post about supporting your recovery, right? Your support system is made up of your trusted friends and family members, the folks in your recovery community, and your doctors and therapists. Other supportive people might be found in your faith community, your workplace, and elsewhere.
The key here is that those who understand what you have been through and who are engaged in helping you keep your recovery intact are essential to your ongoing success, leaving drugs or alcohol behind. Making sure you are spending time with the people who support you is important—and being a good friend to them in return also strengthens your recovery efforts. Loneliness works against your recovery, so make those in your support system a regular part of your daily life.
We Can Help You Lay a Foundation
Located near Wichita, Kansas, Bel Aire Recovery Center provides personalized treatment for individuals struggling with substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. Via medically supervised detoxification and a robust rehabilitation program, we can help you leave drugs and alcohol in your past so you can rebuild your life. When you are ready to get started, we are ready to help you make a transformational change for the better.
