Fighting Temptation in Recovery

Drug triggers, cravings, and relapse- oh my.

Although you’ve made it through a medical drug detox and are now sober, you still have a long way to go in your recovery journey. Early recovery especially is a vulnerable time filled with intense drug cravings and temptation. If you want to get past these urges and find lasting sobriety, you will need to learn how to beat temptation in recovery.

How to Fight Temptation in Sobriety

Cravings and urges are common in addiction recovery and tend to decrease in severity and frequency the longer someone is sober. Until you reach this point, weathering the storm can be challenging. To help you on your journey, our drug rehab in Palm Springs, CA is sharing some tips on fighting temptation in recovery and avoiding relapse.

Know Your Triggers & Avoid Them

Before you can fight temptation in recovery, you should become aware of what brings on these cravings. Some people are triggered by their environment and others may be triggered by certain emotions. Once you have a better understanding of your own triggers, you can do a better job of avoiding the people, places, and situations that make you feel tempted.

Practice Mindfulness & Breathing

Although you can avoid areas or situations with a large amount of drug triggers, dodging drug cravings altogether is impossible. When you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, mindfulness and focusing on your breathing can help. These practices allow you to collect yourself and calm your racing thoughts so that you can once again be in control of your temptations.

Have a Plan

Battling temptation in recovery is about being smart. If you are going to an event or place where you know there are drug triggers, have a plan in place. Bring someone along who will support you and keep you accountable for your sobriety. It is also okay to leave a situation if you are feeling overwhelmed.

Talk it Out

Feeling tempted in recovery is not a sign of weakness; it is a natural response to sobriety. When you experience drug cravings, especially if they were brought on by a new drug trigger, you should talk it out. Speak with your sponsor, bring it up at a recovery meeting, or talk about it with a trusted friend. Talking about it can help you work through the problem and get a better understanding of how to handle it in the future.

Don’t Go It Alone

When some people in recovery experience drug cravings and urges, they are tempted to try to handle it on their own. They may be embarrassed or simply too proud to ask for help but fighting temptation in recovery on their own can be risky. It is better to reach out to someone for help. Even if you do not feel like talking to them about it, just them knowing can help keep you accountable until the craving passes.

At our residential drug rehab in Palm Springs, we not only help people get sober, but we also do our best to prepare people for life outside of treatment. With everything from discussions on relapse triggers to exposure to a variety of therapy programs, we want to give our patients their greatest chance of lasting success.

To get started on the road to recovery, call us today at 888-280-4763. At Banyan Palm Springs, we are here to help both you and your loved ones find lasting sobriety.

Related Reading:

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Breaking the Relapse Cycle

How to Stay Motivated in Recovery