Content
Getting sober is damn hard work, but when you anchor yourself in the right motivation it’s a heck of a lot easier. Along the way, you might have caused harm to others, but you have been harmed too. Taking time to love yourself helps to undo some of the harm you have experienced. Just because you’re not steadily walking down the road, it doesn’t mean you’re not going to get to the end, and it doesn’t mean you haven’t crossed the same amount of road to get to where you are. Don’t disregard all your previous achievements and beat yourself up for getting off-track.
In many cases of substance use disorders, the abuse prolongs because of an inability to see a problem and to accept responsibility for any bad actions that come from this disorder. Having made that stride, the next step is finding the internal motivation to not quit and to keep fighting everyday for a better life. It is easy to romanticize the life you once lived while using substances. Maybe it was filled with adventure and carefree days with friends who understood you or maybe you felt like you belonged in that world and not in the new one you are living. Recovery is a huge life change and life can often feel duller as you begin to recover. You may feel like you are stuck in the same routines, have less friends than you used to, or are struggling to find a purpose.
How Can I Keep My Motivation for the Long Haul?
“I’ve literally seen people come in here that look like they’re about two inches from dying”. Data of two 1-hour focus groups were audiotaped and transcribed. Two raters independently hand coded text for dominant themes within specific content areas queried during the interview. The two coders then discussed the themes each area generated and discrepancies were resolved through discussion.
Let relationships motivate you to maintain your sobriety and work through recovery. Many factors can trigger relapse among people in recovery, including cravings, memories and stress. Reading motivational or inspirational quotes can elicit change and help people avoid substance use. Many people who are discouraged by their behaviors use quotes as tools to build motivation and encouragement. Support group meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous connect people who deal with behavioral problems caused by addiction.
Motivation in Sobriety
Second, studies on motivation have typically addressed motivation to stop or reduce use of alcohol and drugs. Motivation to maintain abstinence from drugs and alcohol among individuals who have ceased their substance use has largely been ignored. Finally, motivation has typically been studied within the context of formal treatment programs. We therefore know little about motivation after treatment completion or among persons participating in peer-oriented services, such as 12-step programs or residential recovery homes.
Our study findings suggest that understanding motivation in SLHs requires a broader conceptualization. First, motivation exists at different levels, including individual, interpersonal, and household. One way to increase motivation is to facilitate self-reflection among https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/5-tips-of-how-to-maintain-recovery-motivation/ individuals about reasons to maintain sobriety. However, residents of SLHs also enhance motivation in other ways, including ways they reach out to residents to help them avoid relapse. Initially, the resident may avoid relapse primarily as a response to external pressure.
How Do I Stay Motivated in the Difficult Phases of Early Recovery?
Participants were not able to explain potential reasons for factors that moderated benefits (size of the social network and level of involvement in 12-step groups). However, there were general comments about how the size of one’s social network changed over time. They felt early in recovery a large number persons in 12-step recovery meetings were considered to be part of one’s social network. As the recovery process proceeded, they felt many persons were more discerning about whom they identified as a member of their social network.
- From the JourneyPure team where we get to explore a wide variety of substance abuse- and mental health-related topics.
- Fellow peers provided a level of understanding and support that to a large degree was viewed as uniquely supportive.
- In regards to recovery from addiction, motivation is the driving force behind maintaining long term sobriety.
- Your new life is full of possibilities and exciting new opportunities, but as time passes, the novelty of pursuing a substance-free life can begin to wear off.
A significant event or compilation of events most likely caused you to make that decision and choose life. When you feel low and as if you cannot continue in recovery, a great way to remotivate yourself is to remember why you started in the first place. Whether it was to get out of legal trouble, repair relationships with your family, see your kids again, or simply to better your life and heal yourself from the inside out. From the JourneyPure team where we get to explore a wide variety of substance abuse- and mental health-related topics. With years of experience working alongside those suffering from substance abuse and mental health issues, we bring important messages with unparalleled knowledge of addiction, mental health problems, and the issues they cause. Feeling good and taking care of your mental health are huge factors in determining your motivation to recover.
The more open the conversation about addiction is among family members, the more likely individuals will remain successful throughout their journey toward sobriety. Such a counselor can help a client zero in on their “desire, ability, reasons, and need to change” to see clearly why they’re entering recovery. They can also help patients identify behaviors that don’t line up with their personal development goals so they can take steps toward course correcting.
During abstinence, when a person quits using the drug they are addicted to, the brain shifts and readjusts. If caused abruptly (quitting cold turkey), the shift causes withdrawal. Any drug, regardless of whether it is addictive or not, can cause withdrawal symptoms if it is taken often enough. This is because drugs affect how the brain works, even if they don’t trigger the mechanism that causes dependence and addiction (this is true even for the most benign medications). Abruptly quitting throws the body off its equilibrium, as it has become used to a certain substance in its system.
How Internal and External Motivation in Recovery Work Together for Achieving Goals
It can be easy to get caught up in everyday life’s busy routines, but if we don’t center ourselves and do things we enjoy, we can easily get overwhelmed and stressed out. Something as simple as reading, journaling, meditating, praying, or exercise can give you relief and meaning during your journey to recovery. Keeping a personal record of your thoughts and feelings can be inspiring in many ways. You can achieve a sense of relief by releasing events and emotions you may not yet be ready to discuss with your counselor. In addition, the ability to recognize the struggles you faced a few months or a few years ago will help you view the progress you’ve achieved in a new light, giving you the inspiration you need to continue pursuing recovery. When you start your recovery with unrealistic or unreasonable expectations, you are bound to be disappointed.