Recognizing drug or alcohol abuse or addiction in oneself, a family member or a friend can be more complicated than it seems, filled with obstacles and requiring a deep well of resilience to overcome.
An addiction is a chronic disease that impacts the brain’s motivation, reward and memory functions. Common signs of addiction include lacking control, socializing less, neglecting responsibilities, needing a higher dosage of drugs or more alcohol and experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
When you or someone you know recognizes drug misuse, abuse, dependency or addiction for what it is, it’s best to seek professional treatment and reach out to a skilled mental health professional and addiction specialist. Turning to an expert can be beneficial because they can help people navigate addiction’s medical and cognitive mechanisms to make and sustain lifestyle changes.
Are You Ready For Change?
For some people, the idea of making significant lifestyle changes might elicit fear and anxiety. Tough times and setbacks may cause some people to falter. It may also uncover some uncomfortable truths about yourself: Do you try to persevere when challenges arise, or do you waver?
How well a person responds to adversity and becomes adaptable to their circumstances—their resilience—can significantly determine how they bounce back and overcome their trials. If you feel inadequate or lack the resources needed to go through the recovery process, addiction treatment specialists and mental health professionals at The Right Step Centers in Texas can help you develop resilience, learn not to depend on substances and achieve long-term sobriety.
Resilience: What is It?
Resilience is an internal strength that empowers a person to keep going despite setbacks, hard times and difficulties they encounter. Having resilience allows an individual battling a drug or alcohol addiction, trauma, stress or another adverse event to bounce back.
Additionally, resilience can have protective properties that are beneficial to mental health. For instance, high resilience can play a significant part in helping offset factors that can increase the risk of certain mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Also, being resilient can help offset the risks associated with being bullied or other traumatic experiences. Ultimately, resilience can help with a person’s coping ability.
Someone who may feel like they don’t have the resilience or willpower to confront their addiction and cut back on or completely cut out the substances they use may be happy to know this character attribute isn’t something you’re either born with or without. Resilience can evolve as a result of thoughts, behaviors and actions.
Determining How Much Resilience You Have
Resilience is a quantifiable asset that participation in a treatment program can modify and improve. Individuals curious about their resilience should consider reviewing the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, which consists of 25 items and uses a five-point rating scale. Modified items on this scale include:
- I can adapt to changes.
- I have close and secure relationships.
- Sometimes God or fate helps me.
- I can handle whatever comes my way.
- Past successes give me confidence for new challenges.
- I try to see the humorous sides of things when I face problems.
- Coping with stress can strengthen me.
- I tend to bounce back following an injury, illness, or other hardship.
- I think most things in life happen for a reason.
- No matter what, I make my best effort.
- Even if there are obstacles, I think I can achieve my goals.
- I do not give up even when things look hopeless.
- I know where to turn for help in times of stress.
- I stay focused and think clearly under pressure.
- I like to take the lead in problem-solving.
- Failure does not easily discourage me.
- I believe I am a strong person when dealing with life’s challenges and difficulties.
- I make difficult or unpopular decisions.
- I can handle unpleasant or painful feelings such as anger, sadness, and fear.
- I have to act on a hunch.
- My sense of purpose in life is strong.
- I believe I am in control of my life.
- I like challenges.
- I work to attain my goals.
- I take pride in my achievements.
Higher scores on the scale reflect more resilience. Evaluating yourself using this scale can help you direct your efforts into gaining more resilience and becoming more adaptable in the face of adversity.
Being Resilient During The Recovery Process
Resilience can be an asset for individuals who are undergoing the drug or alcohol recovery process. Being a resilient person means you will be able to withstand any cravings and impulses you feel as you stop using substances. While forsaking your substance use habits, you will be more likely to remain faithful to the goals you set for yourself and your intentions for withdrawing from all substances and achieving sobriety.
Having resilience means being aware and mindful of any potential setbacks and personal triggers that could threaten the progress you make during and after recovery. Knowing how to deal with triggers and setbacks allows you to take the necessary steps toward decreasing the likelihood of these obstacles. Individuals in recovery can develop and enhance their resilience by strengthening their emotional and mental control and having positive social interactions that support their recovery goals.
Ways to Increase Your Resilience
In some cases, alcohol and drug addiction can be co-occurring with behavioral issues and mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. Individuals who experience these commonly occurring conditions may often deal with negative thoughts. One way a person can boost their resilience is to improve their mindset and reframe any negative thoughts that plague them.
People can gain mental strength and resilience by learning how not to entertain negative thoughts. While in recovery, avoid dwelling on negative internal dialogue, worries, or criticism. Instead, learn how to cheer yourself on and view things from a more positive outlook.
Focusing your energy less on negative thoughts and more on positive ones and the goals you’ve established for yourself can help make recovery and sobriety more feasible. Working with a clinician or addiction specialist such as the compassionate professionals at The Right Step to create specific goals you hope to accomplish during and after recovery can help you give more purpose and meaning to your life.
Setting goals can also give you more responsibility and accountability. Prioritizing your long-term goals for staying sober can play a part in having an easier time resisting short-term gratifications that could set back the progress you make during the recovery process.
Don’t Try Recovering Alone: Know When to Seek Help
Emotional, mental, legal and financial obstacles that occur during the recovery process can be disheartening. Likewise, the inability to resist temptations after quitting substance misuse and abuse can also be devastating to individuals who spend time in and out of treatment. It’s essential that people battling addiction take these experiences as learning opportunities instead of failures or dead ends.
Stay focused on your recovery and sobriety goals and recognize the importance of relying on addiction specialists, family, friends, social support groups and those attending group therapy sessions with you. During recovery, the people you meet in groups, whether online or in-person, can offer unique support, as they know firsthand what it’s like to undergo treatment and work toward turning away from old habits.
Gaining the resilience to overcome all obstacles that may come your way during recovery takes time, practice, and social support. If you don’t think you’re making any progress in developing resilience or staying sober, and you’re unsure where to start, reach out to a mental health professional at an addiction treatment center. Addiction experts can provide their clients with information, guidance, support, treatment options and behavioral therapies that empower them to improve their resiliency and enhance their mental and emotional well-being.
Boost Your Resilience and Improve Your Progress in Recovery With The Right Step Centers
Deciding to cease using drugs you’ve used habitually and stop drinking alcohol is a monumental step. Likewise, recognizing that you may not have enough resilience to deal with the obstacles associated with addiction and early recovery is nothing to be ashamed of and is just as crucial to sobriety as admitting a problem exists. Our experienced professionals at The Right Step can empower Texans with the support, tools and resilience-building they need to break free from addiction.
At our addiction treatment centers, clients learn how to work through any anxiety, shame, stress, grief, sadness or anger they experience during the recovery process and respond to these emotions without relying on alcohol or drugs. Furthermore, clients can receive individualized care and therapy that enables them to deal with cravings and the mental, emotional, and physical symptoms associated with withdrawal.
At The Right Step, professionals may implement evidence-based programs, including but not limited to:
- Alcohol addiction treatment
- Cocaine addiction treatment
- Heroin addiction treatment
- Prescription drug addiction treatment
- Medical drug detox centers
Make a call to The Right Step Centers in Texas at 844-768-0086 today. Doing so can be the first step to receiving the treatment you deserve and need in a safe, supportive, judgment-free environment. The specialists here understand that addiction, mental health conditions and recovery can impact each person differently.
For this reason, the admissions process involves a complimentary, confidential assessment for prospective clients that allows specialists to make accurate decisions about the type of treatment that will work best for you and enable you to achieve and maintain sobriety successfully.
