We all feel a range of emotions every day. We might feel happy, disappointed, frustrated, grumpy, and more all in the course of a single afternoon. As a rule, emotions come and go, which means that whatever you are feeling at any given moment is going to change soon enough.
But there are some emotions that can pose a real risk to your recovery. These emotions can be particularly intense and can linger for long periods of time. When those emotions are in play, it can be sorely tempting to address them with drugs or alcohol.
That, of course, is the last thing you want to do—so it is a good idea to understand these emotions and how you can manage them so that your recovery journey is not interrupted by a relapse.
Let’s take a look at anger, grief, and loneliness in relation to your ongoing recovery.
Pause To Prevent Anger From Getting the Better of You
There are times when anger can be a productive emotion. It can inspire you to right a wrong, for example. Indeed, it might have been a feeling of anger at yourself that led you to seek out help to address your substance use disorder.
But often, anger can be more destructive than constructive. And because anger can flare up in a flash, it can lead to missteps in the moment that we might not make if we took the time to calm down before reacting.
So, that is our first piece of advice when it comes to anger. When it arises, your best option is probably to pause and not react in the moment. That might mean stepping away from a conversation that has taken a negative turn. It might mean taking a few minutes to do a mindfulness exercise. Or it might mean going for a walk to clear your head.
There are many other choices you can make—both in the moment of anger and in general—to help you deal with anger in ways that do not imperil your recovery. You can find a longer list of suggestions for addressing anger in this previous blog post.
Maintain Your Healthy Routines To Keep Grief From Overwhelming You
When we experience a loss, it is natural and appropriate to grieve. Something or someone important to us has been taken away, and that takes time—often a long time—to come to terms with. Often, grief can feel overwhelming, and in those moments, your recovery is at risk.
One way to shore up your recovery in the face of grief is to redouble your commitment to your healthy routines. Make sure you are getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and making healthy choices when it comes to what you are eating and drinking. Leaning into these and other healthful strategies boosts your mental and physical health. That, in turn, can make it easier (not necessarily easy, but easier) to manage the intensity of the grief you are experiencing.
Making healthy choices when facing down grief is just one strategy for addressing this challenging emotion. You can find other ideas for weathering the challenges of grieving in this previous blog post.
Find Your People To Stave Off Loneliness
Loneliness can be a problem for a person in recovery from a substance use disorder. When you feel alone, it is easy to think that it does not matter whether you return to drugs or alcohol. In fact, you might conclude that the substances you have left behind would be a good way to overcome your feelings of loneliness.
As we have noted, turning to drugs or alcohol to manage your emotions is a terrible idea. And when it comes to loneliness, there are plenty of much better options.
Indeed, building a strong, supportive network of friends and family is one of the most important things you can do in recovery. One of the many benefits of doing so is that you are less likely to find yourself experiencing loneliness and the temptations that can come with it.
There are a number of ways to expand your network of support in recovery. For example, you could seek out a volunteer opportunity that would connect you to others who share an interest with you. Or you could get involved in your local arts community as a patron, a participant, or both.
We should note that not everyone in your circle of friends and acquaintances needs to know you are in recovery. It is up to you to decide who to share that information with. Often, it is enough to simply be intentional about engaging with others. When you do, you can keep loneliness at bay.
There are plenty of other ways to connect with others. You can find additional options and ideas in this previous blog post.
French Creek Can Help You Take Back Control of Your Life
When you are struggling with drugs or alcohol, it can feel as though you are in a trap with no way out. Fortunately, however, French Creek Recovery Center—located in Meadville, Pennsylvania—can help you leave substances behind so that you can reclaim your life. When you are ready to make a transformative change for the better, we are ready to help.