The Five Rules of Recovery

This impacts everything from your thoughts and actions to who you socialize with. Arbor Behavioral Healthcare wants to help you reduce your relapses as much as possible and keep you on the path to recovery. We know, however, that no one is perfect and we’re here to help you anyways. Honesty is about self-honesty involving the reality of your addiction and its impact on your life, but also being completely honest within your recovery support group. Recovery means creating a new life for yourself so it’s easier not to use. If this is avoided, everything contributing to your addiction will still be there, causing relapses.

Following these principles can help individuals focus on what’s important and stay away from substances. Denied users are prone to chronic relapse and use a sobriety milestone as an excuse to use. These are users that bend the rules of recovery and can never fully stay sober. In this stage, the craving hasn’t yet occurred, but the process of relapse has already begun. If you are feeling angry, anxious, or overwhelmed and you aren’t using recovery strategies to deal with them, you’re at risk of relapse. An emotional relapse happens, negative emotions come to the surface and you dismiss your new coping strategies.

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• While the path to recovery can look radically different depending on the individual, bending the rules to fit your temporary desires is not an option if you genuinely want to recover.
• It’s common for addicted individuals to turn to whatever means necessary to gain access to their substance of choice.
• Self-care practices such as meditation, mindfulness, or engaging in hobbies that bring you joy are essential for self-discovery and stress reduction.
• You cannot stop using drugs and alcohol but return to the same environment and habits that contributed to your addiction in the first place and expect to continue recovery.
• These can include milestones such as staying sober for a particular period, overcoming a challenging trigger, or achieving personal goals aligned with your recovery rules.
• In my role as an addiction counselor, one of the most powerful truths I share with those embarking on the path to recovery is the critical importance of honesty.

During the repair stage, individuals work to address the emotional and relational damage caused by addiction and rebuild a healthy lifestyle. This stage involves using cognitive therapy to overcome negative self-labeling and catastrophizing, repairing relationships, and becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable. Engaging in self-help groups and practicing self-care help individuals successfully navigate the repair stage and continue on their path to recovery. Remember, relapse prevention is an ongoing process that requires dedication and self-awareness.

Self-care is often overlooked because recovering individuals tend to be hard on themselves and feel as if they do not deserve any kind of reward. Those who struggle with self-care must understand the difference between selfishness and self-care. Selfish people take more than they need and overindulge in rewards.

• The path isn’t always easy, but adherence to these rules can be the difference between a life constrained by addiction and one that’s free and full of potential.
• Denying addiction is a dangerous path and often leads to using drugs and/or alcohol again.
• The five determinants of relapse are inadequate coping skills, social pressures, post-acute withdrawal symptoms, triggers, and lack of support.
• It’s about rebuilding trust, piece by piece, starting with the small truths.

By following these rules diligently, you can create a solid framework for success. Beginning with the first rule of recovery, to change one’s life, the rules of recovery address old habits that lead to addiction, and push individuals to create new, healthy habits. Active addiction revolves around webs of lies used to hide, plan, and deny substance abuse. It is important to not only learn how five rules of recovery to be honest but also to learn when and where complete honesty is appropriate. Of course, discretion can be used when it comes to sharing your story.

RULE 3: Be Completely Honest with Yourself and Everyone in Your Recovery Circle

The growth stage is about developing skills that individuals may have never learned and that predisposed them to addiction 1,2. The repair stage of recovery was about catching up, and the growth stage is about moving forward. Clinical experience has shown that this stage usually starts 3 to 5 years after individuals have stopped using drugs or alcohol and is a lifetime path. Cognitive therapy is one of the main tools for changing people’s negative thinking and developing healthy coping skills 9,10.

Below are some common challenges individuals face during the recovery process and how you can help your loved one combat them. If you don’t fully commit yourself to recovery, you’ll struggle to find to success in the long run. When cravings are difficult to ignore, reach out to support groups or a loved one to talk or be there with physically to help you stay strong. Regular sessions provide a safe space to address underlying issues, process emotions, and develop effective strategies for relapse prevention. Stay committed to therapy or counseling appointments and maintain open communication with your healthcare professionals. They can offer guidance, support, and valuable insights that empower you to overcome challenges and stay on the path to recovery.

“5 Rules of Recovery” That Can Help Prevent Relapse

The more you can avoid high-risk situations, and the more you can anticipate them and prepare for them, the greater your chance of success. Here are some common things that people need to change in recovery. A common question about honesty is how honest should a person be when dealing with past lies. The general answer is that honesty is always preferable, except where it may harm others 14,21. They think it is almost embarrassing to talk about the basics of recovery. They are embarrassed to mention that they still have occasional cravings or that they are no longer sure if they had an addiction.

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When people don’t understand relapse prevention, they think it involves saying no just before they are about to use. But that is the final and most difficult stage to stop, which is why people relapse. Understanding and practicing relapse prevention and the five rules of recovery are essential to maintain a life free from substance abuse and growing into the person you want to be. Living in recovery is essential to be free from addiction life-long. Recovery involves creating a supportive net around you, ensuring you have a safety net to catch you if you stumble. These thoughts lead to anxiety, depression, and subsequently addiction.

What are the five rules of recovery?

The abstinence stage is the first step in the recovery journey and focuses on managing cravings, avoiding triggers, and establishing a support network. In this stage, individuals may experience physical cravings and temptations to use “just one more time”. Developing healthy coping skills and building a strong support system enable individuals to successfully navigate the abstinence stage and lay the foundation for long-term recovery.

This is a time when you can offer support to your loved one and guide them to get the right interventions. In the 1970s, psychotherapists developed the Stages of Change Addiction Model, which identified that, whatever the addiction, people needed to go through the same steps to achieve change. The Addiction Recovery Institute of America understands that there are many ways to treat substance use.

Practical Tips for Supporting Someone Going Through Drug Withdrawal

This is a red flag that you could be on your way to a relapse. Knowing that you need to take the time for self-care practices will be very helpful in your recovery. If you are an addict, chances are that your drug of choice is the way you would relax, escape, and unwind. It is possible that you don’t know self-care techniques to help you take care of yourself and your needs. Asking for help can mean joining a self-help group, getting therapy, or joining a recovery program.

Some researchers divide physical relapse into a “lapse” (the initial drink or drug use) and a “relapse” (a return to uncontrolled using) 8. Clinical experience has shown that when clients focus too strongly on how much they used during a lapse, they do not fully appreciate the consequences of one drink. Once an individual has had one drink or one drug use, it may quickly lead to a relapse of uncontrolled using. But more importantly, it usually will lead to a mental relapse of obsessive or uncontrolled thinking about using, which eventually can lead to physical relapse.

You can find a 12-step meeting in every town, country, and mostly all cruise ships. Recovery should never be lonely, but many people try to go through recovery alone. However, joining a self-help group is proven to significantly increase the chances of long-term recovery. With help, you can arm yourself with the knowledge and tools you need to cope with and help prevent relapse in the future. If you’re interested in receiving support, you can schedule a free 15-min consultation here.