The Challenging Time of Alcohol Recovery: Treating Yourself with Grace

Finding oneself again after years of addiction is one of the most difficult things to do and many alcoholics struggle with guilt and self-hate during their recovery process.

You tend to dwell on your past mistakes and be constantly worried about what you’ve done wrong.

It is very important to take care of yourself during this period because you are still vulnerable and prone to influence.

Let us take a look at how you can treat yourself with grace during the recovery process.

Celebrate The Small Achievements

Most addicts find it hard to do the simplest of tasks like showering, washing clothes, or making themselves food.

Without the influence of alcohol, they will find it even harder in recovery.

Learn to celebrate the small tasks that you do.

Did you make your bed this morning? It is a win.

You went out for a walk and made yourself coffee? That is another big one!

Stop Dwelling In The Past

Guilt is something that troubles many recovering addicts and often gets in the way of their recovery process. Sure you might have made some mistakes and poor decisions. But dwelling on them is not going to help you.

You have made the big decision to be sober and that in itself is a huge deal!

So start focusing on your future and put your energy into repairing affected relationships and taking care of yourself.

Joining a professional drug rehab program will help you immensely. They offer a variety of services that take care of every aspect of the recovery process.

For example, the recovery program for alcohol addiction at Muse LA has both inpatient and outpatient rehab along with medication-assisted treatment.

Surround Yourself With Positive People

The people you surround yourself with will play a huge role in your recovery.

Don’t spend time with people who make you feel bad about yourself or constantly remind you that you aren’t doing enough. Negativity and criticism can definitely hinder your progress, so don’t put up with that!

Instead, the people around should constantly encourage you, celebrate your small achievements and lend a helping hand in every way possible.

It is also important to stay away from people who engage in heavy drinking because it might cause you to relapse.

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

It is normal to slip up every now and then in recovery. 

Mistakes are unavoidable and they will happen. Your job is to learn from them. You shouldn’t let it discourage you or get in your head. It could hamper the hard work you have done in your recovery and even set you back.

Let’s say you made the mistake of hanging out with another alcoholic while you were trying to stay sober and in the process consumed alcohol. Instead of feeling depressed about this incident and shaming yourself, you should resolve to say no to your friend next time, and just move on as if nothing happened.

Eat Well And Take Care Of Your Body

If you had a horrible diet as an alcoholic, you should change that in your recovery process.

Eat three balanced meals a day and stick to healthy foods. Your body has probably gone through a lot during your alcohol addiction so you need to focus on bringing it back to normal.

If you have nutritional deficiencies, make sure you eat the required foods and take supplements if necessary.

Try incorporating some physical exercises every day as well.

Focus On Your Goals

Don’t let your previous alcohol habits stop you from dreaming big.

Set goals and work on achieving them. You are in control of your own life and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Conclusion

Make sure you surround yourself with close family members and friends all the time, because you may need their support every now and then.

If you need to talk to a professional at any point, don’t hesitate to do so.