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When you are recovering from a substance use disorder, there is a need for a certain level of patience when you are trying out different things and learning new things to cope with your addiction.
For those who have struggled for many years with addiction, your brain chemistry has settled itself in such a way that it cannot function properly without its frequent use.
To change such behavior, it is obvious that you have to do something extraordinary that will feel uncomfortable to you.
Feeling out of your comfort zone is the signal that you are in the recovery process. This is because the use of substances felt natural to you. Hence, when you are in the recovery process where you have been isolated from the substance, it is natural you will feel uncomfortable.
Why Can Feeling Comfortable While Recovering Be Dangerous?
Making a decision to enter a drug treatment program is perhaps the biggest decision you can take in your life. As you move forward with the treatment procedure, you will come across the barrier that will restrict you from success.
As we have already stated above, to recover from a disease like addiction, you have to come out of your comfort zone to venture into new methods for recovery. You might find yourself struggling at first, but slowly you gain the confidence to function in your life while working with the recovery program.
After constant hard work, you will eventually reap the benefits. While becoming successful can bring a sense of pride, being too comfortable with your success means that something is wrong.
When recovering patients become complacent, they start to slack off on their recovery program. Eventually, their confidence fades away, and relapses occur. Click here to know more information from Ascendant.
Breaking Free Of Your Comfort Zone
When you think long and hard, recovering is not all about settling with what you are comfortable with. Instead, you must consider recovery a journey filled with challenges and opportunities to learn new ways to recover.
Now the real question is, how do you go about it?
The best way to answer this question is to start looking at the moments in which you feel stuck in recovery. While you are recovering from substance abuse, it is a good practice to write a journal daily.
As you read through your journal, you will now find out the changes that are hampering your recovery.
Developing new hobbies is also a great way to come out of your comfort zone. Who knows, in search of new ways of passing your time, you might find a new passion to pursue.
It is important that you understand the fact that recovery is a lifelong process. You can just complete an addiction treatment program and say you have recovered. There is always the possibility of patients going back to their old habits, thereby falling victim to addiction again.
Healthy Ways To Go Out Of Your Comfort Zone For The Recovery
Your comfort zone is a predictable place. You know exactly what activity will trigger what motion. The same thing can be related to your recovery. While you are recovering, you know a few activities that will help you recover. But staying in your comfort zone will only delay your recovery process.
Coming out of your comfort zone and finding new ways to recover can significantly boost your recovery process and provide a solution to your withdrawal symptoms.
Here are a few healthy ways to come out of your comfort zone in the drug recovery process.
1. Start With Small Steps
Don’t try to jump outside your comfort zone all at once. Instead, start with small steps like eating in a restaurant, meeting different people, and spending some quality time with them.
2. Feel The Fear & Do It Anyway
One of the biggest obstacles we find while coming out of our comfort zone is fear. We fear that we will lose or fail. Despite the fear of losing or failing, do it anyway. Experience it and see for yourself how it feels like.
3. Find Comfort In The Discomfort
Start doing things that you are uncomfortable with. One way to get outside of your comfort zone is by avoiding any activity that gives you discomfort. For instance, if you are starting to learn swimming and are totally bad at it, keep in mind that it is ok to suck at new things.
4. Take On Challenges
When you take on new challenges, you get a fresh perspective and allow yourself to accept the changes. By tackling something challenging, you will experience an adrenaline rush that can recharge your energy.
5. Exercise Regularly
Withdrawal symptoms are due to the chemical imbalance inside your brain. Exercising daily can help you release those hormones, restoring the chemical balance.
6. Communicate With Everyone Around You
Communication is the key. You cannot recover if you feel nobody is supporting you. Addiction treatment can be a challenging process. It will find different ways to discourage you. To negate this effect, always communicate with your loved ones.
7. Eat Healthily
Eating healthy is necessary. We understand that during the medical detoxification process, you would want to have different types of foods and beverages. Well, you can reserve them for later on. While on medication, always ensure that you are eating clean.
Final Thoughts
Just because we are saying, you do not have to go all the way spending all your recovery time outside your comfort zone. You can come back to your comfort zone from time to time. However, just ensure that you are not lingering for too long.
If you do, you will forgo many opportunities to recover faster. Recovery is a time-consuming process. Sometimes the process is so slow that the patients get impatient about it.
