Self-care can get lost when you are in the throes of a mental health challenge and can make you feel more depressed, tired, and unforgiving of yourself. Physical, mental, and spiritual health can suffer when you are actively struggling with addiction. Self-care in recovery means you change unhealthy behaviors for new healthier ones. For example, a healthy diet, exercise, and spiritual wellness encompass healthy habits and self-care behavior in recovery.
Addiction and Mental Health Disorders
Addiction can affect your relationships with loved ones, your financial status, and your daily activities. It can be hard to ask for help due to the stigma surrounding addiction and mental health. Most addictions stem from underlying mental health problems. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), a 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 7.9 million adults had co-occurring disorders in 2014. During the past year, for those adults surveyed who experienced substance use disorders and mental illness, rates were highest among adults ages 26 to 49 (42.7%).
Getting help is a massive step in your journey to success in recovery. With self-care, we learn to love and forgive ourselves while maintaining a positive attitude.
Healthy Activities
You may experience a range of emotions when drinking or using substances and may sometimes feel unworthy, guilty, depressed, hopeless, and lonely. When getting treatment, you should have healthy support from family and friends who can encourage you on your lifelong journey in recovery. Healthy activities such as exercise, a well-balanced diet, interests in hobbies, reading, yoga, or sports will occupy your mind, help you cope, and remain positive.
Healthy activities will make the transition to a lifestyle without drugs more comfortable. Old habits will be replaced with new healthy ones. The mind will be preoccupied with activities, and there will be less time to focus on drugs or alcohol. Fun activities with family and friends can also be comforting and provide psychological improvements.
Healing the Mind, Body, and Spirit
A lifestyle change is a commitment to self-care. Holistic treatment helps you understand why you became addicted to drugs or alcohol in the first place. In treatment, you will find healthy alternatives to cope without drugs or alcohol. Since addiction affects all aspects of your health, healing must encompass the mind, body, and spirit simultaneously for success in recovery. The holistic approach is successful because it focuses on healing the whole person. The body cannot heal physically without mental health and vice versa.
Drugs and alcohol hijack our brains and fill our minds with self-doubt, negative thoughts, and the inability to reason with sound judgment. Practicing mindfulness helps us to forgive ourselves for harmful thoughts and negative emotions and be aware of our surroundings and others. Yoga, meditation, and deep breathing techniques are excellent ways to increase your mindfulness.
Healing the body means taking care of your physical health. When you maintain a well-balanced diet, your body will have a healthy response to treatment. Eating unhealthy foods can negatively affect emotions, fatigue, and stress. A lack of adequate nutrition can impair your ability to lead an enjoyable, healthy life and increase the risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and cancers. It can also contribute to depression and eating disorders. A healthy diet significantly reduces the risk of chronic diseases and severe health complications. (Centers for Disease Control, 2020)
Spirituality is defined as an action or feeling that makes you feel at peace or grounded. We need to find what makes us feel relaxed, grounded, and ourselves. Spiritual wellness can mean trying new things or going back to a place you felt comfort and strength to build a strong foundation.
Self-care allows a person in recovery to treat him or herself better. The journey to lifelong recovery is very challenging and can be stressful, but it is possible. When you practice self-care, stress and anxiety will lessen, and the focus can be on getting better.
Other Ways to Practice Self-Care
Family and friends can be supportive of your self-care. Incorporating laughter, fun, games, movies, and outings with loved ones are great self-care remedies. Meeting sober people will also ensure the focus stays more on your health rather than drugs or alcohol. Maintain your commitment to getting better, live healthier, and be patient with yourself.
It will take time to heal from addiction, substance use disorder, and mental health problems. Healthy activities will make the transition to a lifestyle without drugs or alcohol more comfortable. Replacing old habits with new healthy ones will keep your mind preoccupied with positive actions and enable useful self-care remedies.
Self-care in recovery allows you to treat yourself better. The journey to recovery is very challenging and can be stressful. When you take care of yourself, the stress and feelings of being overwhelmed will lessen, and the focus can be on you getting better.
Self-care is essential to the recovery process. When you take care of yourself, you allow your mind, body, and spirit to heal. Focusing on your well-being will make all the difference in your recovery journey. You may want to consider building a support system, journaling, finding hobbies you enjoy, exercising, and creating a balanced diet. Addiction is isolating, but you are not alone. The stigma of addiction and mental health disorders may prevent you from getting the help you so desperately need. At Achieve Concierge, we take a holistic approach to treatment tailored to your unique needs to heal the mind, body, and spirit. We offer same-day appointments with our caring and welcoming staff, and if you prefer, we can make at-home appointments. Take the first step to a fulfilling and healthy life in recovery. Get help and start your journey to recovery today by calling Achieve Concierge at (619) 393-5871.