The first 90 days of recovery are perhaps the most difficult time for an addict, and can be extremely difficult to manage. There are a high percentage of addicts and alcoholics that will relapse during the first 90 days. The Cabin Chiang Mai does not want to see people relapse, we teach all of our patients’ very useful tools and techniques for recovering from an addiction. We felt that it was important to give some advice to those who are not at our rehab and are in their first 90 days of recovery.
During the First 90 Days of Recovery an Addict Should
Build a Social Network
Building a social network in the first 90 days of recovery is crucial, as it allows the addict to find and connect with others who are also recovering from an addiction. Most recovering addicts find these connections in 12 step meetings or other support groups, but they can also be found in extracurricular activities; such as, working out at a gym, yoga classes, or cooking classes. The most important thing when building a social network is to find people that the addict can talk to about anything, people they can trust, and they can relate to in terms of addiction and recovery. Once the addict has maintained their sobriety for a long period of time, they may feel that social networking is not as important. However, in the first 90 days of recovery, attending meetings and building a supportive social network can help get the addict through very tough times.
Find a Balance and Meaning of Life
Over the first 90 days of recovery, it can help an addict to consider what their meaning of life is, what is important to their overall health, and begin to find a balance. This is a very slow process, but with the right mindset and outlook, these answers will come over time. An addict should try to think about how they can improve certain areas in their life by working on things like: exercising, eating healthy, meditation, other relaxation techniques, finding a job, going back to school, rebuilding relationships, and meeting sober friends.
Set Goals and Stick to Them
During the first 90 days of recovery, an addict can greatly benefit by beginning a new, strong, positive mindset about remaining sober. This will encourage the addict to find goals that will help them to remain sober, and how to meet their goals. This does not mean to put the bare minimum of effort into it, it does not even mean to put a lot of effort into it, what it means is to put everything into achieving the goal and then some. When the addict does this, they are deliberately going above and beyond what they think they need to do to maintain their sobriety. If an addict can do this, they will make it far beyond their first 90 days of recovery.
Find a Controlled Environment
Having a controlled environment is essential to an addict’s recovery, as many environmental and social factors play a big part in their life, and can therefore, contribute to a relapse. There are a few ways to finding a controlled environment. The first is a rehab; this will keep the addict away from any temptations. Rehab only lasts so long, as for more permanent changes the addict may consider moving to a new location or entering a long term treatment center once they have left rehab. A new change of environment is not the ultimate solution to keeping sober, but it can help, especially during the first 90 days of recovery.
Have You Relapsed during the First 90 Days
Not everyone makes it through the first 90 days. If you are an addict and have relapsed and would like to get clean, please contact us today.
