Developing coping skills for addiction recovery means the difference between sobriety and a life out of your control. Many people suffering from substance abuse problems have few, if any, coping strategies. Yet, if they want to remain sober, it is critical that they develop these coping skills for women in Asheville, NC.
What Are Coping Skills for Addiction Recovery?
The simplest explanation of coping skills for addiction recovery are the strategies that you use to minimize the effects of a stressful event. The goal of coping strategies is to help you return to a more balanced and relaxed state.
Two different approaches to coping exist. On the one hand, people who experience stress will try to alleviate the cause of their stress. For example, a person in a stressful job situation may try to reduce the amount of work they do.
On the other hand, some will try some sort of emotional regulation as a coping strategy. Using the job example above, if people under stress can’t change the amount of work they do, then they might do yoga therapy in Asheville or start practicing meditation. These activities also help people to regulate their emotions. The amount of stress they are under remains the same. However, the coping strategy is different.
Maladaptive Coping Strategies
Unfortunately, some coping mechanisms are maladaptive. People who use maladaptive coping strategies may use substances to cope with their stress. They may engage in destructive behaviors, like gambling. Others may develop eating disorders to regain feelings of control.
People who have maladaptive coping skills, like substance abuse, may have grown up around others with substance abuse issues. It is normal to see people turn to alcohol or drugs as a coping strategy. This is one of the reasons why it’s so important to help those with substance abuse issues develop coping strategies. Addictive behaviors are maladaptive coping strategies.
Specific Coping Skills for Addiction Recovery
Coping strategies for addiction recovery may be the same coping strategies that anyone would use to deal with stress. For example, people dealing with substance abuse problems might try to reduce their workload or take up yoga to deal with job stress.
However, other coping strategies for addiction recovery may be more recovery specific. In this case, you can attend a 12-step meeting like Alcoholics Anonymous. You can also talk to your sponsor when feelings of stress get overwhelming.
Professionals who work with those suffering from substance abuse problems point out that recovery involves making a new life. In this new life, you are less likely to put yourself in situations that lead to using alcohol or drugs.
Having a Plan
When you go into recovery, we will ask you to make a list of triggers. These triggers are stressors that make you want to drink or use substances.
Some of these triggers to urges and cravings are everyday occurrences. For example, you may deal with stress differently when you aren’t tired or hungry. You may also make different decisions when you are lonely or angry. We encourage those suffering from substance abuse issues to make a plan for how to deal with these issues when they arise. This allows them to make a plan for dealing with stressful triggers before they happen to reduce the chances of relapse.
Many coping skills for addiction recovery have this in mind. You may have a list of coping strategies to use if the stress in your life gets to be too much. In the early days of recovery, it’s a good idea to keep this strategy list on hand. This gives you a starter list of healthier go-to responses before attending a relapse prevention program in NC.
Final Words
Coping skills for addiction recovery allow those struggling with substance abuse issues to deal with their triggers. Typically, you will work with a sponsor, a 12-step group or a counselor to develop some effective coping strategies. If you’re dealing with substance abuse issues and would like some help developing some ways to cope, contact The Willows at Red Oak Recovery. Call compassionate addiction recovery specialists today at 855.773.0614.
