As you may have guessed, problem-solving refers to the process of finding solutions to difficult or complex problems. It’s normal for sober people to face specific challenges that can threaten their progress. Even after completing drug or alcohol treatment, certain addiction triggers, temptations, and stressors may present themselves. Recovery from addiction is rarely a perfectly progressive journey but rather a winding road. As a drug and alcohol treatment center in Palm Beach, we know that problem-solving in addiction recovery is essential for long-term sobriety, so we’re sharing a few tips that can help.
Common Problems That Occur in Recovery
Finding the appropriate life skills for addicts is crucial because they face various challenges that people who have never struggled with addiction wouldn’t understand. Some of the common challenges that addicts face in recovery include:
- Difficult emotions
- Drug and alcohol cravings
- Relationship problems
- Financial problems
- Loneliness
- Boredom
- Stress
- Poor mental health
- Transitioning back to everyday life after rehab
- Relapse
While nearly everyone has experienced stress and difficult emotions, other challenges like cravings and relapse are very specific to people who are recovering from substance abuse. Boredom and loneliness may seem simple to some people, but they’re considered two of the most dangerous emotions in recovery. Developing problem-solving skills in addiction recovery can help these individuals discover healthy and realistic ways to address these challenges and stay on track. Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches offers CBT problem-solving techniques as well as other therapies like biofeedback therapy. We also support recovering addicts with a variety of therapy techniques.
Simple Tips for Problem-Solving in Addiction Recovery
Some problems may reoccur throughout your life. Recovery is a continuous process that never ends, and the challenges associated with staying sober after addiction can reoccur multiple times. However, there are ways to improve your problem-solving skills in recovery and keep yourself prepared to withstand any trials that threaten to jeopardize your progress. Below are some simple and proven problem-solving skills you can use in your recovery or share with someone who is working on their sobriety.
- Identify the problem: The first step in tackling addiction problems and solutions is to identify the problem. If you’re feeling uneasy or feeling stressed or anxious, there’s probably a good reason for it. Don’t ignore your uneasiness or distress. Acknowledging a problem and facing it head-on can prevent you from pushing it to the side and keeps you accountable for making the necessary changes.
- Break the problem into parts: When you come across a big problem, it can be overwhelming. Usually, the second step of problem-solving in addiction recovery is to pick things you can change one day at a time. Have you got yourself into debt? Break it up into smaller payments. Not only is this the most responsible and affordable move, but the sense of achievement that comes from completing these smaller payments is motivational.
- Think about the consequences for each solution: Before you move forward with your plans, it’s important to consider each possible outcome. Jumping into things without taking the necessary precautions is often what gets people into tough situations in the first place. Once you have a few solutions, go through the consequences of each one and then decide what you want to do next.
- Ask for help: If you’re thousands of dollars in debt and don’t know how to fix it, ask a professional. If you feel like all of your mental health efforts have failed, speak to a therapist. If you’re struggling with addiction cravings and nothing else has worked, seek out support from a rehab center or sponsor. Our rehab offers an alumni program and relapse prevention services specifically to help people who are struggling in recovery. It’s both responsible and okay to ask for help. Don’t wait until you’re cornered to reach out for assistance.
There are many reasons why addicts struggle in recovery. Fortunately, our relapse treatment and prevention services at BHOPB teach people problem-solving activities in recovery to prepare them for life outside of rehab. If you want to take that first step towards sobriety or know someone else who does, call us now at 570-536-9621 to learn how we can help.
