When you first enter recovery, you’ll likely be feeling highly motivated. You’ve finally taken the brave first step of asking for help and beginning your recovery journey. Everything you’ve learned is still fresh in your mind, and you’re confident in your sobriety. However, as time further progresses, you may find that you have trouble staying motivated in the way that you once had.
This doesn’t mean that you’re not still dedicated to your recovery and want to stay sober. But you may find that you don’t have quite the same level of drive to maintain your recovery plan as you once did. Maybe you have been skipping 12-Step support group meetings or therapy sessions. Or maybe you are just not quite as confident in your recovery as you once were.
If you are experiencing this, it doesn’t mean that you’ve done anything wrong or that treatment has failed. You may just need to adjust your long-term treatment plan to better fit your current needs. This is nothing to be ashamed of and is something that the team at Pathways Recovery Center Can help with.
Understanding Why Staying Motivated Can Become Difficult In Recovery
When you first seek treatment for addiction and go through a recovery program, you are taught a lot of valuable lessons and learn a lot about yourself. You have the opportunity to address problems from your past and begin healing. Throughout therapy sessions, you can begin to grow and start working on becoming the best possible version of yourself. This can be a very empowering time of life.
But what happens down the road when something may go wrong in life? Maybe you experience some sort of trauma in life, such as the sudden loss of a loved one, financial trouble, job loss, or some sort of abuse. This sort of burden could possibly jeopardize your recovery by causing you to feel like you need to turn back to substance misuse to cope. Ultimately, this way of thinking could lead to a potential relapse.
This is why staying motivated is so important, not only in the early days of your recovery but all the time. There are a lot of different ways that you can stay motivated even after months of being sober. One of these ways is by tracking your progress.
Consider where you were when you first chose to get treatment for your addiction and where you are now. What benefits in life have you experienced? Make it a point to keep track of these benefits through a journal. That way, you can always look back and see your progress, especially on days when you are feeling down and need some sort of motivation.
Different Ways of Staying Motivated After a Year in Recovery
If you’re struggling to stay motivated in recovery, one of the first things you should do is look back and reflect upon why you chose to get sober in the first place. Maybe your substance misuse caused you to get into some sort of trouble with the law. Or maybe it caused you financial problems or caused stress within one of your relationships. No matter what the cause is, it is important to remind yourself to refocus on this aspect of your substance use.
Regardless of what you have gone through in your life and how difficult things have been, there will always be room for improvement. Continue to focus on what your values are in life and how remaining sober will help you benefit them. This will help you to remember your overall plan and why your decision to get sober at a facility like Pathways Recovery Center is so important.
Changing Your Perspective About Staying Motivated in Recovery
If you are struggling to stay motivated after your first year in recovery, you are not alone. It may just be time to sit down with a recovery professional, reconsider your treatment plan, and think about what would be the best way forward. Perhaps it is time to try out a therapist that better fits your needs. Or maybe there is a 12-Step support group meeting held locally that will better fit what you are currently experiencing.
Addiction recovery is not a straight and narrow road. There may be times throughout the journey when you will need to adjust your treatment plan, and that is no fault of your own. It just means that you are continuing to grow, and your recovery experience will need to be adjusted as a result. Don’t be afraid to reach out to a treatment professional, and be as honest as possible.
The longer you wait and put things off, the worse things can become. Don’t try to fight this battle alone; reach out for help. Our team at Pathways Recovery Center will treat you with the dignity and respect that you deserve.
It doesn’t matter where you are in your journey with sobriety; you never have to feel like you are alone. Even if you spend several years as a sober person and start to lose motivation, there is still help available. If you are struggling, don’t keep it to yourself. Our team at Pathways Recovery Center is here for you. Regardless of what questions you may have, we are here and ready to support you. Take an important step toward healing today. Call (888) 771-0966 to talk with a member of our team about our services. You can begin living your best life right away. Reach out to Pathways Recovery Center today.
