Key takeaways:
Self-care includes nurturing both your physical and mental health.
Self-care is an important part of recovery from substance use disorders. It can also help you prevent relapse.
During recovery, some of the key acts of self-care are connecting with other people and therapy.
When you think of “self-care,” going on vacation or getting a massage probably come to mind. However, they are just one part of self-care.
Self-care is actually taking care of your physical and mental health on a daily basis so that you can feel and perform your best. This is particularly crucial when you are in recovery for substance use disorders, which are often referred to as addictions.
Read on to learn more about self-care, the role it plays in recovery, and how it can help prevent a relapse to drug or alcohol use.
Why is self-care so important in recovery?
There are many benefits to self-care in general. And, in recovery, self-care helps you to stay on your recovery path.
What are the benefits of practicing self-care?
By actively taking care of your health, you help lower the risk for dealing with problems later. For example, by eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly, you help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Your physical health and mental health affect each other. For instance, by getting enough sleep, your body rests and you can be more energized and focused on your work. And if you take care of your mental health, it can be easier to get quality sleep.
Likewise, good physical and mental health allow you to work toward your goals. This in turn fosters positive self-esteem. And when you feel good about yourself, you put more effort into taking care of yourself.
Mental health includes your psychological and emotional well-being. It also includes social well-being, which might not be something that we normally think about as self-care. However, respecting your own boundaries is important. It keeps you protected from the negative behaviors of others, such as verbal abuse or being taken for granted.
How does self-care help in recovery?
If you have a substance use disorder, you probably have used alcohol or drugs to escape stressful things or emotional pain.
With self-care, you nurture your mental and physical health so that you reduce your chances of turning to drugs or alcohol to cope. Additionally, by physically and mentally feeling your best, you can also work toward your full potential.
By working toward goals that matter to you, you have less time to use substances. You’ll also have a motivation to avoid them. In fact, people in recovery have reported boredom and anxiety as reasons for relapse. Other reasons for relapse include a lack of motivators, like a job, life purpose, or healthy relationships with others.
By taking care of yourself, you can help reduce stress and anxiety and fill your time with activities you enjoy. Below, we’ll go over specific ways you can do this while in recovery.
How do you practice self-care in recovery?
Self-care in recovery includes doing things to keep you feeling your best. It also includes fostering positive and supportive relationships.
What are some self-care strategies you can try if you’re struggling in recovery?
Some helpful self-care strategies that individuals in recovery have shared include exercising, eating a healthy diet, and keeping busy. Other strategies are:
Maintaining boundaries: An example of maintaining your boundaries is prioritizing the things that are important to you. Another example would be saying “no” more often to the friend who always assumes you will help them whenever they need you.
Maintaining spirituality: Self-care looks different for each person. And religion and spirituality are not for everyone. Some might prefer to volunteer or engage in hobbies, for example.
Dealing with negative emotions: It’s important to face negative emotions and deal with them. This can help you avoid using substances as a way to cope with these emotions. Working with a therapist can help find and discuss the emotional issues that might be contributing to a substance use disorder.
How important is social support in self-care?
Social support is essential in self-care and recovery from substance use disorders. After all, we are social beings who thrive on healthy relationships with people who support us. The same is true when you are in recovery. Some ways you can build or enhance your support network include:
Joining a support group for substance use disorders such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or SMART Recovery
Opening up about your substance use disorder with someone you trust
Volunteering with a group that has the same passions as you
Spending quality time with family and friends
Surrounding yourself with those who accept and respect you
Can self-care prevent a relapse?
Yes. Actually, self-care is one of the “rules of recovery” because stress can lead to relapse.
Research has found this to be the case at the biological level as well. Cortisol is a hormone that our bodies release when we are under stress. The more stress we experience, the greater the amount of cortisol our bodies release. A few studies have found that increases in cortisol were associated with relapse.
In addition, relapse is not a one-time event. Rather, it occurs in three stages:
Emotional relapse: First, you experience emotional difficulties, and so you might withdraw from others and bottle up your emotions. When you notice this happening, it is a sign to connect with others and share your emotions. This can help keep you from progressing to the next stage of relapse.
Mental relapse: The second stage involves consciously thinking about using drugs or alcohol again. When you notice yourself having such thoughts, therapy is very important. In therapy, you can identify risky situations in which you are likely to relapse. Then, you and your therapist can develop strategies for avoiding or coping in these situations.
Physical relapse: The third stage is where you actually use substances again. Even though you may feel disappointed for relapsing, it is never too late to get yourself back on the road of recovery. Recovery is a long-term process with ups and downs.
The bottom line
By putting in the time and effort to care for your physical and mental self, you reduce the chance for health problems later. Self-care strategies can help you prevent relapse and have a successful recovery. Strategies include everything from getting enough sleep to connecting with others and enforcing your boundaries. And therapy is an important part of self-care where you can address concerns that might lead to relapse.
Why trust our experts?
References
Cay, M., et al. (2018). Effect of increase in cortisol level due to stress in healthy young individuals on dynamic and static balance scores. Northern Clinics of Istanbul.
Jeon, H., et al. (2018). From neurons to social beings: Short review of the mirror neuron system research and its socio-psychological and psychiatric implications. Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience.
McGaffin, B. J., et al. (2017). Social support and mental health during recovery from drug and alcohol problems. Addiction Research and Theory.
National Institutes of Health. (2021). Caring for your mental health.
Raynor, P. A., et al. (2017). Exploring self-care and preferred supports for adult parents in recovery from substance use disorders: Qualitative findings from a feasibility study. Issues in Mental Health Nursing.
Sinha, R. (2011). New findings on biological factors predicting addiction relapse vulnerability. Current Psychiatry Reports.
