5 Recovery Hacks
Knowing a few hacks that will help you in difficult situations is vital. But sometimes, the cagey addict needs to know some other DIYs when they need quick results to stay clean and sober.
Mindfulness is the “brain hack” that disrupts addictive behaviors. Meditation helps clear our mind by calming the parts of the brain associated with stress and anxiety, reducing obsessive behavior such as relapsing into addiction due to overwhelming emotions like anger or sadness. Prioritizing yourself first is guiltless because doing so will help you stay sober.
The Prize Hack. Replacing the biological reward of consuming a substance or engaging in a compulsive behavior with a prize for performing desirable behaviors makes it possible to curb addiction and reach sobriety milestones. Some people can use this strategy on their own. However, it is typically more effective when someone else delivers the incentives and tracks progress. The rewards can take many forms, including benefits, privileges, and money. Monetary incentives may effectively treat drug and alcohol addictions. Generally, the larger the incentives are, the more effective the strategy is.
The House Hack. Why not remove any mementos of addiction from your home and workplace environments? Separate from individuals who urge you to get involved with the addiction (drug, alcohol, or behavior). For example, if quitting drinking, get rid of alcohol, bottle openers, wine glasses, and corkscrews. Likewise, in quitting drugs, throw away stash boxes, brillos, and “decorative glassware.” Additionally, don’t let others use addiction-related substances or bring reminders of the behavior into your space.
The Exercise Hack. Instead of using, picking up, or slipping into the routine, you want to extinct, come up with other things to do, alternative activities, like going out for a stroll or calling a supporter or sober colleague to talk, staying busy until the surging urge goes away. Be ready to flee from places that trigger your cravings, and flow past things that remind you of the drunk/drugged old days. Exercise is virtually essential for successful addiction recovery. Exercise helps remind your body to strive and puts your mind in control of your body. Addiction behavior is the exact opposite. Typically, bodily desire overwhelms your mind’s self-discipline to resist it.
The Friend Hack. While it’s your option to pick up or stay clean and sober, people, places, and things can strongly influence your desire to use. For example, staying away from playmates and playgrounds that could encourage your use is necessary to maintain long-term sobriety. Instead, getting with your last, fast friends who do not use alcohol or drugs is critical during lonely or hostile times. In addition, bluesy feelings frequently act as triggers to tempt you back to your substance of addiction, drug of choice, or favorite drink.
The “Aha” Hack. The important hack is to know your warning signs to help you see what activities or conditions to avoid. Some triggers are obvious, while others may be covert and take time to discover. Your warning sign may be a flash of intuition, an “Aha” alert caused by brain chemicals. Then, on your own or with the help of someone else who has been through it, you can form a plan to handle stressful situations in a healthy way rather than turning back to a substance or behavior you want to avoid. Just don’t get hooked on hacks.
The author is a retired Texas drub rehab guy. Sam D. Parker retired from drug counseling after over 40 years in service. His goal is to acquaint people with the aspects of addiction that he found uplifting and that he found heartbreaking.
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