Exhaustion
Many people in early recovery are tired and even exhausted. Their bodies are run down and their minds need rest. The body is recovering from years of abuse and the mind needs to catch up. Other organs need time to regenerate and recover. This takes time and may make you feel like you could sleep for a year. What helps:- Sleep up to 8 hours a night
- Get into yoga class
- Scale back anything that is not necessary to give space for restoration and healing
Insomnia
Pre-recovery sleeping mostly meant drinking or using drugs until you passed out or perhaps falling asleep after a long night out. The body’s natural rhythm gets disrupted and it takes time to adjust. This may make you feel restless and struggle to fall or stay asleep. Getting into a normal sleep routine is key, along with the following:- Find a way to build a calm sleep environment
- Use aromatherapy
- Look into melatonin or natural sleep supplements with consultation from doctors prior to use
Mental Health
There may be unaddressed mental health issues that pop up time to time in early recovery. Perhaps they are known but they need to be addressed in rehab and followed up with in an aftercare program. Impulsive thoughts, severe depression, or troubling thoughts or symptoms require the help of medical professionals. Co-occurring disorders are high in people with addiction, with nearly 40 percent of people having a mental health diagnosis who struggle with addiction.No Sober Friends
One of the biggest things people don’t realize in recovery, even loved ones, is that it is hard to make new friends. Sober friends are the key to a long recovery but it takes time to rebuild a social circle once you leave everyone else behind. Find some healthy activities like working out, meditation classes, and seeking to volunteer or serve others as a way to build friendships that last long into recovery. There are many things which are challenging in early recovery but they can be helped by pursuing necessary steps like engaging in recovery programs, treating the mind and body with good food, sleep, and hydration. Other ways of supporting your body and mind in recovery are to practice good self care and make sure you are connected to a solid care team who can help you navigate recovery.Steps in the Right Direction offers structured, gender-specific sober living in the San Fernando Valley, with pet-friendly homes for women in Northridge and men in Winnetka. For more information, call (818) 231-1400.
Looking for a safe, structured place to live while you rebuild? Steps in the Right Direction offers gender-specific sober living in the San Fernando Valley: Aura House for women in Northridge and Arminta House for men in Winnetka. Both homes are pet friendly. Call (818) 231-1400 or apply online.
About the author: Linda Butler
Founder, Steps in the Right Direction
Linda Butler founded Steps in the Right Direction in the spring of 2000 and has spent more than 25 years helping women and men find lasting recovery through structured, pet-friendly sober living in the San Fernando Valley. Learn more about Linda.