New Year's Resolution for those in Drug and Alcohol Recovery

Author: Ben Brafman

Drug and alcohol recovery centers sometimes have issues with their clients making New Year's resolutions. New Year's resolutions will put as much pressure on a recovering addict as they allow them to, and excess stress and pressure can be a recipe for disaster for anyone trying to stay sober. In addition to the unnecessary pressure, some addiction experts believe that New Year's resolutions can be bad for those in drug and alcohol recovery as it takes away the immediacy of changing. It gives the individual the ability to put off making their desired lifestyle changes and often times promotes increasingly poor behavior until the impending date. For example, if you decide on December 1st that your New Year's resolution is to start eating a heart-healthy diet, there's a good chance that for the remainder of the month you'll go the opposite way and eat extra badly as you're in the "last chance" mentality. This can be especially dangerous for those trying to get to drug and alcohol recovery as those final binges before they intend to admit themselves into treatment can be deadly.

New Year's resolutions don't necessarily have to be avoided at all costs if you are a recovering addict. They can actually be very empowering and helpful to individuals who have the discipline to not use them as an excuse to do the opposite before the new year. They can serve as great tools to help keep you focused and organize your thoughts on the positive changes you want to make in your life going forward. That said, they can also be daunting or overwhelming to the person who makes a 10 page list of all the things they've always wanted to change about themselves and could never follow through on. Here is a list of some helpful tips to help guide the individual in drug and alcohol recovery with regard to crafting and fulfilling their New Year's resolutions this year:

• First and foremost, while your resolutions should be a stretch and require some effort on your part, they must be obtainable. Obtainable means not only things that you're capable of doing but also things that you're genuinely committed to changing. If it's not obtainable by that definition, it's highly unlikely you will stick to it.
• Compile your list, put it to paper and put it somewhere you'll see it at least once a day.
• Create a plan of action for how you plan on achieving this change. What will you need to do? What will you need to not do? Taking the time to outline the how can be very beneficial.
• Use the lessons you learned in drug and alcohol recovery and visualize how achieving these changes will impact your life. How will things improve for you? What problems will go away as a result of you making these changes? Attaching meaning to these positive life changes can serve as excellent motivation.
• If you stumble or make some mistakes along the way, don't give up! Just because you slipped up once or twice doesn't mean you should give up on your goals.
• Be patient! The things that we would benefit from the most often take the longest to achieve. With hard work, commitment and dedication, you can accomplish your goals.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/addictions-articles/new-years-resolution-for-those-in-drug-and-alcohol-recovery-5518313.html

About the Author

Ben Brafman, LMHC, CAP is the President and CEO of Destination Hope, a licensed dual diagnosis substance abuse treatment center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ben has more than 20 years of experience in the addiction and mental health fields, which led him to develop a combination of innovative treatment protocols at Destination Hope. He has been published on various topics including dual diagnosis and chemical dependency, and gives back to the community by educating other addiction counselors at his Academy for Addiction Professionals. We encourage you to do everything in your power this holiday season to stay safe, serene and sober.