After years of addiction, giving up alcohol and drugs is a great milestone but not the ultimate solution to your problems. Quitting alcohol and drugs may be your core agenda until you become sober and realize that many other aspects of your life aren’t upright. Want to know how to get through depression while in sobriety? You need to pin down the exact reason you are depressed.
Depression in sobriety often occurs when you’re having relationship issues, financial struggles, work problems, and more. Not understanding your situation and taking the necessary preclusion measures can further worsen the situation, causing severe problems like suicidal thoughts and relapse. The following are the most powerful tools you need to manage depression after defeating alcohol and drug addiction.
Voice out Your Problem
Depression is known to take a toll on the victim if they don’t voice out their problems. The more you try to hide your feelings of dissatisfaction, self-doubt, and shame, the bigger the burden and the higher the chances depression will take overall control over your life. For someone who just defeated the drug addiction menace, it may be challenging to explain exactly how you feel.
However, when you talk to friends who have known you long enough, they will easily identify your troubles and worries. Remember, the first step to defeating depression while in sobriety is to get a strong support system around you. When you can easily talk out your worries and get the help you need, you will less likely go suicidal. Learn always to share your troubles and concerns with the people in your friends’ circle. As they always say, when a problem has been shared, it’s always halfway solved.
Stay Active and Busy
You’re more likely to get suicidal and start using drugs a few months after quitting if you’ve nothing doing. Waking up to no goal or plan for the day will likely catalyze your sinking back to the old habits of abusing drugs and alcohol. Staying busy and productive will distract your suicidal thoughts and get you to focus on stuff that adds value to your new self. The more engaged you’re actively engaging in productive activities, the easier it will be to manage depression and stress-related problems. Staying active and productive will as well boost your self-esteem and self-worth. If you’re not actively involved in life-changing activities, consider discovering a new hobby. There are so many activities you can add to your daily routine that would go a long way in helping you combat depression while in sobriety.
Stick to a workout schedule as that would enable you to boost your health while keeping fit. You can go on vacation whenever you’re free to discover new attractions. The following are some activities you can add to your daily routine:
- Riding a bike or taking a walk around your vicinity
- Taking yoga classes or engaging in a meditation session
- Going to the gym or working out at home
- Going hiking or camping in your dream destinations
- Engaging in events that aim to give back to the society
Keep a Relationship with Your Sober Support Group
One essential move everyone who leaves the rehab should make is to build and maintain a relationship with a sober support group. Get the people you went through the therapy session, alumni group, or a fellowship program together to assist you to stay sober and manage your depression. Since you shared a similar problem and hacked through it together, they likely understand your unique needs and can stand by you to offer the advice, listening ear, and empathy you need to beat depression.
There are chances one or two of the friends you underwent the rehab together with have depression. The easiest way to express your unique needs and get those in your sober support group to help you out is to share your problems whenever you meet up. Discussing matters of depression and the long-term effects it could have on your health and life is a starting point for you to start the healing process.
If you don’t get the support you need from your friends, you can talk with a professional to guide you through the healing process. When you’re depressed and unhappy about the life you live, you don’t need to be harsh and inconsiderate to yourself. If you feel your support group or friends don’t offer you the guidance and support you need to win over depression, you can contact us today at 772-266-5320 to meet our qualified counselors, available to your service 24 hours a day.