Learning how to manage stress over the long run is an essential tool for a successful recovery.
When in the midst of your addiction many people become “functioning” because they take on many responsibilities and issues knowing that they will have the eventual immediate gratification and relief that can come with using after the fact.
You can anticipate that in the early stages of your recovery you will feel much more acutely the strains of your tasks. If pressed hard enough, and without other healthy tactics on board, these pressures can bring you back to your addiction.
Healthy stress management means that you accept you will not have the same potency of relief but that the results can be longer and more enduring. Learning to make time for your coping skills, putting them in your schedule and being disciplined about your relaxation time will help you to weather the eventual storms.
Chad K. Cox PsyD
Licensed Psychologist
AToN Center 888-535-1516
