Early Addiction Recovery Guide
Early Addiction Recovery Guide
Individuals in early recovery from drug or alcohol addiction have a difficult task ahead of them if they wish to maintain abstinence and avoid a relapse. The power of addiction cannot be understated. The cravings and obsessive thoughts common to early recovery can often be more powerful than one’s love for family, loyalty to friends, dedication to work, and even the individual’s passionate commitment to abstinence. Therefore, in early recovery, before the individual has the proven experience that he/she can stay clean or sober, the following four suggestions are offered, with the explanations provided.
Avoid Access to Drugs
1. Avoid drugs and drug users completely. Anyone who uses drugs in front of you is committing a hostile act, and is not your friend.
2. Do not stay in the same room or at a party, while someone is preparing to use or is using drugs.
3. Do not help friends find drugs or go along to watch.
4. Do not touch or handle drugs at any time.
5. Do not accept or fill any prescription without verifying the substance to be free of abuse potential. Do not rely upon the physician for this information; ask an addictions expert.
6. Read labels of over-the-counter medications; avoid liquids, such as cough and cold preparations, with alcohol in them, and choose "non-drowsiness" formulations.
7. Do not go to a place you know will result in access or put you in an environment normally frequented by users.
Avoid Unstructured Time
1. Avoid boredom, long periods of time with nothing to do, and isolation from persons who support your recovery. Get a job; go to AA/NA meetings; make friends with recovering people; develop new, or brush off old, hobbies, which you do not associate with drug use.
2. Especially avoid empty, unplanned periods at those times when you used to do drugs. Plan positive activities for dangerous times, preferably with persons who support your recovery.
3. Avoid holding large sums of money. For example, on payday, arrange for direct deposit and go to an AA/NA meeting right after work.
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