Recovery

When and where your recovery starts is up to you. You might choose to go to a traditional treatment program, join a self-help/12-step program, talk with your doctor or faith leader, or become a member of a Peer Recovery Support Center.

People in early and long-term recovery use different services to support their recovery. You might use more than one service. You might also find other ways to help support your recovery. It could be your religious faith, therapy, sports, meditation, or anything else that helps keep you healthy.

Connecting with others helps nurture your recovery and prevent relapse. Many support groups and recovery communities provide tools and guidance for your new way of life. They can help both in early and long-term recovery. Some of the many options for supporting your recovery include:

• Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and recovery
• Self-help and 12-step programs
• Recovery coaching
• Peer Recovery Support Centers
• Recovery homes
• Recovery high schools
• Recovery Learning Communities

Talk with a Helpline Specialist to find services such as counseling, support groups, and Peer Recovery Support Centers to support your recovery. Additional resources for parents can be found here.

In recovery, you learn to live without needing or wanting to use alcohol or other drugs. It means experiencing feelings of joy, hope, and possibility again – maybe for the first time in years. Difficult feelings often come up too, but recovery communities and other supports will help you work through them.

Recovery takes ongoing commitment but you don’t have to do it alone. With help from people who understand where you have been, it’s possible to reconnect with others and yourself. Many people in recovery go back to school, start families, rebuild relationships, get jobs, and live a full life free from alcohol and other drugs.

People in successful recovery often do some “work” to live a full life free of alcohol and other drugs. Here are some tips:

• Keep recovery first: stay active in your recovery!
• Stay connected with your recovery community and with supportive family and friends. They will help keep you motivated and remind you why it’s worth it.
• Practice gratitude. Look for the positive even in difficult situations.
• Avoid comparisons. Focus on yourself and how far you’ve come, not on where others may be.
• Practice being open-minded. Explore the different options available to help you in your recovery.
• Ask for help. No one can or should recover alone. Asking for help can help you grow and connect with others. It also gives someone else the opportunity to be helpful.
• Help someone else. Even the simplest action to help a friend or a stranger can make you feel connected and useful.
• Practice acceptance of yourself, others, and your current circumstances.

Early recovery is hard, and the disease of addiction is powerful. Sometimes people drink or use other drugs again even when they’re trying not to. Find out more about relapse and how to prevent it.