Tips To Protect Your Mental Health In Recovery

Addiction recovery often focuses on physical health, well-being, and what someone does day-to-day. People also tend to measure success by how someone looks on the outside, how many sober days they’ve had, or how far they seem from drugs or alcohol. And, although staying physically healthy is (of course) important, mental health in recovery is just as important.

Unfortunately, mental health issues can be easier to hide and ignore, even though they can be just as harmful and disruptive as addiction itself. These challenges also need attention and care.

Struggling with mental health can lead to substance use, make addiction worse, or even cause relapse after treatment. That’s why taking care of your mental health during recovery is just as important as focusing on your physical health and staying sober.

If you have ongoing problems with your mental health, dual diagnosis treatment is available through rehab. For any signs of mental health struggles during recovery, it’s essential to recognise and address them.

When your body and mind are both in a good place, you’ll feel more stable, happy, and able to stay on track. And what better time to learn how to protect your mental health in recovery than now, as we’re days away from entering a brand new year? In this blog post, you’ll find simple yet effective tips to help protect your mental health during recovery and make it part of your daily life.

Why It’s Important to Take Care of Your Mental Health

Our brain plays a very (very) big role in how we feel, think, and act. It affects pretty much everything: our emotions, moods, decisions, and even how we see the world. So, a healthy mind helps us stay balanced, make good choices, and handle challenges. On the other hand, poor mental health can make us feel fragile, stressed, and out of control.

Many things can impact our mental health. Some are within our control, like our habits and environment, whereas others, like genetics or unexpected life events, are not. Just like looking after our physical health with good nutrition and exercise, we can take steps to care for our mental health.

For people struggling with or recovering from drug or alcohol addiction, mental health is especially important. A healthy mind can boost recovery, keep motivation high, and reduce the chances of relapse. However, poor mental health can make recovery harder, leading to setbacks or even more substance use.

Taking care of mental health is essential for everyone. Without it, we may put ourselves at risk of facing depression, anxiety, chronic stress, and other serious conditions that can limit our quality of life.

What’s the Connection Between Mental Health and Addiction, and How Can Mental Health Be Managed During Recovery?

Struggling with mental health is very common for people dealing with addiction. In fact, it’s often both a cause and an effect of drug and alcohol abuse. Poor mental health can make it harder to quit and stay in recovery, creating a cycle that’s tough to break.

If you already have a mental illness, you might be more vulnerable to addiction. Many people turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with their emotions, but this kind of self-medication often leads to unhealthy habits.

On the other hand, if addiction comes first, it can take a serious toll on your mental health. Drugs and alcohol can damage your brain and nervous system, making it harder to regulate your emotions. Over time, this can lead to feelings of sadness, stress, and even depression. Addiction can also harm your relationships, work, and overall happiness.

Because mental health and addiction are so closely linked, they’re often treated as a “dual diagnosis.” This means that to recover fully, both your mental health and your addiction need attention and care.

If you’re in recovery, taking care of your mental health is key to staying on track, and this cannot be stressed enough. Recovery is a chance to rediscover joy and build a life you love, and you can’t do that if you’re not looking after what’s going on in your mind.

Tips To Protect Your Mental Health In Recovery

To help you protect your mental health and maintain balance, here are some practical tips for staying strong during your journey to sobriety.

Self-Care

You’ve probably heard ‘self-care’ a million times, but what does it actually mean?

Self-care simply means that you’re making sure you’re caring for yourself, and it should be both a physical and psychological commitment. For example, a good night’s sleep will support your physical well-being. It will also boost your mental and emotional wellbeing. Partaking in self-help techniques that help your body and brain will be encouraged.

Finding something that makes you happy, that you enjoy, that restores balance, and that gives you some time to relax will be key. Whether that’s meditating, exercising, or taking part in a hobby, you can improve your mental health by focusing on yourself and your needs.

 

Stay in the Present

Mindfulness and learning how to remain firmly in the present is one of the most effective techniques for improving and protecting mental health. It grounds people, it increases awareness, and it is heavily linked to gratitude.

Whilst reaching a strong point of recovery, you’ll have so much to be grateful for. Remembering this, whilst being mindful of personal triggers and risks, will be beneficial to your mental health over the long term.

Exercise

Exercise helps to stimulate the production of endorphins in the brain.

Endorphins are feel-good hormones which elevate the rest of the body. Partaking in 30 minutes of exercise is what’s needed to release endorphins.

You don’t need to train like an athlete. A light, 30-minute walk will be helpful to your mental health. Aim for 5 days a week, and this is what’s recommended by the Department of Health for overall health and wellbeing.

Attend Support Groups and Professional Support

Support groups are typically offered as a part of the aftercare process, delivered after drug and alcohol rehab. However, there are many options available to you, with the most well-known providers being Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

Support groups are a safe space, filled with like-minded people who are also working through recovery and are in need of a little bit of extra support now and then.

Attending support groups is found to increase collaboration, boost accountability, advance motivation and strengthen emotional well-being. Support groups will offer emotional support and guidance whilst adjusting to your new norms.

If you are struggling through episodes of poor mental health, professional emotional support is available to you. Health professionals and counsellors will be equipped to guide you through any low moments.

Ongoing therapy sessions are offered through aftercare. If you require additional support, this will help to protect your mental health.

Learn a New Skill

Learning is a great way to stimulate the mind, boost endorphins and provide an additional focus. Learning a new skill or activity which you enjoy can act as a coping skill and as a positive distraction.

Completing something new can be extremely fulfilling, which is found to tap into the mind and regulate emotional well-being. Doing things for yourself on the outside will protect your mental health.

Reach out to Loved Ones

One of our many tips to protect your mental health when in recovery focuses on personal support.

Manoeuvring through recovery can be both a positive and negative process and sometimes, we can withdraw as a way of coping. We encourage you not to do this, as isolation can make your mental health even worse.

Reaching out to family members and friends who you trust will help you through the process. Spending quality time with them will offer a sense of normality. Remaining connected can benefit self-value, accountability, and self-confidence.

Aim for Balanced, Not Perfection

Too often, people try to achieve absolute perfection. But it doesn’t exist. A balanced lifestyle will help you protect your mental health, and it’s a realistic and attainable way of living.

Everything from good nutrition, strong personal relationships, optimal sleep and rest, regular exercise, work-life balance, and self-care will contribute to a balanced life. With balance comes the opportunity to remain in control, to see warning signs and to take action.

Accept Aftercare and Relapse Prevention

Aftercare services and relapse prevention planning are delivered on a post-rehab basis. They are in place to offer support, prevent relapse risks and plan for any challenges. They are also helpful in improving mental health by focusing on mindfulness and self-help.

Recovering from addiction can be challenging, especially on the mind. It is normal to experience a mixture of emotions and to encounter low moments. With ongoing support, you can learn how to control your emotions and aim for positive and happy feelings.

Throughout recovery and everyday life, our mental health should be prioritised and ranked just as high as our physical well-being. Making use of some of our tips to protect your mental health when in recovery will offer direction throughout this unfamiliar process.

If you require further emotional support or addiction treatment, we at Addiction Advocates can help you. Reach out for our support and recommendations, fully accommodating your needs.