Losing your job, your relationships, your sense of self – addiction doesn’t just take your health. It dismantles your entire life, piece by piece.
And when you finally get sober, you’re standing in the wreckage, wondering where to even begin.
That feeling is real. And it’s very common.
The good news? Your recovery doesn’t have to end with you feeling empty.
You get to build something from the ground up. Here is what this process entails.

What Makes Rebuilding Your Life So Difficult

Addiction rewires the brain. Prolonged usage of any substance affects your frontal lobe, the area of the brain in charge of impulse control, judgment, decision-making, and emotions.
Your brain, even when you put the substance down, needs more time.
This is post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS), and it’s the reason why recovery is so emotionally charged, and mentally foggy.
You’re not broken. This is the process of healing. Healing requires a framework, and a framework requires a plan.

Rebuilding Begins With

1. Fixing Your Mental Health

A substance use disorder suggests a co-occurring mental health disorder.
Substance use disorder patients experience a greater rate of co-occurring mental health disorders, such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Bipolar disorder

To reconstruct your relationships and work life, you need to do the work to get to the bottom of it all.

• Getting a thorough psychiatric assessment
• Evaluating a mood disorder/ trauma disorder
• Crafting a dual diagnosis mental health/ addiction treatment plan

People are likely to relapse if they are only treated for substance use disorders and nothing is done for the other co-occurring disorders.

2. Cultivating Your Recovery Community

The most serious danger in the first period of recovery from addiction is social isolation.
Being alone is psychologically damaging and interacting with people is critical for health recovery.
The reward systems in the brain become active due to social contact and stimulate the release of the feel good hormones dopamine and oxytocin.
The following are examples of a strong recovery support system:

• Recovery support group (12-step, SMART Recovery, etc.)
• Family therapy to regain trust and better communication
• A therapist or a counselor you see regularly and not just in emergencies

Your community can bring you comfort, support, and mental health benefits.

3. Creating New Identities Beyond Addiction

An underappreciated yet unique challenge faced by individuals in recovery is the identity gap.
The substance use disorder (SUD) issue is so impactful that even someone early in recovery might describe themselves saying, “I once used drugs.”
They are left wondering, “What does my life look like now that drugs are no longer a part of it?”
This is where the importance of therapeutic counseling is needed.
The use of proven techniques in counseling, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy will help you to:

• Spot and change the patterns of thinking that are not functional
• Develop skills to better cope with and manage emotions
• Establish a new sense of self that is aligned with and dedicated to nurturing his/her values

4. Practical Rebuilding One Area at a Time

Once you have the mental health piece of the puzzle under your control and the appropriate support in place, it is time to turn your attention to the outside world and begin doing the work, piece by piece, and one at a time.

• Finances. Start small and remain stable for the time being. Stability before wealth.
• Relationships. While making amends is a critical part of the recovery process, remember that the importance of setting and enforcing boundaries is just as critical to developing healthy relationships, which are built slowly over time.
• Career. There are gaps, but with the appropriate vocational training and community support services, those gaps can be bridged.

Trying to do it all at once will not only be extremely difficult to do, but overwhelming as well.
You must learn to be purposeful in setting priorities, as well as learn to self-control the pace at which things are done.

Take That Step With ATOFOM Behavioral Health

At ATOFOM Behavioral Health, located in Laurel, Maryland, we provide care with empathy.
You’ve gotten sober. That was the hardest part. Let us be of assistance to you in the future as needs arise.
Call us at 667-942-0288.

FAQ

How long does it take to rebuild your life after being dependent on a substance?

The time frame is unique for every individual!
Cognitive and emotional calm can usually be achieved 1–2 years after sobriety, but the other components involving relationships, finances and identity can take a lot longer.

Can I do this on my own?

Some are able to do this. However, unaddressed mental health issues, problematic substance use histories, and home situations that are chaotic and unstable are best improved and managed with professional and organized intervention.

What if I relapse during this process?

Relapse does not equal failure. Instead, it is considered a clinical indicator that your treatment needs to be revised.
Stay in touch with your treatment team, not the other way around.

Do you take new patients at ATOFOM Behavioral Health?

Yes. You can schedule an assessment on our website or give us a call at 667-942-0288.