When you really think about it, every activity a person undertakes requires some collection of skills. Take, for example, writing a blog post. A person writing posts needs to have skills related to grammar, usage, punctuation, and more. It helps to be a reasonably good speller. And it is useful to have learned how to type at some point so that one is not left to hunt and peck around the keyboard. A blogger needs all of those skills—and that is before they even pick a topic about which to write, which might require some research skills.
What is true for the blogger is true for the person in recovery from a substance use disorder, too. The recovery journey requires the development of a set of skills that can help keep you on track over time. While you are in treatment, you will learn and start to develop these skills. The process of honing recovery skills is an ongoing endeavor.
What are those recovery skills? We’re glad you asked!
First Skill: Noticing and Identifying Triggers
During treatment, you will learn to identify the various triggers you associate with drug or alcohol use. Once those triggers are identified, you will learn strategies for avoiding or mitigating those triggers so that they do not lead you down a path toward relapse.
Triggers will be different for different people, of course, but they might be external (for example, you might associate certain people or places with drugs or alcohol) or internal (for example, you may have gotten into the habit of turning to substances to deal with unpleasant emotions).
Once you have a strong sense of what your triggers are, you can be intentional about developing the skills to lessen their impact on your life.
Skill Two: Developing Coping Skills
Too often, people turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with the challenges of daily life. In treatment, you will learn new, healthier coping skills that allow you to face challenges in positive ways.
For example, stress and anxiety can be difficult to deal with in anyone’s life—and can be particularly dangerous for a person in recovery. So, treatment might include learning various skills for lessening stress and effectively addressing anxiety when it arises.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is often part of treatment. This form of therapy helps you identify the connections between your thoughts, feelings, and actions. When you have a better understanding of how those things are connected, you will be equipped to find solutions to issues you may face.
Skill Three: Improving Your Self-Talk
You are probably familiar with a little voice inside your head that offers a running commentary on your life. In many cases, people—perhaps including you—let that voice criticize them constantly. That onrush of internal criticism is not a sustainable practice in recovery.
That means you need to learn skills for changing the way your inner voice talks to you. One example might be the use of daily affirmations that help you get in the habit of building yourself up rather than tearing yourself down.
Skill Four: Making Good Choices
We make choice after choice each and every day. For a person in recovery, many of those choices have a real impact on your ongoing efforts to leave drugs or alcohol behind.
For example, will you eat healthily today? Will you make time to exercise—even if it is just a quick walk? Will you turn off your screen a couple of hours before bed to support your sleep? In treatment, you will be reminded that, when it comes to your recovery, making good choices is both a skill and a responsibility.
Skill Five: Building and Rebuilding Good Relationships
Substance use disorders upend many aspects of a person’s life—including many relationships. Restoring damaged relationships is a worthwhile skill to develop. So, too, is building positive, supportive, new relationships.
Surrounding yourself with friends who support your recovery efforts is essential, and that means you have to learn to be a good friend yourself. How to craft and maintain these relationships will be part of the skills development conversation in treatment.
Skill Six: Learning to Celebrate Milestones
Taking time to reflect on and celebrate your recovery milestones is an important skill to develop. Keeping track of how you are doing and how long you have been in recovery can provide a sense of accomplishment that can give you a boost and keep you going.
In treatment, you will be encouraged to think about how you might celebrate your successes without bringing drugs or alcohol to the party. Fortunately, there are plenty of other ways to mark an important milestone.
Our Major Skill? Helping You Overcome a Substance Use Disorder
Located near St. Louis, Missouri, The Aviary Recovery Center creates evidence-based, personalized treatment plans to address substance use disorders as well as co-occurring mental health disorders. During the rehabilitation portion of our treatment program, we will help you acquire skills like those we have written about above so that you can start your recovery journey with confidence.
We are consistently recognized as one of the top substance use treatment facilities in the nation—and we would be pleased to put our skills to use helping you.
