4 Ways to Stay Sober and Maintain Recovery During the Summer

The arrival of the summer season likely means you will spend more time outside and at social events. This can be a pivotal time for patients exiting addiction treatment, as attending social events can help a person reintegrate into society and everyday life. 

However, while social gatherings can benefit addiction recovery, they also pose a risk for patients. Whether it’s a wedding or a backyard BBQ, social events often feature the presence of alcohol. This is less than ideal for anyone recovering from alcohol addiction and could lead to a potential relapse for some. 

Although undoubtedly challenging, maintaining sobriety while frequently socializing is possible and can be achieved by taking the proper steps and measures.  

Plan Out Your Summer

It never hurts to be prepared and ready for what lies ahead. Consider creating a plan for all the places you expect to be at this summer and a list of items you can bring along that will make you feel more comfortable and at ease. 

Organizing your summer can provide you with the needed structure to further progress in your recovery and maintain your summer sobriety.

Maintain a Solid Support System

While substance abuse addiction recovery will always require professional care and treatment, a robust support system is also needed for meaningful progress to be achievable. Your support system fulfills crucial functions like picking you up when you feel down and helping you move past failures and setbacks. 

Maintaining and turning to your support system of close friends and family throughout the summer will keep you on track and your sobriety intact. Whenever you encounter a trigger or stressful situation, they’ll be there to provide you with the needed support to help you overcome whatever you’re going through. 

Be Ready With Coping Strategies

Patients who attend a treatment program are provided with numerous coping strategies for overcoming triggers and situations that could tempt them to turn to alcohol once more. 

As you are likely to come across triggers while out and about this summer, it’s best to compile a set of coping mechanisms that you’re comfortable with that could be used if you find yourself in such a situation. Some coping strategies that you could employ are:

  • Exercising
  • Creative/Expressive Activities
  • Listening to Music
  • Meditative Practices or Yoga

Remember – Recovery is a Process

If you do happen to slip up this summer, it’s important to remember that addiction is a lifelong battle and that progress is not linear. Weeks of meaningful progress can be followed by a period of setbacks and frustrations. Mistakes can happen and are a part of every addiction recovery journey. 

What matters most is how you respond to your mistakes and whether you can learn from them to make the necessary adjustments and grow as a person. Keeping this perspective will help you further your healing and development, no matter what happens this summer.  

Maintaining your addiction recovery through the summer won’t be easy and will require the support of your loved ones and professional care from an effective rehab treatment center like Twin Town Treatment Centers. We’re with you every step of the way and can assure you that our addiction treatment will help your transition to a happier, sober lifestyle. Visit one of our five drug addiction treatment centers throughout Orange County and the Los Angeles metropolitan area, where we support our patients with personalized resources like our intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) programs and drug addiction treatments that will directly address your specific needs. Get in touch today by calling us at (866) 594-8844 or filling out our online form to get started. Our team of drug addiction treatment professionals will provide you with a no-cost interview and assessment for alcohol and drug issues.