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s you continue to grow and face adulthood, you will face new challenges. You might face stressors that you feel unprepared for as you travel through life. These new challenges may be frightening or overwhelming. During recovery, you have already encountered a number of struggles and have overcome obstacles. Sometimes you may feel unprepared about facing new things in your life as you grow up. You have likely already learned several coping mechanisms during your treatment that can apply to other challenges in life. Recovery is a lifelong journey of growth, change, and discovery. The things that you have learned, the past that you have overcome, and the future you are planning, are all part of the journey. Your life story is connected and continues to grow as you move forward in life. When you feel stuck or overwhelmed, look back to what you have already learned.
Start by Writing Things Out
Journaling can be a valuable exercise to document the things that you have learned. Start writing now by taking some time to consider the skills and lessons you learned during your recovery. Write about your experiences and all the life skills you have learned. When you write things out, you can refer to them later when you are feeling overwhelmed. Think about how you feel when you are at your worst. That way you can recognize when things might be going wrong. Use this guide to write out what you feel like at your worst, what thoughts or actions indicate things are going wrong, what coping skills help you the most, and a list of self-care activities you prefer.
Questions to ask for journaling:
How do I feel when I’m at my worst?
What thoughts or actions indicate that I’m struggling?
What are the things that help me when I struggle?
What are my preferred self-care activities?
Having everything written out can help you when you are struggling with a new situation. When you feel overwhelmed, depressed, or anxious, you may not be able to think clearly. By putting a plan out ahead of time while you are doing well, you can help yourself get back on track during a tough situation. Remember to plan self-care activities regularly to maintain your mental wellness. Self-care activities can help you prevent issues from occurring by reminding you to prioritize your needs.
Reach Out for Support
When you receive treatment from Fire Mountain, you are considered a lifelong member of the Bear Tribe. Your peers in recovery are here to help you when you struggle. Support groups and reaching out to others are things that you can do throughout your life on your recovery journey. If you are struggling and need emotional support, reach out to your friends or your peers. Write out those important to you and who provide support. Again, when you are struggling in new situations, you might not be able to recall the names and contact information of those who can help you. You can write out who your support network is and their contact information so that you can reference it in times of need.
Support Groups
Support groups can be available to you in many different locations. As you grow up, you might move away to a new place and may need to find groups in your community. Look online for information about the network of support available to you. By continuing to attend support groups, you can discuss new challenges in life and feel less alone in your struggles. Support groups can vary in the range of topic selection, like overcoming anxiety, Alcoholics Anonymous, overeating, gambling, grief, etc. You might find yourself dealing with new problems in life and others can help you through the process.
Growing up can be challenging, overwhelming, and scary. However, it can also be fun, exciting, and fulfilling as you gain more freedom and autonomy in adulthood. By recalling the skills that you have learned during your treatment while you are doing well, you can minimize the struggle when you face new obstacles. When you are struggling, you may be tempted to resort back to old habits and behaviors. Continue to maintain your wellness by getting enough sleep, exercising, eating healthy meals, and taking time for self-care. Maintaining recovery will be easier by following a structure and a routine, so plan ahead! By having a plan readily available to use your coping skills, you can be prepared for the obstacles coming! As you learn new things, you might want to add new skills to the list to continue updating the things that will help you during times of trouble.
Fire Mountain Residential Treatment helps those in need of support during the tough times in their life. We continue our mission by publishing YouTube videos and podcasts to help those in recovery. We believe that everyone can learn how to let go of their struggles to lead a happy and fulfilling life. Growing up and being straight out of treatment can be challenging. Reach out for support when you need it. You are a lifelong member of the Bear Tribe! Your fellow tribe members have your back! You can prepare yourself for challenges ahead by planning when you are doing well. Write out a list of things that help you recognize when things are not going well. Keep a list of the supportive people in your life so that you can easily reach out when you need it! Fire Mountain is here to help those struggling.
Call us at (303) 443-3343.