One of the biggest challenges of being in the throes of addiction is the negative thoughts that permeate despite trying to numb them with drugs and alcohol. Thoughts drive our actions, and if we are filled with negative thoughts, it most likely will lead to negative behaviors. Once you find recovery, you may still find yourself stuck in thoughts of fear, self-doubt, shame, and other negative thoughts that feel like they are permeating your recovery. It is possible to combat these thoughts and find recovery free of the negativity that may have caused you to abuse drugs and alcohol.
It does take work and a commitment to healing, but during the recovery process, these negative thoughts can be changed and actually become helpful tools for achieving a recovery with newfound ways of thinking.
Thought Exercises can Help Combat Negativity
Thoughts can be changed through thought exercises. These exercises may feel awkward at first but have the ability to shift these negative thoughts to positive ones by making a conscious effort to adjust your thinking.
If you find yourself getting caught up in the whirlpool of self-doubt or shame, try making a list of positive aspects about your day, yourself, or the progress you have made in your recovery so far. Looking for ways to appreciate aspects of your life can effectively alter how you think about your day and can even become a natural and effortless experience. Therefore, you have the opportunity to choose positive thoughts over negative ones which will lead to a much more fulfilling life in recovery.
Retraining Your Brain Takes Practice and Patience
It can be hard at first to remember to change your thought process when you have gone so long operating in a different way. While it may feel like a rough start, thought exercises are designed to train your brain. Just like training for a marathon, it takes practice and patience. The change in thinking isn’t going to happen overnight, but with diligent practice and learning and the desire to shift your thinking patterns, you have the opportunity to live a life free of negative thoughts.
Positive Thoughts Help With Long-Term Sobriety
When you can reduce the negative mindset that permeated your addiction, you can start to see that they actually have less of a hold on you. Recovery has the opportunity to become less of a struggle when you are able to throw out the negativity and replace it with positivity and support for yourself.
Combined with all the other tools you may learn during your addiction treatment, having a positive space in your head supports your long-term sobriety. It starts with putting the thoughts of using drugs and alcohol in the past and then setting aside the negative thoughts associated with our addiction. Once these have been removed, positive thought patterns find their way into our minds and we are able to experience a new way of seeing life. With this newfound way of thinking the chances for long-term recovery increases exponentially because we are focused on the positive aspects of life rather than stuck in the darkness of negativity.
Learning to control your thoughts, and building a support system while you do, are incredibly helpful when looking to achieve long-term recovery. Evidence-based therapies can help you with both tasks, and can be found in the individualized treatment plans we can help you or your loved one build at the Detox Center of Colorado. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains just outside of Denver, we maintain a healing atmosphere and encourage each and every one of our clients to reconnect with themselves and remove negative thoughts and replace them with positive thought patterns. The driving force behind a life of sobriety is inside you. We want to see that strength and power push you to reach your recovery goals. A positive recovery experience is more than possible and with your hard work, dedication, and commitment to changing your thoughts, it can become your reality. Give the Detox Center of Colorado a call at (303) 952-5035 to learn how to get started with us.
