Drug addiction takes you away from your life and the things you care about most. When it comes to recovery, it’s often necessary for a person to re-learn essential life skills that may have fallen by the wayside while their addiction was active. These life skills can be practical, such as financial management, but they can also be emotional, such as maintaining healthy bonds with the people you love.
Duke City Recovery Toolbox in Albuquerque designs its recovery programs in such a way that helps individuals attain sobriety and then maintain it. Part of what makes our addiction treatment program so successful is the focus on the development of life skills.
Why Successful Treatment Programs Focus on Life Skills
Successful recovery from drug addiction entails a comprehensive approach. That’s why our addiction center focuses on skills that serve a vital purpose to a person’s life. For instance, we can help you:
- Acquire tools for successfully coping with relapse urges
- Address emotionally difficult or traumatizing situations in a healthy manner
- Tackle the day-to-day realities without substance dependence
- Obtain appropriate communication and interaction techniques
Not only do we teach the skills necessary to cope with life free of substance dependence, but also, we teach people how to properly execute these life skills. The ultimate goal of life skills development is to equip individuals with the personal strength they need to recover from addiction, remain strong against urges and maintain lifelong sobriety.
Essential Life Skills We Focus On
In recovery, counselors focus on a number of essential skills, many of which patients had mastered before succumbing to addiction. Some, however, may be completely new to patients. All the skills taught in recovery are essential to a successful journey to sobriety:
- Independent Living Skills: During recovery treatment, patients will learn to care for themselves by developing several independent living skills, including but not limited to maintaining a healthy diet, following a consistent schedule, keeping up with personal hygiene and managing finances.
- Coping Mechanisms: Many individuals who live with drug addiction lack adequate coping mechanisms. Counselors will teach patients how to deal with daily and major stressors in a constructive manner.
- Emotional Control: It is not uncommon for addicts to use drugs or alcohol to self-medicate. This is unhealthy, and counselors in recovery programs focus on helping individuals manage their emotions without relying on a controlled substance.
- Socializing: When one is high on drugs or alcohol, he or she tends to have no fear in social settings. However, take away the substance and that person may feel inadequate and nervous. In recovery, individuals learn how to break through those negative thoughts and interact with others in a positive and constructive manner.
Learning life skills is an essential aspect of any successful recovery program. To learn more about Duke City Recovery Toolbox and what our programs entail, contact our program coordinator today.
