Did you know that, according to some studies, 22.3 million people in the US live in a state of addiction recovery after suffering from substance use disorder? That is about 9% of adults. In other words, if you are in addiction recovery, you are not alone. Even though recovery seems like such a long and hard process, especially at first, it opens the path to a wide range of new opportunities. What can you expect moving forward? What’s going to change? 

You’ll Experience Physical Changes

First, consider what happens in your body once you stop using drugs and alcohol. Within just three days, most of the withdrawal symptoms you have will improve. You’ll likely start to feel significantly better within the first few weeks.

• Your energy levels will improve.
• You’ll feel like you can sleep well again.
• You may experience skin improvement.
• Your anxiety will lessen. 
• Your kidneys, liver, heart, and lungs begin to heal.

The level of improvement in your physical being depends on the severity of your addiction and the type of substance you’ve used. It also depends on your eating and exercise habits as you start to take care of yourself again. 

Your Mood Will Level Out

For those struggling with mood swings, insomnia, and intense anxiety, it’s good to know that most of this will improve once your body completes detox and stabilizes. It takes some time for your body to re-learn how to function properly, but most people find that the intense mental health challenges they face on a daily basis begin to improve.

However, if you’re using substances now to mask depression or other mental health disorders, those symptoms may come back full force once you detox. That may sound scary, but realizing that you need help with your mental health can put you on the path to true transformation. 

Opportunities Will Become Available

A person in active drug and/or alcohol addiction is likely to have difficulty finding a job, securing a place to live, or maintaining their educational goals. When you stop using substances, that changes. Now, you’re no longer limited.

It can feel like you’ll carry the stigma of addiction for years to come. While it is true that this stigma exists and can be very overwhelming to face, being in recovery is empowering. Consider some of the things you can now do:

• Enter a career training program at a trade school or in an area that interests you.
• Turn to local organizations that can help you to secure housing to start a new life.
• Find opportunities for going back to school to complete your degree.
• Support others in the community who are facing addiction themselves. Volunteer.
• Make decisions based on your personal goals rather than the controlling influence of addiction.
• Create new relationships based on who you are now, not who you were.

There Is Hope After Addiction Recovery

What’s most important to many people who are facing the battle of recovery is recognizing that there’s hope. You can:

• Enjoy long-term recovery
• Take back your health and live a healthy lifestyle
• Restore your mental health
• Build new relationships and mend old ones
• Enjoy economic success
• Have the family you desire
• Start a business

Once you recognize that alcohol and drugs are limiting you, it becomes possible to move forward, change your future, and build a stronger life. It does not matter what caused addiction or how difficult it feels right now.

Where Does It Start, Though?

Right now, as you are thinking about enrolling in addiction treatment, you may be unsure how to take that first step.

All you have to do is to reach out to an admissions counselor and ask for help. You don’t have to worry about insurance coverage, who is going to help you manage your responsibilities, or even how you’ll maintain your job. You can work with a team of professionals to help you carve out a plan to get you to the next stage of your life.

Let our team help you. Contact The Ranch at Dove Tree now to learn more about addiction recovery in Lubbock, Texas.