Overcoming Complacency in Sobriety

Maintaining sobriety throughout daily life is difficult. Even if an individual has successfully incorporated the skills, strategies, and therapeutic approaches used during their time in a dedicated treatment program into their daily life, there will always be new challenges to overcome. Recovery and sobriety are not something with any kind of defined “end,” but rather an ongoing process. Further, it is also important to avoid complacency throughout the recovery journey. 

While a feeling of consistency is fantastic throughout recovery, those continuing to work towards their sober goals can always set new goals and develop routines that continue to push them on their sober journey. Consistency can reduce the risk of complacency that may compromise an individual’s hard-earned sobriety. 

Between the regular stresses of ongoing recovery, such as balancing work-life, managing urges, repairing affected relationships, and much more, it can be difficult to see complacency as something equally as important to address. However, having a plan to address complacency is paramount, as it can lead those in recovery to reduce unnecessary stress, the risk of relapse, or otherwise lose focus on their sober goals.

Complacency in recovery can be akin to overconfidence in a person’s recovery abilities. It can also involve celebrating goals that were set too low, causing an individual to stop pushing themselves throughout their recovery journey. For some, this can lead to the cessation of the development of new recovery skills or coping strategies. Feeling wholly satisfied with oneself without objectively addressing the challenges that may be present can cause those in recovery to be ill-prepared to cope with new stresses, change, or other continued challenges throughout recovery. 

Addressing complacency does not mean that an individual should not celebrate their accomplishments. Rather, it means that a person’s goals, mentalities, and attitude should reflect their strides toward their continued sober development, instead of losing focus on the creation and refinement of their sober lifestyle. From a lack of new strategies to overconfidence that can lead an individual to engage in unnecessarily high-risk situations, addressing complacency and keeping an honest view of oneself and the continued challenges in sobriety is necessary to set appropriate goals to continue the development of a sustainable and effective recovery plan. 

Avoiding growing complacent in daily life after an individual has graduated from a treatment program can be a difficult and unseen hurdle. However, there are some strategies each person can utilize to proactively avoid complacency in recovery. Setting appropriate goals throughout recovery, from a person’s first step into detox to their continued success throughout outpatient care, is one of these crucial skills. 

Having goals that are too easy to accomplish can quickly lead to complacency throughout recovery. Rather, using goals to push oneself and keep focused can be a powerful resource. Working with supports and professionals to set effective goals that push an individual to their next milestone is paramount. For alumni, these goals do not necessarily have to be directly related to avoiding the use of drugs or alcohol and instead can focus on personal ambitions, such as pursuing a particular education or the development of a skill, professional advancement, or establishing new relationships. 

Ensuring that each goal is measurable in some way, rather than more enigmatic like “look for employment” which can be difficult to measure, can lead to complacency. Rather, goals such as “apply to three jobs a day” are easier to measure and can truly determine when an individual has accomplished that day’s goal and develop appropriate rewards for such accomplishment.

High-risk situations, such as attending social events where alcohol or drugs may be present or environments where discussions of their use are normalized or romanticized, can be difficult to navigate. However, it is also common that alumni may have been exposed to these situations inadvertently in their sobriety. While having the skills to navigate and exit these situations is paramount, just because an individual has done so before, does not somehow mitigate the risk that subsequent exposures can carry. 

Paying attention to daily stress levels, such as workplace stresses, amount of sleep, feelings of anxiety or depression, and more is always necessary. Being cognizant of how these feelings may impact each person’s ability to employ other coping strategies in the face of such situations is crucial. Actively dismissing the dangers that these situations present can lead to extraordinarily unnecessary risk. Further, being complacent in a person’s own ability to process these challenges can lead to even riskier exposures and the possibility of relapse. 

Some suggestions for avoiding high-risk situations and complacency include:

These suggestions can all help an individual address their own shifting levels of stress and create a healthy mindset to continue avoiding and replacing these social environments with sober-focused practices, peers, and hobbies. Finding communities that maintain a sober focus while continuing to push new personal goals and ambitions can create the best atmosphere to avoid becoming complacent while having the resources to further their continued sober development.

Overcoming complacency is paramount for continuing to explore new strategies and milestones throughout recovery. At Hawaii Island Recovery, we embrace the opportunity to work with you while you continue to develop your strategies and set your sights on new accomplishments, all while helping to create relapse prevention strategies to further your recovery efforts. Your time in our effective Hawaii inpatient drug rehab does not end at any particular date, and we are always ready to help you explore new outpatient opportunities and create new strategies to avoid complacency during your developing sober life. For more information on how we can help you, call to speak to a caring, trained staff member today at (866) 390-5070.