When you are new in addiction recovery, everything can appear to take forever. We want to hurry up and get through this. Drug addiction recovery is an ongoing process and not the completion of an event.

Below are some actions that are most strongly suggested, in order to continue to be successful in drug addiction recovery for the long term.

• Follow through with counseling – statistics say the longer you can engage in formal treatment the better your chances. Your counselors and therapists are the main ones to keep you right on track in your recovery efforts!
• Remember Time – After you have gotten out of the addiction and recovery center you may be frustrated with the thoughts of drugs or alcohol that are plaguing your mind. However, you must remember that recovery is a process that takes time and there is nothing you can do to speed up the process of time, no matter how dismal or depressing that thought seems.
• Keep yourself Occupied – Many recovering addicts often find it hard not to go back to their old lifestyles, but the one thing that can help greatly is to keep yourself productively occupied. Get new interests, find new friends who are happy and cheerful, avoid isolation and boredom they may prevent you from re-engaging in destructive behavior.
• Take One Day at a Time – If you are becoming so frustrated that you’re feeling like you just want to have some more alcohol or that one last taste of drugs, stop before you get there! Take a deep breath and realize that your recovery will only go one day at a time! Many people have to force themselves to take one minute, hour, and day at a time simply to keep their heads above water.
• Find New Behaviors – this is something that many addiction counselors will focus on, but what are you going to do when it should have been the time for your daily dose of alcohol, LSD, marijuana, or other drug? If you can find different things to do with that time of day, it will be better for you in the long run.
• Let your Family Know – Difficult as it may be, your family should be the first to know. They will help you get back on your feet and stay there and provide a lot of emotional support when you need it the most!
• Never Give Up! – This is a very old cliche, but has proven to work many times over! A recovering addict is an individual who cannot afford to give up. The drugs and/or alcohol that you just got away from will return to tempt you, so you must remember to never give up in the face of temptation or frustration.

These above tips will certainly help your drug addiction recovery efforts in both the short term and the long run. By following all of the above steps and surrounding yourself with positive influences will help you now and in the future when you absolutely need it.