Your Recovery Plan

Why do you need a recovery plan? To be in recovery, you need to be moving forward. If you stop moving forward, the old patterns are waiting to take over again, ready to grab the steering wheel.

The point of a recovery plan is always to stay off drugs and sober. It does not have to be very detailed.

Getting help as part of your plan is essential. You might be carrying a heavy load of feelings that you have stuffed away all your life. If you have been “doctoring” your emotions with drugs or alcohol, then going without counselling, a sponsor, or a group of peers will make it hard for you to stay abstinent.

Be sure to include medical and dental care in your plan. It will be easier for you to stay off drugs and alcohol if you are not in pain for other health related problems. If you need a doctor or dentist, ask your support worker.

1 – Setting Goals

After years of substance use, many people forget what some of their goals and joys once were. Others never had any goals. Your goals should be clear and rewarding. They shouldn’t be too hard or too easy. Ordinary, everyday goals keep your life moving forward and keep the old patterns from taking over.

They should include:

A job, training or further education

Social time with friends, family and people in recovery

The five ways to well-being

Each goal should be broken down into steps. You should also have a timetable. For example, if your goal is to get some job training then the first step could be to find a suitable course. Your timetable might be to find one in six months, in time to apply and be accepted. Another step would be to find out how much it costs and make a plan to pay for it.

Ineffective goals

Just be strong when I am offered drugs or alcohol

Make more money

Don’t get arrested

Practical goals

Get help around education or employment training

Find a gym to join or do some physical activity

Make a budget to get out of debt

Attend regular self-help groups

Read more about recovery

Goals can be of any size, including going for a walk or taking your children to the park twice a week. The important thing is that your goals are rewarding and help you stay away from alcohol and drugs.