Regardless of whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, it can be difficult to stay sober. You may be away from your support system and routine, and this can make it even harder to stay sober. Fortunately, there are things that you can do in order to maintain sobriety.
Plan Ahead of Time
Before you leave for your trip, you will need to do some research on the area you are visiting. Find out if there are any support groups in the area. Try to visit a support group as soon as you get there. This will make it a lot easier for you to stay sober for the rest of the trip.
You will also need to plan all of your activities in advance. You do not need to have something scheduled for every moment of the day. However, having a schedule of activities will make it easier for you to stay focused.
Bring Your Recovery Literature
You should bring some addiction recovery literature to read while you are on the plane, in the car or on the bus. You should bring books that have stories of recovery. You may also want to listen to tapes that have stories of recovery.
Find Ways to Cope
Stress is one of the things that causes many people to want to drink or use drugs. Traveling to a new place is supposed to be a fun experience, but it can also be a stressful one. You are in a new place with unfamiliar people. Traveling to the place can also be stressful.
Alcohol and drugs can seem like a great way to cope with the stress of traveling. However, drugs and alcohol will make you feel worse. That is why you should come up with ways to cope with stress before you go on your trip.
Deep-breathing exercises can make it easy for you to cope with stress. Spending a few minutes breathing can help you instantly reduce your stress. One of the many great things about this is that you can do this anywhere.
Having a sense of humor can also help you manage stress. Even when things go wrong, you may still be able to laugh about it.
Keep HALT in Mind
HALT stands for hungry, angry, lonely and tired. Being hungry, angry, lonely or tired can cause you to want to drink or use drugs. That is why you should prepare for this ahead of time. For example, you should keep snacks handy so that you do not get hungry. You should also avoid staying up late so that you can get the proper amount of rest. Take naps during the day if you feel tired.
If you are traveling by yourself, then you will need to check in with your family members or friends regularly. You may also want to find a group that you can be a part of.
Be Careful Where You Go
Certain places can trigger a relapse. It is a good idea to stay away from places like bars and nightclubs. You may also want to avoid places that remind you of drugs and alcohol. For example, if you and your friends used to meet at the park to drink and do drugs, then you may want to avoid that place.
Being in an unfamiliar place may trigger a relapse. However, there are ways that you can avoid this. You will need to plan ahead of time and find ways to cope with stress. It is also a good idea to bring recovery literature. You will also need to be careful where you go and keep HALT in mind.
We are happy to present this collaborative post to offer valuable information to our readers.
