Relapsing is an unfortunately common experience for people at some point after they leave an alcohol or drug rehabilitation treatment program. Keeping yourself involved in an active lifestyle can help to decrease the likelihood of this happening. Relapse is not some sort of rite of passage for recovering addicts. There is no reason why you should ever have to experience even one relapse in order to “learn from it”. You already know what addiction is like, and in a quality rehab center you are taught the skills for maintaining abstinence.

Having an active lifestyle means doing what you can to avoid boredom. Long-term boredom, being lonely, and not having planned activities in your life will lead to a relapse. It’s important to create a plan for how you will schedule your time so that there is no opportunity for a return to drug and alcohol abuse, especially right after you leave a rehab center. Structure and planning can go a long way toward being successful. This can be an exciting time if you let it be by viewing it in a positive light. Think of the things that you would still like to accomplish in your life, whether they be big or small. You have the opportunity to do these things after addiction treatment. Seek out new experiences that you can be interested in, and try to meet new people.

The new activities in your life are necessary to fill the hole that is left when you take away drug and alcohol abuse. This is what you did to fill your time before the treatment program. Seeking drugs and alcohol was the main focus of your life. If you don’t find meaningful things to replace the drug addiction, you will experience a relapse. These new habits and activities should support a healthy lifestyle.