How Short-Term Thinking Maintains Long-Term Recovery

Breaking goals down into smaller chunks can make sobriety seem more attainable during addiction recovery

Whether you just choose to quit drugs or you are several years into your recovery, the idea of staying sober for the rest of your life can be intimidating. While thinking of recovery in terms of years or decades can be overwhelming, viewing your recovery on a short-term scale can maintain your perspective and encourage you to stay positive. While staying sober for one day may not seem like much in comparison to your entire life, every day you remain sober is a crucial milestone for your recovery.

How Long-Term Thinking can Be Harmful

It is important to consider your future as you progress through recovery, but sometimes long-term thinking can harm addiction recovery. If you are going through a difficult time, staying sober for another year may seem hopeless. The hopelessness you feel when thinking about staying sober may lead you to abuse drugs, especially if you think there is no hope anyway. Thinking about the long term without considering the short term can make you feel worse about recovery, but this kind of thinking does not account for the fact that recovering users will grow stronger as time passes.

Short-Term Thinking Can Improve Your Recovery

Instead of focusing on the long term of addiction recovery, you should be mindful of the progress you are making in the short term. In other words, rather than focusing on the years or even months ahead of you, focus on staying sober for this week, day or hour. It is much easier for users to start small and to increase the scope of their goals instead of leaving rehab thinking they will stay sober for the rest of time. By breaking goals down into smaller chunks, your goals will seem more attainable, and each time you succeed you will feel more positive about recovery. In return, as your recovery progresses, you can start paying attention to the upcoming weeks and months instead of days, and the future will seem less intimidating.

Take the First Step Toward Recovery

Until you receive professional addiction treatment, you will have a difficult time maintaining sobriety. To learn more about addiction treatment and how it can help you reach your goals, call our toll-free helpline today. Our admissions coordinators are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions regarding addiction; they can also discuss addiction treatment and what you can expect during rehab. Call now, and be sure to ask if your health insurance policy will cover the cost of rehab. You can recover with the right help.