Positive Recovery Affirmations: How to Use Them During Treatment
Positive affirmations are a popular motivational tool used to build confidence, squash negative thought patterns, and behaviors, and help achieve set goals. But do they also work as a part of the addiction recovery process? Yes, when they’re used properly.
It can be challenging to find attributes about yourself that you love. The human mind finds it easier to focus on past failures and negative aspects that you perceive in yourself. Struggling with substance use disorders and mental illness, rehab for drinking problems can help.
Many times, people suffering from addictions and dependencies are embarrassed by their life and behavior and feel that they do not deserve to be helped or to live a healthy life. Negative thought patterns are a common part of recovery, and changing your self-image can be a daunting task.
Learning to practice positive recovery affirmations is beneficial for crushing those negative thoughts and helping you manage your treatment while avoiding triggers through relapse prevention techniques. Our expert team at Luna Recovery Services in Houston, Texas is here to guide you.
What Are Positive Recovery Affirmations?
An affirmation or mantra is validating, positively asserting, or expressing what a person strongly believes about themself. With addiction recovery, self-affirmation means using your own words to uplift yourself, build momentum, and instill confidence in yourself during your rehabilitation journey.
These affirmations are continually repeated to help you increase your sense of self-worth and self-esteem while destroying negative or limiting beliefs you hold about yourself.
Positive affirmations are feel-good statements we repeat to others and ourselves.
Positive affirmations are used to express dreams, goals, or experiences we want in our lives. Many people choose positive affirmations that align with their plans and goals and repeat them daily for weeks or months until their goals are achieved.
Practicing positive affirmations: Say them out loud.
You don’t even need to shout them, though feel free to scream them out if that helps you believe them more. Positive affirmations can be for anything, including self-image, self-esteem, professional or academic goals, overcoming grief, and addiction recovery.
The Power of Words
Words live on forever. Words have power. Words can build and words can destroy. Learning to speak positively to others and yourself fills your life with purpose and meaning.
Positive affirmations alone do not bring about change. They are an integral part of substance abuse treatment and recovery which gives you a support structure for overcoming your addictions.
How can I use positive recovery affirmations?
There are no set rules to which affirmations you should follow. However, there are a few pointers to keep in mind to ensure their effectiveness.
Make sure that your affirmations remain short, yet effective. They should not be longer than one sentence, are simple and easy to remember, and should encapsulate what you believe or want to believe about yourself.
This will make it easier to repeat multiple affirmations as a part of your mantra.
You may feel silly doing it at first, but learning to speak your affirmations out loud will greatly benefit your addiction recovery. Hearing your affirmations out loud makes them more believable and solid than repeating them in your head.
Maintaining consistency with your affirmations will make them seem like second nature, and makes it easier to cope with cravings or triggering moments.
Setting a schedule with a phone reminder or alarm can help you develop a pattern of consistency. Find the time that is best for you and make it a habit. It may not seem so in the beginning, but your desire to remain in recovery will grow as you keep up this practice.
The tense you use when you repeat your affirmations matters. Using “I” statements like “I am strong” or “I deserve to live a healthy life” rather than “One day I’ll deserve to be healthy” make a world of difference when it comes to remaining grounded and positive. Speaking in the present tense makes your affirmations and goals more believable and helps them turn into a part of your life much quicker and easier.
Also, keeping positivity present in your affirmations is necessary. Statements like, “ I cannot progress until I heal” or “I don’t want to be an addict anymore” can be counterproductive and hamper your recovery efforts.
How Can Positive Recovery Affirmations Help During Treatment?
Personal positive affirmations are advantageous for elevating your mind to a positive state while undergoing substance abuse recovery. Negative behaviors and patterns can be put to sleep when you continually repeat positive statements about yourself. You’re on top of things.
This will help improve your self-image and self-esteem and give you a positive outlook for your future, which is a must for making a successful recovery.
What Are the Benefits of Positive Recovery Affirmations?
Positive affirmations help you transform your negative feelings and thoughts into positive ones, which improves your sense of self-worth, motivation, self-esteem, and well-being. They also bolster recovery addiction by helping you cope with triggers, cravings, and stress, and reinforce your sobriety commitment.
Some more benefits of positive affirmations are:
- They help you align your beliefs and thoughts with reality.
- They help you look past your problems and focus on achieving your goals.
- They help you reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress.
- They help instill feelings of empowerment and confidence within you.
- They help improve your subconscious thoughts, which will positively influence your future behavior and actions.
- They help keep your sobriety and health goals in perspective which develops a positive feedback loop.
Changing your perceptions and thoughts about yourself changes your feelings. This practice will help you keep cool and have a clearer mind while making future decisions, and it will help you cope with stress in your life in a healthier manner.
What Makes Good Positive Recovery Affirmations?
Whether you want to create your affirmations or use some you find online, keep the following in mind when you start practicing:
- They use the present tense. Try saying, “I am in control of my decisions,” instead of saying, “I will learn to take control of my decisions.”
- It brings focus toward your planned achievements rather than things you want to avoid. Instead of saying, “I whole I am doing the right thing,” try saying, “I am following the right path.”
- It is relevant. Say, “I respect everyone and create positive environments,” rather than something too general, like, “I am good people to those around me.” Your affirmations should be personal.
- It is purposeful. Your affirmations should have clear goals. “I can stay sober from now on” demonstrates a specific and clear objective.
- Visualize your goals. With every repetition, imagine your affirmations goals being achieved. If your affirmations paint a positive and healthy image in your mind, that is a good sign.
- Practice what you preach. Make it a habit to repeat your affirmations for a long enough period for them to become a reality in your life. Patience pays.
What Are the Types of Positive Recovery Affirmations?
Wondering which positive affirmations for substance addiction recovery you can start practicing? The right collection of affirmations can help you stay sober, manage your cravings, or practice forgiveness. Below are a few to get started, and you can add your own to build your inventory of positive recovery affirmations.
- I am following the correct path.
- I am progressing steadily each day.
- I draw closer to my goals each day.
- I am worthy of others’ love and respect.
- I am capable of reaching my objectives.
- I am resilient and strong.
- I am thankful for the advancements I have made in my recovery.
- I can overcome any recovery challenges.
- I can venture from my comfort zone as part of recovery.
- I trust myself to make correct decisions.
- I am determined to live a life soberly.
- I control my recovery.
- I control my choices, no one else.
- My recovery is a marathon, not a mad dash.
- I love every day I maintain sobriety.
- I make choices that are beneficial to my safety and health.
Receive High-Quality Care at Luna Recovery Services
Adding a new facet to your recovery journey can seem intimidating and overwhelming. Adding a new facet that makes you think and speak positively about yourself while healing from an isolating disease like addiction can be harder still.
Such feelings are valid, but remember that practicing affirmations boosts your self-esteem and helps you maintain recovery. Stick to the code, you will overcome any challenge that comes your way. Contact us today and let us help you down the road to recovery. You’re capable of living a healthy and fulfilling life.
Dr. Allaire received his Bachelors of Science in Biology from the University of Houston, as Valedictorian of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and his Medical Doctorate from Baylor College of Medicine, where he served as Chief Resident. He is the medical monitor for the Physician Counseling Committee of the Harris County Medical Society and the Medical Director of Serenity House Detox. Dr. Allaire specializes in medically assisted detox cases, treating patients in recovery from addiction or other mental health disorders, the medical assessment and monitoring of patients with addictive disorders, medical care related to eating disorders and the medical treatment of patients with mental health conditions.
