Long-term recovery from drug addiction is a very challenging process for most people. Those in recovery need to confront many challenges from withdrawal symptoms and health issues to psychological issues such as emotional distress, poor self-esteem and co-occurring mental health disorders. Each of these may lead to relapse. Read on to learn more about what coping skills are, and with a dozen examples.
What Are Coping Skills?
Recovery is not just about not using alcohol or drugs anymore. It’s about making meaningful changes in your life so that you won’t want to abuse substances.
Coping skills during recovery are central for long-term success. They are characteristics or behaviors that enhance your ability to adapt. They include the thoughts and behaviors used to manage stressful internal and external situations. Coping skills enable people in recovery from Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) to manage stress, to learn new insights and behaviors and to rebuild their lives free from substance abuse.
There is a wide variety of coping skills which can be learned, adapted and used, including examples drawn from several resources on this topic [A], [B]. Some of the most important are presented here.
1. Recognize H.A.L.T. Symptoms
The HALT acronym stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired. It’s a simple and effective way to curb self-destructive behaviors that can occur with addiction. HALT is a warning sign to stop and assess if these four symptoms are driving your desire to use. Take a moment to recognize them, then fulfill them without using drugs.
2. Prevention
Avoid triggers or risky situations. Make a list of people, places and things to avoid and then follow through and avoid them. Don’t wait to find yourself in an unhealthy situation. Review your relapse plan and make sure it’s up to date.
Develop a healthy lifestyle to strengthen your ability to avoid or resist triggers. Focus especially on healthy sleep, diet and exercise. Maintain compliance with your medications as appropriate.
3. Diversions
Most cravings end within an hour. The trick is to get through them. Diversions are key to doing so. If you can distract yourself for just that one hour, you will have made it. Here are some examples:
| Read a book | Rearrange a room | Go hiking | Go for a run |
| Go for a walk | Practice a hobby | Write or journal | Do yard work |
| Clean or organize | Play a game | Go swimming | Lift weights |
| Do a craft | Cook or bake | Call a friend | Take a long bath |
| Go for a bicycle ride | Play a sport | Watch a movie | Play with a pet |
| Play an instrument | Draw or paint | Listen to music | Write in a journal |
4. Seek Social Support
Having a support person or people who have your back is essential in recovery. These may be loved ones, friends, family, a support group, sponsor or other community members. They can be there for you to help manage cravings, mental health challenges or stress. They may also provide motivation, positive reinforcement and needed resources.
Belonging to support groups and creating relationships with non-addicted people can reduce isolation, reinforce resistance to relapse and encourage the development of healthy behaviors.
5. Psychological Coping Strategies
Developing and applying coping strategies is key to reducing the risk of relapse and promoting long-term recovery by confronting challenges such as trauma, anxiety or depression. These focus on learnable therapeutic techniques to help manage stress, negative emotions and triggering thoughts.
If you are in therapy, depending on the approach, this may involve strengthening self-confidence, modifying beliefs and attitudes, learning to accept certain situations, making conscious choices, and engaging in relaxation therapy.
6. Spiritual Experiences
Many in recovery draw motivation and strength from various spiritual practices or religious beliefs. Whether it’s belief in a Higher Power as with AA or NA, traditional Western religious beliefs, Indigenous American beliefs, or Eastern meditative traditions, among others, these encompass a more profound sense of meaning and purpose to life. Spiritual beliefs offer perspective-taking and strengthening of personal identity outside of addiction.
7. Professional Interventions
Engaging with mental health and addictions professionals can be a source of profound support to people recovering from SUDs. This may include medication-assisted therapy and a variety of psychotherapy approaches as well as mindfulness meditation. They focus on stabilizing your physical healing and working with psychological aspects of addiction to promote sustainable both short- and long-term recovery techniques and strategies.
8. Enhance Your Awareness
Developing awareness of addiction in a deeper way is a critical part of recovery. This involves you developing a deeper sense of responsibility for your recovery, awareness and management of triggers as well as commitment to lifestyle changes. This may involve psychoeducation about addiction and recovery, the development of self-awareness, and choosing an appropriate and sustainable recovery path.
9. Manage Your Emotions/Relaxation
Addiction is usually a way of coping with stress, unhealthy relationships, anxiety or depression, among others. Without the crutch of addictive behavior, you may need to learn and act on other ways to manage your emotions. Journaling can be a powerful way to process your feelings and thoughts. Write daily logs, a letter to someone but don’t send it. It’s just for you. Keep a gratitude journal of positive things you did each day, no matter how small.
Learning to relax is a key skill to avoid a build up of tension. Learning various deep breathing activities and adopting mindfulness meditation can be a big help. Use imagery to visualize relaxing situations and work through it with each of your senses. Allow yourself to let go as much as you can. can prevent a relapse.
10. Manage Your Anger
Anger is a very powerful emotion that affects mind and body. It may make your blood pressure and body temperature rise and your heart rate accelerate. This emotional response can throw you off your recovery and lead you to lose control and choose to reuse. Anger management techniques can help you express your anger in a more assertive and non-aggressive way. Your therapist or counselor can help here. As well, you can seek healthier outlets, like doing one of the diversions listed above, to calm your mind and release tension.
11. Stress Management Skills
Stress is a big part of addiction. Many struggle to handle it successfully. Stress management skills can help lower the risk of relapse by learning to cope and balance your emotions. This may involve therapy, family relations counseling, exercise and improved diet.
12. Build New Habits
Addictions require a lot of time. Thinking about, acquiring and using can take up most of a day. When you quit, you have time on your hands. But if you don’t fill it with healthy habits, then you could easily relapse to old habits. For a longer span of time once you complete some diversions to ride out cravings, it’s helpful to build new habits, and often with new friends. You’re actually building a new life. Examples include:
| Nurture Existing Relationships | Make it a routine to see family and friendsBe proactive. Don’t wait to be invited. Say “yes” to invitations |
| Develop New Relationships | Join a sports leagueFind a hobby group and joinVolunteer in your community |
| Develop Professional Skills | Go back to schoolFind a job or new career you’ve always wantedLearn new skills online |
Addiction Treatment Available in Anaheim, California
Located in Anaheim, California, Restorations Health Care can help you or a loved one overcome their addictions issues. Our mission is all about saving lives. We offer detox and inpatient treatment programs that help people get back on their feet. Our dedicated team of trained addiction professionals and counselors provides individualized addiction treatment programs for recovery. Reach out to our Admissions team now.
Sources
[A] Setiawan A, Sahar J, Santoso B, Mansyur M, Syamsir SB. Coping Mechanisms Utilized by Individuals With Drug Addiction in Overcoming Challenges During the Recovery Process: A Qualitative Meta-synthesis. J Prev Med Public Health. 2024 May;57(3):197-211.
[B] Coping Skills Addictions. TherapistAid.com
Lacey graduated from Brand University with a MA in Psychology, Marriage & Family Therapy. Lacey is a skilled clinician, supervisor, and administrator with extensive therapy experience. She is responsible for providing clinical leadership and policy direction for our program and maintains accepted standards of medical practice throughout the facility.
