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The Steps to Complete Drug and
Alcohol Recovery
Edited by Editorial Sta (https://www.recovery.org/author/editorial-sta /) | created on 17 April 2013 | modi ed
on 15 February 2018

Table of Contents

1. Step 1: Decide to Make a Change 5. Step 5: Build a Meaningful Life Without

Drugs
2. Step 2: Explore Your Treatment Options
6. Step 6: Never Lose Hope
3. Step 3: Find Support
7. The Steps to Addiction Recovery for
4. Step 4: Make Sobriety Last
Teenagers

8. Putting It All Together

Recovery From Addiction
The drug and alcohol recovery process usually includes 6 steps:

Realize that you have a problem with alcohol or drugs and that you need to make a
change.

Figure out what kind of rehab program is right for you: inpatient, outpatient or 12-Step.

Get support from friends, family and other sober people.

Maintain your sobriety by controlling triggers and cravings and participating in an

aftercare program.

Start to build a new life by nding new hobbies, volunteering and setting life goals.

Don’t get discouraged if you relapse and make a plan to get your recovery back on track.

Step 1: Decide to Make a Change

Are You Ready to Begin Your Recovery?

Call 1-888-892-1840 (tel:+18888921840) Who Answers? for help nding a treatment facility for you
or your loved one. It’s never too late to get help.

The rst step to addiction recovery is deciding that you need to make a change. Maybe you can
see how your addiction is creating problems in your life. Or maybe your friends or family
members have told you that they are worried about you.
Regardless of why you have decided to make a change, the important thing is you are making it.
You are motivated to improve your life and your health by putting an end to a harmful alcohol,
drug or behavioral addiction (/topics/behavioral-disorder-recovery-programs/).

4 Lifestyle Changes That Can Help With Recovery

Breaking habits often requires changing the way you think, as well as changing behavioral
patterns that have developed over the years.
Some changes you can make include:

Learn new strategies for stress (/pro/articles/addictions-and-stress-how-to-feel-more-

calm-in-recovery/)

management (/pro/articles/addictions-and-stress-how-to-feel-more-calm-in-recovery/).
Spend time with people who do not use drugs or alcohol.

Find new ways to spend your free time.

Change the way you feel about yourself.

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Step 2: Explore Your Treatment Options

When looking for a treatment facility, keep in mind

that there is no treatment that is right for
everybody.

Once you have decided to make a change, start exploring your rehab treatment and recovery
options (/topics/about-rehab-and-recovery/). This is the second step in the alcohol and drug
recovery process.
Types of substance abuse treatment include:

Inpatient (/topics/ nd-the-best-residential-inpatient-rehab-center/) – This type of

treatment involves living at the facility where you’re receiving treatment. Inpatient rehab
 allows you to focus on your recovery without distractions and removes you from
environments that may have been contributing to your drug use.

Outpatient (/topics/ nd-the-best-outpatient-rehab-center/) – This type of treatment

often includes regularly scheduled addiction counseling appointments a few times a week.
Other types of outpatient treatment include intensive outpatient treatment and partial
hospitalization. These treatments involve visiting a treatment center or a hospital for more
formal addiction treatment or, when needed, access to medical resources or psychiatric
care.

Dual diagnosis (/topics/dual-diagnosis-recovery/) – These programs use an integrated

treatment approach to help people who are struggling both with a substance use disorder
and a mental and/or behavioral health issue.

When looking for a treatment facility, keep in mind that there is no treatment that is right for
everybody. You will have the most success when you rst educate yourself about available
treatment types, and then nd a treatment program that is tailored to your needs.

Other Considerations for Choosing a Treatment Program

Find a program that can treat other problems you

have.
Your treatment program should also address any underlying issues that may be contributing to
your substance use-including problems with your friends and family members, your professional
life and your mental health.

Commit to it.
Once you nd an addiction treatment program that seems right for you, commit to it! Being
committed to the process dramatically increases your chances for success.

Twelve-Step Drug Abuse Recovery Programs

In exploring your treatment options, you are likely to come across the concept of 12-Step
recovery. Many types of recovery program – including outpatient, inpatient and dual diagnosis-
use the 12-Step model as an integral part of their treatment approach.
12-Step programs (/topics/12-step-substance-abuse-recovery-programs/) help people who
are struggling with addiction. These groups and their steps provide social support to people
(http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/seeking-drug-abuse-treatment/5-how-do-12-
step-or-similar-recovery-programs- t-drug-addiction-treatment) when they need it. This
support can help people stay o drugs or alcohol and make other positive changes in their lives,
according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Some of the most popular groups that o er a 12-Step approach to drug abuse recovery include:

Alcoholics Anonymous (/topics/alcoholics-anonymous-the-big-book/)

Narcotics Anonymous (/topics/about-the-narcotics-anonymous-na-12-step-recovery-

program/)

Cocaine Anonymous (/topics/about-the-cocaine-anonymous-ca-12-step-recovery-

program/)

Step 3: Find Support

Connect With Others in Recovery

Visit the Recovery.org forum to connect with thousands of other people in the recovery process.
Share your story, get support and nd resources for staying sober.

Go there
(/forums/)

Finding support is the third step of the recovery process. Regardless of the treatment program
that you select, you will need help along the journey. You should talk to your friends and family
members about your choice to enroll in a treatment program and ask them to support you.

You might be surprised how quick those around you are to support you-and you should
embrace their help, when o ered. You should be proud of your decision to change your life.
Attempting to recover in hiding or isolation can make things tough-your friends and family can
prove to be invaluable recovery resources.

Connect With Other Sober People

Sadly, in many cases, your friends or even your family members may have been contributing to
your addiction-either indirectly (with enabling behavior) or directly (with overt drug use of their
own). If you’ve encountered the latter situation, it will also important to build up a network of
sober people.Your sober friends can help you nd new social outlets, and they will also
understand what you are going through. If necessary, you may even want to consider moving
into a therapeutic community, sober house (/topics/recovery-homes/) or make other sober
living arrangements.

Step 4: Make Sobriety Last

Getting sober and completing a drug abuse rehabilitation program are among the rst major
steps in the drug and alcohol recovery process. But once you have completed a program, you
will still need to work to maintain your sobriety and avoid a relapse. This is the fourth step.

Control Triggers and Manage Cravings

A big part of maintaining your sobriety is managing cravings (/pro/articles/how-to-stop-

cravings-7-tips-from-an-addiction-expert/) to use alcohol or drugs.

One of the most e ective ways to manage your cravings involves making a concerted e ort to
avoid the people, environments and scenarios that act as triggers for you. Ideally, you should
take the following steps to keep your cravings under control and reduce your triggers:

Distance yourself from your old drug or drinking buddies.

Avoid bars and clubs where drug and alcohol use is prominent.

Be honest about your drug abuse history when talking to doctors or other healthcare
providers about your health.

Be cautious when accepting prescription drugs from your doctor.

Participate in an Aftercare Program

Aftercare programs can o er continued support post-rehab (/topics/extended-recovery-

programs/) and help you stay committed to recovery. These programs can include:

Regular individual or group counseling.

Support groups.
 12-Step programs.

Sober living homes.

Step 5: Build a Meaningful Life Without Drugs

“Do activities that you enjoy and that make you

feel valid and important.”

The fth step, rebuilding a new life, can take a lot of e ort. But it is a critical part of the process.

Ideally, you should get involved in activities that you enjoy and that make you feel valid and
important. After completing drug abuse rehabilitation, many people turn to volunteering in their
community while others start a new hobby.

Setting life goals can be an invaluable part of this step, and looking after your health is also
important. When people get enough sleep, eat right and exercise, they tend to feel better and
experience less stress. All of these e orts can further build on Step 4 to help prevent a relapse
(/topics/relapse-prevention/).

Step 6: Never Lose Hope

Don't Give Up

Many people relapse and need to return to treatment to resume their recovery. Call
1-888-892-1840 (tel:+18888921840) Who Answers? to talk to a treatment support specialist about
rehab options for you or a loved one.

The sixth and nal step of the addiction recovery process is to forgive yourself if you have a
relapse and not let it derail your previous e orts. Relapses can be frustrating, but they can also
be a learning experience.
Relapses can be caused by various things. Many people relapse when they are in a negative
emotional state, and others relapse because they are experiencing physical discomfort. Some
relapse because of social pressure.

Regardless of why you have relapsed, it is important to forgive yourself and make a plan to get
back on track.

The Steps to Addiction Recovery for

Teenagers
The steps discussed above outline the basic parts of the addiction treatment process. However,
the steps may look slightly di erent for a teenager. The National Institute of Drug Abuse has
outlined four core steps (https://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/recovery-steps-
overcoming-addiction) in the teen recovery process:

Seeking help.

Embracing new habits.

Taking it one step at a time.

Finding treatment.

Putting It All Together

The steps to addiction recovery will vary depending on the speci c treatment program that you
ultimately select. However, the basic steps in the addiction treatment process are detailed
above. Staying focused and committed to this process can improve your chance of being
successful.

If you are ready to start this process, we are ready to help you. Call
1-888-892-1840 (tel:+18888921840) Who Answers? to nd a substance abuse rehabilitation
program that is right for you.

Learn more about rehab and recovery:

Find the Best Residential Inpatient Rehab (/topics/ nd-the-best-residential-inpatient-

rehab-center/)
 Find the Best Outpatient Center (/topics/ nd-the-best-outpatient-rehab-center/)

How Much Does Rehab Cost? (/topics/how-much-does-rehab-cost/)

About the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-Step Recovery Program (/topics/alcoholics-

anonymous-12-step/)

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