Why Staying Consistent in Treatment Can Feel Hard at First

The road to recovery requires commitment, planning and preparation to persevere. 

Starting your recovery journey often brings a surge of hope and resolve. You may feel eager to begin anew and prepared to reconstruct your life. However, over time, this initial drive can diminish. Life becomes more complex, emotions return, and the process of recovery may begin to feel like an uphill battle. 

If you have ever felt discouraged or questioned whether you can continue your ongoing treatment, you are not alone. Everyone in recovery experiences times when staying engaged can be difficult. It is important to remember that these moments do not have to define you. Instead, they can serve as stepping stones for growth and building resilience.  

Continue reading to learn why staying consistent in treatment can feel hard at first, and ways to overcome difficult days. 

 Why Staying Consistent in Treatment is Difficult 

There are many reasons you may struggle with consistency in care for substance use disorder. Everyone in recovery will face unique challenges, but common factors affect treatment consistency.  

• Brain changes: Prolonged substance misuse leading to addiction has a significant impact on brain function. It can take some time for the brain to rewire itself away from substances and adjust to a treatment routine. Retraining your brain to think differently will require practice and repetition until you can overcome previous impulses.  

• Emotional instability: You may deal with intense cravings and emotional volatility while you begin your program, which can test your commitment to healing. Repressed feelings of sadness, anger, guilt and fear can rear their heads randomly as you unpack the damage of addiction. It is essential to allow yourself to feel these feelings as they will be helpful in your journey.  

• Unrealistic expectations: Modern-day outpatient substance use disorder treatment can make the process seem effortless, but it does take work. It is important to consider long-term care during treatment planning. Although medication-assisted treatment makes the process easier, you will still need to work on your recovery daily.   

Maintaining consistency in addiction treatment can be difficult because of various factors. Brain changes caused by substance use, intense emotions and unrealistic hopes can make forming new habits challenging. This is complicated by cravings, stigma and mental health issues, making it hard but crucial to establish routines for lasting change.  

Challenges of Staying Engaged in Treatment 

Once you begin treatment, your life centers on working toward long-term recovery. However, your attention is not solely on the end goal but also on the process. Treatment engagement is crucial to staying on track, especially during the initial phases of your program. Some common challenges you may face in staying engaged in treatment include: 

• Internal factors: Many people with substance use disorder also struggle with mental health. It is not uncommon to have co-occurring addiction and mental illness. This is why you should speak honestly with your provider about depression, anxiety and similar psychological issues.  

• External factors: Dealing with social isolation and stigma of addiction can lead people to struggle with their commitment to recovery. Things become exponentially more difficult without support during treatment. It can also be hard to manage people, places and things in your environment that trigger you.  

• Improper aftercare: Long-term mental health support and continued care through treatment are essential to success. This includes attending individual and group substance use counseling and regular check-ins with your provider.  

Remaining engaged in addiction treatment can be challenging due to mental health issues, stigma and lack of treatment support. Factors like poor aftercare can lead to relapse as you aim to develop new skills, find purpose and manage triggers.  

How to Stay Consistent in Treatment Long Term 

You can learn a great deal through consistency and repetition. When you encounter a new experience, a pathway forms in your central nervous system, linking emotional, psychological and biological processes. Repeating that experience strengthens these pathways, making them more established. As a result, the experience feels more familiar, and the associated skills are easier to perform. 

Begin your recovery journey with a solid framework and plan. While the plan should be adaptable, it helps establish routines, set boundaries, make decisions and focus on your healing. Here are five steps you can take to start off on the right foot: 

1. Build a routine and habits: Create structure in your life by keeping a planner or using a daily habit tracker on your phone. This will help you manage your long-term and short-term goals, daily tasks and appointments. Staying on top of planning enables you to maintain consistency while eliminating uncertainty through organization and foresight.  

2. Stay motivated and accountable: Track your progress and review your journey regularly. It helps to keep a journal where you can jot down your thoughts, no matter how big or small. This will help you stay accountable to your recovery goals and remind you why you are working so hard. You will have ample opportunities to reflect on why you decided to improve yourself and your future.  

3. Check in with your provider: Keep in touch with your provider and staff regularly throughout treatment. If a problem arises, do not wait to get in touch. They are always looking for ways to make your experience better, more comfortable and flexible. This is particularly important for those in long-term mental health care.   

4. Curate your environment: Starting the recovery journey is a big decision that requires a lot of adjustment. That also means removing things from your everyday life that could knock you off track. Make sure your personal space and the people you surround yourself with support your recovery. The activities you engage in should always promote your physical, mental and emotional well-being.  

5. Have a plan: Prepare a relapse prevention plan early on in the treatment process. This will feel like a safety net during hard times. Having a plan in place when things get tough is reassuring and can help you avoid making decisions you will regret.  

Recovery is an ongoing journey, not just a short-term phase. It lasts for the rest of your life. To remain in recovery, consistency is crucial and should become a priority. Recovery requires sustained commitment, and each day you must decide for yourself and your future. Building consistency across different parts of your life can help you stay on a stable, steady recovery path. 

Substance Use Disorder Recovery with BAART Programs 

Some days recovery feels tough, and you may doubt if you can continue. However, those days are crucial because each time you persist, you are demonstrating that change is achievable. 

At BAART Programs, we can provide you with the resources, compassion and support necessary to keep progressing. Contact us today to discover more about our treatment programs and services.