Finding Motivation Again After Rehab

By Geoffrey A. Booth, M.D., Medical Director, LifeSync Malibu

After successfully completing a rehab program, it is quite common to come out with guns blazing, on fire for sobriety, and ready to tackle your new life in recovery. While it is great to see such enthusiasm at the outset of recovery, it will often peter out after a few months. Ordinary life, with its demands and stressors, can pour cold water over that initial blast of zeal.

Of course, no one should expect to remain at that heightened level of intensity indefinitely—it is simply not realistic. Instead, learning some reliable techniques to help reignite your motivation level in recovery now and then is quite doable. Need help to get inspired after rehab? Keep reading.

Why Does Motivation Disappear in Recovery?

When you come out of rehab, after going through detox and withdrawal and the work involved in therapy, it is natural to be amped about the future. It’s like you’ve been given a new lease on life. You are anxious to continue with your 12 Step work and establish new healthy routines. Even though there may be some foreseeable challenges ahead, you start your journey in a positive state of mind.

After a while, when some setbacks come your way or the rush of being newly sober has diminished somewhat, you might find your motivation wobbling a bit. While this is the normal pattern after we start a brand new venture or job or relationship when it comes to addiction recovery losing motivation can be a problem. Even though this is a common occurrence, it’s a good idea to recognize the change in your attitude and be proactive about making some changes.

Why is it Important to Rekindle Motivation After Rehab?

When you allow your fervor for sobriety to wane too much it can cause you to let your guard down. This can result in a reduced effort to continue doing the work of recovery. Maybe you aren’t feeling inspired to go to your recovery meetings this week. Maybe you stopped working out. Maybe you have been avoiding your sponsor.

Losing motivation can start the dominoes falling, which could result in a relapse. To avoid this outcome it is critical to take action. You may never reclaim the same level of intensity you had at the start of your journey, but you can definitely give your spirits a boost to help secure and protect your recovery. Read on!

6 Ways to Stay Inspired in Recovery

We’ve all heard the stories of people putting their electric cars on autopilot mode and ending up in a fiery heap. In recovery, autopilot is not your friend either. Battle complacency by practicing these tips:

1. Seek out sources of inspiration. A plethora of inspiring speakers is out there, ready to share their recovery stories and give your motivation level a big bump up. Seek out these sources of inspiration. You will find them on podcasts, recovery documentaries, Ted Talks, authoring books, producing online videos, and, of course, speaking at live venues.

1. Update your motivations. You may have made a list of all the reasons you desired sobriety while in rehab. Maybe you included your spouse, your children, your career, your finances, and your health as motivating forces. After a period of sobriety, these may fade into the background of a busy life, so it’s a good idea to remind yourself why you want to remain sober.

1. Hitch your wagon to success cases. As you make new sober friendships, you will cross paths with some people that are very special in some way. Inspiration rubs off on you by just being around them. They exude confidence and a positive attitude, and that is highly motivating. Keep them close.

1. Volunteer. You yourself can be an inspiration to others, and that can have a boomerang effect. Find a charity or community organization that you are passionate about volunteering your time. Volunteer to help out at A.A. events or become a sponsor to a newcomer. Giving back is incredibly fulfilling and can refuel your engines.

1. Celebrate your milestones. Create a list of special things you will treat yourself to when you hit milestones. These can be monthly benchmarks, every 3 months, or every 6 months. Set up some enticing rewards to motivate each leg of your journey.

1. Recommit to a healthy lifestyle. It is hard to stay motivated at anything when you don’t feel good. If you have let your healthy routine fade a bit it is time to reboot. Set some new fitness goals, recommit to eating nutritiously, and improve your quality of sleep. Getting healthy improves your mood state and energy level, which can help you stay motivated.

Be on the Look Out for Signs of Relapse

If you have lacked motivation for a while you may be vulnerable to relapse. The signs of an impending relapse occur far in advance of the actual event. Some warning signs of relapse include:

• You stop going to meetings. Recovery meetings provide not only peer support and a social network but also act as a built-in deterrent to relapse, as people are less apt to relapse when they feel accountable to others.

• You are romancing the past. After a while in recovery, it is common to recall the good ole days of substance use with fondness. Remembering the high and forgetting about the negative consequences can fool you into believing you can enjoy just one beer.

• You are socially isolated. Prior to relapse you might start avoiding friends and family members as you avoid accountability. However, loneliness and boredom are significant risk factors for relapse and will only increase the probability of a relapse occurring.

• You rekindle toxic friendships. After rehab, you had probably cut off ties with friends who engage in substance use. If you start connecting with them again it is a sign you are vulnerable to relapse.

Rather than allowing your enthusiastic vibe for sobriety to wane, take a step back periodically to assess your motivation level. If you find it is in need of a boost, you now know what to do.

About the Author

Geoffrey A. Booth, M.D. is the Medical Director of Lifesync Malibu

, an exclusive rehabilitation program located in the heart of Malibu. Dr. Booth has treated thousands of addicts over the years and now has dedicated most of his clinical time to providing medical care and detoxification to clients who suffer from substance abuse. He is committed to helping them establish the foundations for long-term sobriety. While not working, Dr. Booth has a rich personal life filled with activities surrounded by friends and family.

Geoffrey A. Booth, M.D. is the Medical Director of LifeSync Malibu, an exclusive rehabilitation program located in the heart of Malibu. Dr. Booth has treated thousands of addicts over the years and now has dedicated most of his clinical time to prov