Drug addiction creates complications in many facets of life. Even things that seemed simple before, such as sticking to a schedule or preparing meals, can be difficult during active addiction. Life skills that many take for granted are lost as the drugs take over thoughts and behaviors. That is why one of the key components to recovery is to re-learn life skills. At Serenity Light Recovery, we offer life skills therapy to help our clients rebuild their lives.
Why Are Life Skills Lost in Addiction?
Life skills are things many people take for granted that are critical to maintaining a physically and mentally healthy lifestyle. For example, many people lose independent living skills when they are struggling with addiction. These include things like maintaining their daily schedule or eating nutritious foods. Some people struggle with personal hygiene habits or may not have the skills to properly manage finances. Over time, these skills are lost simply because they aren’t practiced.
Other types of life skills people need to relearn during treatment may include:
- Emotion control, including how to control how they respond to situations
- Managing triggers or experiences that put them at risk for use
- Coping mechanisms for stress
- Maintaining relationships with friends and family
- Physical exercise and fitness needs
- Taking medications properly
- Using effective communication skills
In life skills training, these skills, and others, are taught. This is done through one-on-one therapy but also in group therapy sessions. People learn how to eat right, interact with the world, and make better financial decisions.
Why Are Life Skills So Important in Addiction Recovery?
Some people may expect to just get back into everyday life without having to worry about learning these skills again. Yet, once a person enters recovery and begins living on their own, these simple things can get in the way of success.
Frustration, over-stress, or an inability to control emotions can lead to negative thought processes. That can lead to destructive behavior. Struggling with a lack of finances can lead a person down a path of financial devastation. Other times, poor medicine and nutrition management leads to chronic pain or disease development. All of this can trigger a relapse.
How Can Life Skills Therapy Help?
Life skills training can help. It, along with other types of therapy, enables a person to heal from addiction more fully. It helps to prepare a person to get back into their life with more support, information, and guidance. Over time, this allows for better outcomes. Some of the complementary therapies that are often used as a component of life skills training include:
- Equine therapy programs
- Group therapy programs
- Family therapy programs
- Yoga therapy programs
- SMART recovery programs
- Biofeedback therapy programs
For many people, for example, equine therapy allows for learning to manage emotions and control thoughts. It can also help a person to reclaim healthy habits by providing for the needs of the animal. Yoga therapy is not just about physical fitness but also about meditation. It can also help a person to rebuild and gain mental strength.
Addiction recovery without life skills training limits long-term success. It makes every day a bit harder. We’ll discuss the needs and opportunities for life skills training for those who come in to see our team at Serenity Light Recovery. Not everyone needs every form of training, but individualized treatment plans can be created for most needs.
Create a Better Future – Connect with Serenity Light Recovery Now
A lack of life skills does not have to impede your recovery or future. Our team at Serenity Light Recovery provides you with life skills training as it fits your needs. This can give you the tools necessary to help you overcome challenges and build a stronger future. To learn more, call (281) 431-6700 or connect with us online.
As our CEO, Heather’s main calling is to stay true to the vision of the organization, which is saving lives and striving to redefine statistics by raising the standard of care with evolving treatment methods. Heather studied psychology at LSU and both the main and Clear Lake campuses of the University of Houston, and she is a certified IASIS provider and CPI instructor. She’s been helping people in recovery since 2011. Heather’s motto to live by is “I am not what I’ve done; I am what I’ve overcome.”
