It is often said that old habits die hard. Despite working hard to recover and even making good progress, the thought of having a drink here or there may surface in your mind. This temptation alone may make it harder to reach your destination. Are there truly any pros to drinking during recovery?
There actually are some benefits of allowing yourself a drink during recovery! These include:
- Having fun – Drinking can be a fun pastime; hanging out with friends over a few glasses of wine is one way to help you unwind.
- A sense of normalcy – After undergoing treatment you may feel alienated and alone; drinking can be a way to engage in conversation and social activities with your peers.
- Celebrating – Many people use alcohol as a means to celebrate; drinking in a cheerful and joyous celebration is healthy and common.
- Stress relief – Life is stressful with obligations from work, school, bills, friends, children, and family; a glass of champagne may help you to relax.
- Socializing – Alcohol makes it easier to meet and build friendships with new people, and get over social anxiety.
Now that we’ve covered the pros of alcohol consumption during recovery, here is a list of the cons!
Alienating others in recovery – Many people in recovery develop strong, healthy friendships while in treatment; drinking alienates those friends and can lead to isolation.
Developing alcohol addiction – Drinking can quickly and easily go from something casual and fun into a full-blown addiction.
Can lead to drug abuse – Alcohol can lead back to the use of a previous drug due to lowered inhibitions from consumption.
Can lead to harmful behavior – Alcohol can lead to a relapse in self-harm or behavioral disorders (also due to lowered inhibitions).
Making life more difficult – Can lead to bad decisions and regret, and an overall negative lifestyle.
Possible gateway to mental illness – Alcohol commonly triggers mental illness, and can also lead to a complete relapse of a preexisting mental health condition.
Legal Trouble – Drinking can violate probation or parole and is typically frowned upon by courts.
Every recovering addict must decide whether to drink alcohol or not. Yet overall, there appear to be more reasons to abstain rather than drink. At Asana Recovery we understand the difficulties that are correlated to addiction recovery, all thanks to our daily work providing help to those struggling most from this disease. Processes of counseling and aftercare can also help you to identify what lead you to addiction and build structures to manage life without it.
Detoxification and residential treatment programs at Asana Recovery are offered in a caring and encouraging atmosphere. We are truly committed to ensuring a long term recovery and guiding you on the road to a healthy, happier future. We’re always available to speak to you; call us at (949) 438-4504 to learn more details about our comprehensive drug and alcohol addiction treatment program today!
