How to Improve Your Self-Esteem after Drug Rehab

Any drug and alcohol rehab clinics will rip into your innermost feelings during your stay there. When you leave, you have gone through a traumatic experience that has struck at the heart of your very being. It is important to remember that you are likely feeling low by this point. Now your goal is not just to beat your addiction. It has to raise your self-esteem. People who feel good about themselves generally will not engage in self-destructive habits. We look at some of the ways people can improve their self-esteem when they leave rehab clinics.

Get Used to Low Self-Esteem : It seems incredibly counterproductive, but the truth is we always expect too much of ourselves. You will have low self-esteem when you take on the real world again. This is something you need to accept. Rehab has broken you down and given you the chance to rebuild yourself again. You need to build that self-esteem continuously over a long period.

Pace Yourself : If you try to take on too much at once, you are always going to have low self-esteem because you are reducing your chances of success. Pace yourself by writing down small and manageable goals every day. Over time, you are going to see progress and this is going to build up your self-esteem. As time goes on, you will be able to beat greater and greater challenges.

Turn a Negative into a Positive : When people leave drug rehab clinics, they find it easy to look at the enormity of a problem. It does not take much for them to find a piece of negativity, and this is not going to do anything for your self-esteem. Try to get into the habit of turning a negative into a positive. Think of something you know is negative and practice finding the positive in it. Rather than complaining about how often you were tempted to drink today, look at the fact you did not drink today instead. Ignore the fact it was so hard to do.

Celebrate Every Success : Even if it was something as small as saying no to going out with your friends who you know take drugs, celebrate every success. You do not have to wait until you are completely clean for you to celebrate. Treat yourself to a favourite meal or something nice that you want to buy from the shops. This way your mind associates success with something good. It shows you are a success, and this is going to build your self-esteem.

Stay Active and Keep Moving : Success improves confidence in every area of your life. This is why we always recommend you keep moving and staying active. It can apply to any area of your life that you want. You can apply it to getting a new job, beginning an exercise programme at the gym, or spending more time with friends and family members. The goal is to distract yourself from your cravings and to make progress in the areas of life that matter to you. It will make you feel like a worthwhile human being again, which leads to further increases in your self-esteem.