Maintaining Commitment in Recovery

Recovery is a lifelong process for people diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD). Many individuals remain in some form of treatment for months or years before they feel confident in their ability to maintain sobriety independently. In addition, most people go through a continuum of care, starting at a higher level and slowly transitioning to lower levels of care as they learn to manage their condition successfully. Long-term recovery provides people with the tools they need to build resilience, coping skills, and healthy patterns of behavior. West Coast Recovery Centers helps clients maintain commitment in recovery by providing guidance, motivation, and accountability. 

The Role of Commitment in Recovery

Commitment is a vital part of long-term recovery from substance abuse. People must commit to change to avoid falling back into unhealthy routines and thought patterns. Commitment keeps people motivated to continue making progress during and after treatment. As stated in Enhancing Motivation for Change in Substance Use Disorder Treatment published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), "Motivation is a critical element of behavior change . . . Successful SUD treatment approaches acknowledge motivation as a multidimensional, fluid state during which people make difficult changes to health-risk behaviors, like substance misuse.” West Coast Recovery Centers provides clients with the information and skills they need to remain committed and confident in their sobriety. 

Commitment helps people in recovery do the following: 

• Reduce the risk of relapse
• Continue making healthy lifestyle changes
• Decrease the risk of emotional burnout 
• Improve overall mood and emotion regulation

Treatment programs are more effective when people are committed to actually following through with their recovery goals. Clients rely on their support system to help them maintain accountability and motivation during challenging moments in recovery. Commitment to healing helps people use the support and guidance provided by peers, loved ones, and their care team to build a healthier future. 

Reducing Ambivalence and Emotional Burnout

Many people struggle with ambivalence toward treatment, sobriety, and lifestyle changes. According to SAMHSA, “Frequently, client ambivalence is a roadblock to change, not a lack of knowledge or skills about how to change.” People may begin to feel ambivalent if they are overwhelmed by various factors related to their condition. 

Some common causes of ambivalence include: 

• Guilt over past decisions
• Shame
• Internalized stigmas
• Fear of discomfort or symptoms of SUD
• Denial of the need for change 
• Fear of change 

People who feel ambivalent may more easily experience emotional burnout and a desire to give up on treatment. West Coast Recovery Centers helps clients maintain emotional stability and commitment to recovery using psychotherapy and other tools. Furthermore, many people avoid experiencing ambivalence if they actively engage in therapy and other forms of treatment. 

How Do People Benefit From Focusing on Commitment in Recovery?

Creating realistic and attainable recovery goals inspires people in recovery to stay motivated. Focusing on commitment to change allows many individuals to feel more energized, engaged, and enthusiastic about every stage of recovery. Progress is often slow, and healing occurs over weeks, months, or years. Staying committed is essential to reducing the risk of relapse and creating a positive recovery experience.

A few benefits of focusing on commitment during treatment include: 

• Better decision-making  
• Increased self-confidence and self-efficacy 
• Less risk of self-harming or risk-taking behaviors
• Increased likelihood of achieving recovery goals 
• Reduced side effects of SUD and mental health disorders 
• Better stress management 

Often, individuals with SUD have co-occurring mental health issues. Some people may struggle to avoid ruminating on unhelpful thoughts or feelings. Maintaining a commitment to healing and personal growth makes it easier to stop thoughts from spiraling in a negative direction. 

How Do People Improve Commitment to Recovery?

Commitment causes people to take more responsibility for their own thoughts and behaviors. Many clients use mindfulness-based techniques and exercises to stay on track during treatment. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Becoming a more mindful person requires commitment and practice.” 

People increase personal responsibility and commitment by doing the following:

• Educating themselves about their condition  
• Setting achievable and realistic goals 
• Making healthier lifestyle choices 

West Coast Recovery Centers helps clients maintain commitment through psychotherapy, alternative holistic therapies, and peer support. 

Psychotherapy and Other Forms of Treatment at West Coast Recovery Centers

Motivational interviewing (MI) is one type of psychotherapy used to help people overcome ambivalence and increase commitment to addiction recovery. As stated in Treatment for Stimulant Use Disorders by SAMHSA, "Clinicians can use MI techniques to help patients with SUDs understand stages of change and resolve ambivalence toward behavior change by helping them directly confront and acknowledge their hesitation, while highlighting motivations or reasons to change.” Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness-based therapies, and other treatments also give people the skills and knowledge to successfully manage SUD. 

West Coast Recovery Centers offers multiple levels of care and various treatment services. Clients and clinicians collaborate closely to ensure each client feels uplifted and empowered. The care team guides clients through the process of identifying and addressing issues related to SUD and mental health. 

Commitment to recovery helps people overcome challenges and combat internalized stigmas or other barriers to treatment. Individuals maintain motivation and commitment through various means, including family support, therapy, and peer engagement. Some people may struggle with fear, inadequacy, regret, shame, or guilt. Finding healthy ways to process the underlying causes of negative emotions and replace them with positive alternatives improves commitment to recovery. West Coast Recovery Centers offers multiple treatment programs and a wide range of evidence-based and alternative holistic therapies to help clients heal and move forward in their recovery. To learn more about our programs and the service we offer, contact our office today by calling us at (760) 492-6509.