My Wellness 24/7 Aftercare
November 2013
NEWSLETTER
VOL 6/2013
In the 6th Aftercare NEWSLETTER we focus on Managing Emotions in Recovery.
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Emotional Management in Addiction and Recovery Giving up an addiction is usually an important 1st step, but is not usually enough to ensure future happiness for you as the individual. This is because there will usually be a reason for why you fell into substance abuse in the 1st place and that reason is likely to be still there. One of the most common motives for turning to alcohol or drugs is an inability to deal with emotions. |
- Emotional Management Defined
- Emotional Management in Addiction and Recovery
- Skills required for Emotional Management
- 10 Ways to Develop Emotional Management in Recovery
- Emotional Management as Emotional Sobriety
Emotional Management Defined
Emotional Management can be defined as the ability of you the individual to assess and control the emotions of yourselves and others.
Emotional Management in Addiction and Recovery
A typical problem for people who fall into addiction is that they have difficulties dealing with their emotions. This inability of the addict to deal well with their emotions makes life difficult for them so they self-medicate with alcohol or drugs. Their lack of emotional management drives them towards addiction, and it is this that helps keep them stuck in this misery. If this person becomes sober they can still struggle unless they develop emotional management.
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Skills Required for Emotional Management Emotional management involves a number of different skills including:
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| It’s not the situation…… it’s your reaction to the situation – Bob Conklin |
In order for a person to be able to handle their emotions they need to be able to:
Recognize and manage their emotions.
Quickly reduce their own stress levels.
Confidently resolve any conflicts in a positive manner.
Have developed some mastery over non-verbal communication.
Use humour when dealing with the difficulties in life.
10 Ways to Develop Emotional Management in Recovery1. Learn to Empathize with Other People2. Learn to Recognize Stress3. Develop Effective Techniques for Dealing with Stress4. Understand Non Verbal Communication5. Become Skilled at Conflict Resolution6. Learn to Listen7. Learn to Recognize Emotions8. Mindfulness Meditation and Self Understanding9. Willingness to Face Life on Life’s Terms10. Learn to See the Humor in Difficult Situations |
Emotional Management as Emotional Sobriety
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When you come to a roadblock, take a detour – Mary Kay Ash |
When people give up alcohol or drugs they will become physically sober. This ending of the addiction is always positive step, but it may not be enough to ensure happiness in sobriety. This is because the individual will still be expected to deal with their emotions and now they will not have a chemical crutch. By making a determined effort to develop in recovery the individual is able to become emotionally sober. This can take years to accomplish but it will lead to greater happiness in life.
