How to Cope With Grief in Recovery

Grief never comes at a convenient time. Most associate grief with the loss of a friend or a loved one, but it can also come after a job layoff, a child going off to college, your closest friend moving across the country, or from losing an addiction. While certainly less common, grief during recovery does occur. As an individual adapts to new ways of living, their ability to cope with drugs must catch up. In these cases, grief and a general unhappiness are very common. Learning how to cope with grief in recovery can be difficult, but it is also necessary in order to prevent relapse.

While grief can feel eternal, life indeed continues on. For that reason, sometimes you need to seek grief and loss counseling.

How Grief and Loss Make Addiction Harder

Grief can often cause or compound trauma. Trauma has a hand-in-glove relationship with addiction. It’s likely that when someone is suffering from grief, they’ll turn to drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism. Other times, the loss of addiction itself can result in grief, and your loved one will need to learn how to cope with grief in recovery.

Sometimes, the more intense stages of grief lead to the person “acting out.” While this person may not have originally been predisposed to substance abuse, their grief has created the right psychological environment for it. They begin binge drinking or eating and experimenting with other harmful substances. These people start to have trust issues, leading them to isolate themselves from people who care about their well-being.

While there isn’t a perfect roadmap to get through it, it’s better to learn how to cope with grief in recovery, where you’re surrounded by a strong support system and professional advice.

Opening up to a counselor draws back the isolation curtains. The person may not be able to make the loss disappear, but they can point out the path to needed closure.

How to Cope with Grief in Recovery

The simplest form of grief and loss advice you will receive? Stop trying to please other people with your process. There will be no specific timeframe for your grief. Being strong sometimes means letting yourself show emotion. It also means knowing when to seek grief and loss counseling. Just like with any other form of counseling, many people are apprehensive to enter treatment. There are many negative social stigmas around mental health and addiction counseling. The important thing to remember is this a service to make patients both happy and healthy.

At Beaches Recovery, we believe that healing should go on as long as life does. With our addiction treatment programs, you can receive the help you need that supports you and your life goals. This way, you’ll never stop living and pursuing your dreams, even if you’re going through a recovery period. Our expert staff is ready to guide you to a new life of sobriety. If you’re looking to learn more about how to cope with grief in recovery, then give Beaches Recovery a call today at 866.605.0532.