Addicts and alcoholics who enter long term drug rehab learn numerous skills that will enhance their relapse prevention efforts. Sometimes, however, the only skill we need is to just say no. Depending on your age and social circle, someone may very well offer you drugs and alcohol at some point in your recovery. Below are a few simple ways to handle the situation should it arise.
Explain the Importance of Your Recovery
People give into peer pressure for numerous reasons. The teen website for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism suggests that some people give in because they do not truly know what they wish to do. Others want to appear more mature or avoid hurting someone’s feelings. Some people simply lack the knowledge of how to just say no.
Asserting yourself clearly and confidently can address all of these concerns. You will know what you want, and that you are decisive enough to voice your wishes respectfully. More than anything, explaining the importance of your recovery will solidify the primary lesson of long term drug rehab—that you cannot drink or use drugs without consequences. After addressing the consequences of your substance use in addiction therapy, explaining the importance of your recovery should be easy. If others cannot understand it, let that be their problem—not yours.
Make Up an Unrelated Excuse
The National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens suggests blaming your parents as a way of diffusing the situation. Those who are older or do not live at home can follow similar advice by simply making up an unrelated excuse. You might say that you have work in the morning, or that you are feeling under the weather and do not want to risk making it worse.
Some people do not want others to know that they went to long term drug rehab, or that they are currently in outpatient treatment as the case may be. In these cases, using an outside excuse can be a good way of saying no without risking further questions. Just remain aware that some friends may continue pressuring you no matter how many times you deliver the same excuse. You need to stay strong and stick to your guns if this happens.
Just Say No without Explanation
Believe it or not, this method does not occur to most people. At the end of the day, however, you do not owe anyone an explanation. If somebody offers you drugs or alcohol, you have the right to just say no without providing further information. Most good friends will respect your boundaries without pressuring you. Some people may continue to push the issue, in which case you are more than justified if you choose to simply walk away. Do not feel pressured into talking about your long term drug rehab if you do not wish to engage in that particular conversation. Just say no and stand your ground.
Learn More in Long Term Drug Rehab
The benefit of learning various ways to just say no is that you can decide before the situation arises which methods are best suited to your personality. Long term drug rehab also gives you the opportunity to discuss these issues with your therapist, discussing the situations in which the topic of drugs and alcohol might enter the conversation. You can form a plan before you need one, and follow through when the situation calls for it.
More importantly, those who undergo treatment at our rehab center will meet several new friends in recovery during their stay. Long term drug rehab at 1st Step Behavioral Health will ensure that you leave treatment with a support network in place, minimizing the chances that you will encounter peer pressure at all. If you do, and if you have trouble saying no, you can rely on your new friends for support.
For more information on long term drug rehab at 1st Step Behavioral Health, contact us through our online form or call (855) 425-4846 today. We’ll give you the tools you need to stay strong when temptation beckons.