How Do I Stay Sober With the Stress of a New Baby?
The arrival of a new child is an exciting time in a family’s life, and it is possible to enjoy this beautiful period sober and drug-free. During the first few weeks, many people struggle with adjusting to the new schedule, sleep deprivation, and overwhelming feelings of joy and stress. This blog post will provide tips on preparing for the arrival of a new child into your family that may help your sobriety and recovery.
Create a Plan Before the Arrival
Preparing for the arrival of a child involves lots of practical considerations, such as planning a budget, setting up a nursery or bedroom, choosing a pediatrician, and so on. Planning allows a person time to address any possible doubts or fears that they may have. If you’re nervous about taking on this huge responsibility, it can help to get support from friends or family members. That way, you’ll have people to talk to when you need advice or encouragement. Also, speak with a therapist or addiction counselor about developing your plan and methods to maintain your recovery.
Tips for Creating and Following a Routine
Creating a routine can help you stay sober during the arrival of a new child. By setting up a schedule for yourself, planning tasks out in advance, and organizing them into different periods of the day and week, you can develop a healthier lifestyle for yourself and your family. Thus, you’ll be able to spend quality time with your family without having unsettling feelings cloud over everything that is going on.
Discuss Sobriety With Your Partner
Before setting off as parents, consider discussing sobriety and addiction recovery with your partner. Discussions about these topics can provide both partners with a greater understanding of what to expect during this time. It will also help prevent any possible misunderstandings later. Take time to discuss the support each will need to maintain recovery during this critical transition. For instance, review how one could continue attending support groups, addiction counseling, therapy, and other necessary management tools. The conversation can also serve as an opportunity for partners who never experienced a SUD personally learn more about the condition.
Build Your Network of Support
Lean on your community for support. Ask friends or family to spend some time with the kids when you want to go to a meeting. Additionally, consider seeking help from professionals like a therapist, doctor, or a treatment center. They can provide resources and guidance that will benefit you in the long run. You can consider seeking professional caregivers who can assist with watching your child. Also, spending time with your network gives you time to destress and have fun. Go out for lunch or coffee with friends. Spend this time alone with them to laugh and share or even cry. Don’t ever feel ashamed about reaching out for help. All parents need support regardless of whether they have a SUD or not.
Consider a Parenting Class or Online Resources
To prepare for the arrival of your new baby, you might also consider attending parenting classes or seeking professional online resources about parenting. Many hospitals, birthing centers, adoption agencies, and community centers offer parenting classes. Online groups dedicated to parenthood can also be a source of support and information. All of these sources provide solid parenting skills. Parenting classes and online groups can be excellent places to meet other parents, ask questions, and share experiences. These suggestions can be a perfect way for you to prepare mentally, physically, and financially by learning how other parents have coped with similar issues.
Take Things One Day at a Time
If you’re about to become a parent, you may be tempted to take on too many responsibilities at once. However, it’s good to pace yourself from day to day and focus on one task at a time. If you try to go into overdrive and put too much pressure on yourself, you will end up feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, achieving any goal or primary responsibility still calls for self-care. You don’t want to end up burnt out. As you set high-quality goals, self-care practices like getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, social outings, and attending your recovery meetings will help. All of this together will dramatically decrease your chance of a relapse.
Get Started With Addiction Treatment
If you are looking for drug and alcohol rehabilitation, your first step is to find a treatment center that matches you and your family’s needs. Treatment centers offer you and your family members the opportunity to heal together. The most important aspects are the center’s location, cost, level of privacy, accommodation options, and other service offerings. A good treatment facility usually provides individual therapy, holistic therapies, cognitive behavioral therapy, spiritual counseling, group therapy, 12-Step programs, or a combination of these methods.
Join a Support Group for Recovery
Group Support will help you remain motivated toward achieving success in recovery and healthy living. Joining a recovery group can help you feel less alone and avoid isolation, which is detrimental to your sobriety. You can learn how to avoid self-medicating with drugs or alcohol, deal with the unique challenges of parenting, and reduce stress. You can meet others who may be going through similar struggles as you. It’s helpful to receive peer accountability from those in your recovery group. Some recovery groups include 12-Step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), or S.M.A.R.T Recovery.
Having a child is an experience like no other. You’ll have the joy of watching them grow over the years–from their first step to their first day of school. Regardless of these happy moments, most parents will encounter specific parenting-related pressures. Because of this, many people return to their old habits–such as drugs or alcohol–despite years of sobriety. There are many ways to survive and recover from stressful situations. You can build a strong support system, seek professional help, and learn coping strategies. At Restoration Recovery, we help participants face their struggles with addiction, gain confidence in themselves, and overcome negative influences in their lives. We offer behavioral therapies, relapse prevention plans, holistic treatments, and more at scenic Auburn, California. For more information about our program and how we can help you or your loved one recover from substance use disorders, please give us a call today at (888) 290-0925.
