An Addiction Recovery Checklist
A list of important skills and goals for your first year of recovery. Use it as a reminder and to help you stay on track in the days and months ahead.
- Accept that you have an addiction.
- Practice honesty in your life.
- Learn to avoid high-risk situations.
- Learn to ask for help.
- There are many paths to recovery. The most difficult path is doing it alone.
- Practice calling friends before you have cravings.
- Become actively involved in self-help recovery groups.
- Go to discussion meetings and begin to share. You are not alone.
- Get a sponsor and do step work.
- Get rid of using friends.
- Make time for you and your recovery.
- Celebrate your small victories. Recovery is about progress not perfection.
- Practice saying no.
- Take better care of yourself.
- Develop healthy eating and sleeping habits.
- Learn how to relax and let go of stress.
- Discover how to have fun clean and sober.
- Make new recovery friends and bring them into your life.
- Reevaluate your lifestyle periodically to make sure you remain on track.
- Deal with cravings by “playing the tape forward” What will happen if you start?
- Find ways to distract yourself when you have cravings.
- Physical activity helps many aspects of recovery.
- Deal with post-acute withdrawal symptoms.
- Develop strategies for social environments where drinking is involved.
- Keep a gratitude list of your recovery, your life, and the people in it.
- Say goodbye to your addiction.
- Develop tolerance and compassion for others and for yourself.
- Begin to give back and help others once you have a solid recovery.
- See yourself as a non-user.
More Mental Health Information …
The book “I Want to Change My Life.” contains more information on how to overcome anxiety, depression, and addiction.
Last Modified:July 12, 2021