Your First 30 Days in Recovery

Take care of your body

Your body and brain are healing. After stopping alcohol, sleep changes, mood swings and tiredness can last for months, so be patient with yourself.

• Go to bed and get up at about the same time each day.
• Eat regular meals, even small ones. Keep easy snacks around.
• Drink water through the day.
• Move a little: a walk counts.
• See a doctor for a checkup and tell them you are in recovery.

Build a simple routine

Early recovery leaves a lot of open time that used to go to drinking or using. A loose plan for each day gives that time a purpose and makes cravings easier to handle.

• Plan each day the night before, especially evenings and weekends.
• Fill empty time with things that support recovery: meetings, calls, chores, hobbies.
• Keep a short list of what to do when you feel bored or restless.
• Write down three things you are grateful for each night. It takes two minutes and helps you notice progress.

Make your space safe

• Remove alcohol, drugs and paraphernalia from your home. NIAAA advises keeping little or no alcohol at home.
• Delete or block numbers of people you used with or bought from.
• Change routes that take you past old spots, if you can.
• If you used opioids or street drugs, keep naloxone at home. Tolerance drops fast after stopping, which raises overdose risk if you use again.

Get support around you

NIAAA notes that mutual-support groups add a valuable layer of support alongside care from health professionals.

• Go to meetings often. Try a few kinds (AA, NA, SMART Recovery, Recovery Dharma and others) until one fits.
• Find a sponsor, mentor or peer recovery coach.
• Tell at least one trusted person you are in recovery and how they can help.
• Save three phone numbers you can call any time.
• Keep going to counseling or your treatment program.

Talk to a doctor about medication

Medication is a valid part of recovery, not a shortcut. For opioid use disorder, the FDA has approved methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone. For alcohol use disorder, naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram are approved, and NIAAA says all of them are non-addictive. Ask your doctor what fits you. Do not stop any prescribed medicine, especially a benzodiazepine, without your doctor's help.

• Ask my doctor if medication could help me.
• Take my medicines as prescribed.

Handle cravings

Cravings are normal, and NIAAA notes that urges are short-lived, predictable and controllable. They rise, peak and pass, like an ocean wave.

• HALT: ask, am I Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired? Fix that first.
• Ride the wave: notice the urge without acting, breathe, and wait for it to pass.
• Remind yourself of your reasons for recovery.
• Call or text someone.
• Distract yourself: walk, shower, eat, go to a meeting.
• If cravings stay hard after a few weeks, talk to a health professional.

Watch your mood

Low mood is common early on, especially after stimulants. If you feel hopeless or think about hurting yourself, call or text 988 right away. You are not a burden.

Feelings may come back strong now that you are not numbing them. That is part of healing. Talk about them with your counselor, sponsor or a trusted friend instead of carrying them alone.

Celebrate milestones

If you slip, it does not erase your progress. Reach out to your support people the same day and keep going.

• Day 1
• Day 7
• Day 14
• Day 30
• Pick a small reward for each: a favorite meal, a movie, a call with someone you love.