Treatment is a wonderful and necessary part of recovery. However, we can get burned out on talking about our feelings, learning, and staying engaged in our treatment every single day. Here are 8 warning signs that you might need to hang back and do some self-care practices. It’s important to stay tuned into your feelings of burnout and be honest about them. Speak about these feelings to a counselor, as there is nothing to be ashamed of and it’s always better to speak up about your feelings as opposed to relapsing. Burnout is a normal part of recovery. However, stay alert and aware of these warning signs and don’t ignore them.
You feel exhausted. At its root, burnout is about excessive stress in the system. Sometimes, your brain and body need to rest. If you’re feeling physically, mentally, or emotionally exhausted, you could be on the path to burnout.
You feel like you’re not making progress. Burnout can happen when you feel frustrated and you don’t feel like you’re moving forward in your recovery process. Take note of what’s causing these feelings and talk to a counselor, therapist, or sponsor.
You feel like recovery is a waste of time and energy. If you’re feeling defeated, hopeless, or like recovery is a waste of time, reach out for help and voice your concerns.
Recovery has lost its sparkle. You don’t feel any sense of excitement or hope about your recovery process or you find yourself fantasizing about your past history of drug or alcohol use. It’s normal to have moments of frustration, but if you’re feeling a long term disinterest in the recovery process, it’s time to speak up.
You experience one or more of the above feelings every day. Again, recovery is filled with ups and downs and there is no clear linear path. However, if you’re experiencing consistent feelings of lack of progress, emotional exhaustion, hopelessness, or disinterest, you are likely experiencing treatment burnout. Reach out to someone you care about and let them know your feelings.
Tree House Recovery of Orange County, California is a premier men’s addiction treatment facility that uses eight different modalities to help our men become the best versions of themselves they can be. We teach our men that every day of their journey is something to celebrate, and that recovery isn’t a sprint– it’s a marathon. To get started with Tree House Recovery, call us today at (855) 202-2138.
