Use HALT in Addiction Recovery

HALT is an acronym often used in addiction recovery. It stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired – four physical and emotional states that increase a person’s risk of relapsing into drug or alcohol use. Many people aren’t in the habit of practicing good self-care after kicking an addiction, and HALT is an easy way to remember which basic needs are most important. You can make HALT work for you as you recover by caring for your physical and emotional health, as well as by making a plan for dealing with your relapse triggers.

Steps

Taking Care of Your Physical Health

1. Commit to caring for your health. During recovery, your body heals along with your mind. Commit to giving yourself the rest and nutrition you need during this time, even if it isn’t always convenient. Work on making changes and building new habits that you can sustain for years to come.
   • A good way to start is to make a small change every week. For instance, this week you could give up soda, and next week you could start going to bed half an hour earlier.
2. Establish set times for meals and snacks. Eat at regular intervals throughout the day, so that your blood sugar stays level. Don’t rely solely on your physical cues to tell you when to eat, or you may end up getting too hungry and losing your self-control.
   • Aim to eat three meals a day. If you get hungry between meals, plan to have one or two snacks as well.
3. Eat When Recovering From Addiction. What you eat is just as important as how often you eat. Avoid foods high in sugar and refined flour, since they can make you feel moody and tired. Instead, fill your plate with complex carbohydrates, protein, and fresh vegetables and fruit.
   • Oatmeal, brown rice, beans, lentils, and potatoes are some examples of complex carbohydrates.
   • Increasing your omega-3 fatty acid intake may help keep your mood stable. Fish, flaxseed oil, and walnuts are a few good sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
   • Drink plenty of water, especially if you are still detoxing.
4. Prioritize sleep. Adjust your schedule so you can get at least eight hours of sleep every night. Practice good sleep hygiene, and make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and comfortable.
   • Try avoiding caffeine during the second half of the day, turning off your electronics an hour or two before bed, and creating a relaxing bedtime ritual.
   • If you have frequent insomnia, talk to your doctor about possible solutions.
5. Develop an exercise routine. Regular exercise is important for lasting physical and mental health. What's more, a good workout can help you sleep better at night and boost your mood. If you take your workout to the gym or outdoors, you may even make new friends or find a workout buddy to keep you accountable.
   • Try working out at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. If working out in the evening affects your ability to go to sleep, schedule your workouts in the morning or afternoons.

Practicing Emotional Self-Care

1. Find healthy ways to express your emotions. Don’t bottle your feelings up. Anger and other negative emotions can trigger a relapse if you don’t address them. Go for a long walk, clean your house, or vent in a Manage Addiction with Journaling when you feel your emotions building up.
2. Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness can help you process the emotions of recovery without letting them control you. To become more mindful, focus on what’s happening right now, both inside and outside you. Observe your sensations, thoughts, and feelings without judging them.
   • Meditation and yoga are two good ways to develop the habit of mindfulness.
3. Stay connected to others. For many people, loneliness is a big trigger for relapse, so don’t isolate yourself. Talk to your family members, friends, therapist, and other people in your support network frequently. If you aren’t already a member, consider joining a group like Alcoholics Anonymous for extra support.
   • If you don’t feel like seeing other people, make yourself do it anyways. Start small. Pick up the phone to call a friend, or ask a family member to get coffee with you.
4. Set boundaries. Think about what kind of new, sober life you want to build. Ask yourself what you need from other people and what kind of influences you don’t want to spend time around anymore. Let the people close to you know about your new boundaries, and decide what you will do if someone does not respect your boundaries.
   • For example, you might set the boundary that you will not spend time with your old friends who are still addicted to drugs.
   • Be polite but firm about your boundaries. Say something like, “No, I can’t hang out with you. I need to put my recovery first right now.”
5. Do things you enjoy. Make time to have fun on a regular basis. Rediscover the activities you liked to do before you became addicted, or pick up a completely new hobby that you’ve always wanted to try. Give yourself something to look forward to every day.
   • For instance, you could express your emotions through painting, teach yourself a foreign language, or join an adult sports league to make new friends.
6. See a therapist regularly. Therapy is an essential part of recovery. A therapist can help keep you accountable, and they can help you learn new ways to cope with your emotions without turning to alcohol or drugs. A therapist can also help you problem-solve difficulties in your life using the HALT concepts, such as identifying triggers and figuring out mood changes.
   • Even if you have already completed a residential therapy program, your aftercare should include some kind of counseling.

Dealing with Triggers

1. Know what your personal triggers are. Think about which feelings, places, or people make you want to relapse. Take these triggers seriously. If something was a trigger for you in the past, it will probably remain a trigger in the future.
   • Besides HALT, a few common triggers for relapse include seeing people you used to drink or do drugs with, feeling overly confident about your recovery, and feeling scared about how sobriety will change your life.
2. Avoid your triggers whenever possible. Don’t try to test or tempt yourself. If you know that a certain place or situation is likely to trigger you, stay away from it.
   • Set boundaries that will help you avoid your triggers, such as not going to bars anymore.
3. Figure out where your discomfort is coming from. When you feel stressed or have a craving, pause and evaluate the feeling. Ask yourself what you’re struggling with or trying to avoid.
   • For instance, you might discover that your urge to relapse is rooted in your feelings about a recent argument with your partner.
   • If you practice mindfulness regularly, you’ll find it easier to explore your feelings without acting on them.
4. Have a plan. Know ahead of time what you’ll do when a craving hits. Think about the situations you’re likely to find yourself in, and come up with some healthy and appropriate alternatives to using drugs or alcohol.
   • For instance, you might decide to keep some nonperishable snacks in your car, call your sponsor if you’re feeling lonely, and practice deep breathing exercises to calm down if you’re angry at someone.
   • Make your healthy coping strategy as easy as possible to carry out.
5. Practice urge surfing. Urge surfing is the practice of waiting a craving out instead of giving in to it. Instead of trying to ignore or get rid of the craving, focus on how it makes you feel. Pay attention to the sensations it creates in your body. Eventually, the craving will fade by itself.
   • Urge surfing is essentially a form of mindfulness.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Administer Narcan
• Handle Caffeine Withdrawal
• Stop Looking at Pornography
• Control Your Urge to Masturbate
• Stop a Masturbation Addiction
• Pass a Drug Test
• Stop Internet Addiction
• Get Sober with a 12 Step Program
• Quit Chewing Tobacco
• Overcome an Addiction to Porn As a Teenager

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