Recovery Addiction Specialist Dr. Russell Surasky Gives Advice on How to Avoid Relapse into Opioid Addiction

As humans, we easily develop habits. This could be both a good and a bad thing. When we form healthy habits, we can become the best versions of ourselves and achieve the impossible. However, when we develop unhealthy habits, we may find ourselves leading a life that is full of suffering, and may even lead to our premature death.

Dr. Russell Surasky is triple board-certified in neurology, addiction medicine, and preventative medicine. That, along with his experience with helping treat opioid drug addiction, has led to him becoming someone people are turning to for advice. He is happy to share it since he wants to do everything he can to eliminate the opioid crisis currently plaguing the US.

What Dr. Surasky recommends is the establishment of a daily routine. This will create a new habit that will replace old, unhealthy habits like using and misusing opioid drugs. A daily routine is something that will restore a sense of control. It delivers a sense of responsibility to the person who was previously taking opioids. When each step is taken towards forming new habits, someone can see their “default setting” become one where they are leading healthy lives.

To help establish healthy habits via a daily routine, Dr. Surasky recommends making the following changes:

• Go to Bed and Wake Up at the Same Time

When someone is addicted to opioids, they are likely sleeping erratically. That leads to suffering from insomnia while they are going through a recovery program. By having a sleep schedule, where you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, you readjust your sleep cycle, leading to more restful sleep.

• Go to Work Around the Same Time

This ties into the previous suggestion, which is to maintain a regular or predictable work schedule, if possible.

• Eat Healthy at Regular Intervals

Eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner at set times every day will help you avoid cravings for unhealthy food. The food you do eat should be healthy and fresh. Ideally, you will stop snacking in between meals.

• Exercise Every Day

Doing around half an hour of moderate-intensity exercise every day, and around the same time, will develop a very healthy habit. You will get the added benefit of natural endorphins being released, which will help improve your mood and instill a sense of inner peace.

• Keep Your Living Space Organized

Allowing dishes, laundry, dust, and other things to pile up will lead to increased anxiety and stress. To avoid this, set aside some time once a week to take care of clean-up errands. Chores like washing dishes should be done soon after they have been used.

These are just some things you can do to avoid a relapse into opioid addictions. Making these changes is something countless others have done, and with tremendous success.