How Technology Can Be a Crutch to Recovery

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Technology has become a normal part of the typical everyday experience. As generations continue, this daily use of the internet makes it increasingly difficult to establish and understand a healthy balance with technology. Although technology helps us to feel connected, it inevitably takes us away from experiencing the present moment. When it comes to mental health and addiction treatment, technology might actually hurt your recovery more than help it.

Technology and Recovery

From a very young age, society teaches us that technology serves many purposes, one being to make our lives easier. Information is readily accessible at the touch of a button. Why try to increase our cognitive skills, like retaining important information, when you can just use your notes app?

There are inevitable benefits to technology, without a doubt. However, technology and social media also add an immense amount of pressure for you to act or look a certain way. For someone already dealing with the heavy stressors associated with mental health recovery, technology can contribute a great deal to unnecessary stress and anxiety.

How Technology Impacts Recovery

Consider your own daily use of technology. In most cases, you are probably a person that always knows where their phone is at. This is typical in this day and age, as you probably resort to using your phone multiple times throughout the day. Regardless of how you choose to use your phone, it is inevitably a distraction when it comes to your own recovery.

Addiction and mental health recovery is a long journey that involves increasing self-awareness while facing many challenges and triggers along the way. Any type of recovery requires your full and undivided effort and attention in order to see and experience improvement. Unnecessary distractions only make these challenges and triggers even more intense, leading to setbacks and frustration. For your journey to be successful, you must consider what obstacles are keeping you from meeting and becoming your best self.

The Impact of Social Media

Social media, for example, serves as a constant reminder of what is happening in the lives of others around you. The majority of the time, people post positive and happy things about their life. This can lead to triggers, as looking at the joyful lives of others can cause you to do your own self-reflection.

We all wish that parts of our lives were different, but social media paints fictional pictures. Remember that your main goal while in recovery is to keep your healing an utmost priority. Recovery fosters gratitude, but if we are struggling with feelings of envy and jealousy, we are less likely to practice and prioritize feelings of gratitude. This causes us to feel even more intense feelings of shame and guilt, limiting our own ability to recover.

The Downsides of Technology During Recovery

Although technology provides us with many tools, it can also serve as a crutch in our own mental health recovery journey. There are various downsides to technology, and becoming aware of these dangers can help you avoid setbacks and distractions. Some of these downsides include:

  • Decreased self-esteem: Comparing yourself to what you see on the internet can enhance insecurities and leave you feeling resentful. Improving self-esteem is an essential part of your recovery process.
  • Increased social isolation and loneliness: While social media can help us find friends and have conversations online, it can hinder our ability to establish supportive, intimate relationships with people in person. Social connectivity is essential to our wellbeing and must be prioritized in our recovery experience.
  • Increased mental and physical health issues: Technology can lead to the development of anxiety and depression, especially when relied on. Disconnecting from the internet and media can help you put your recovery first while limiting your susceptibility to developing other mental health problems.
  • Technological dependency and addiction: When we learn to rely on our devices too much for memory, connection, or entertainment, we lessen our ability to stay content away from technology. With intense use, technological addiction can become a problem and cause even more significant issues with our mental health.
  • Procrastination: We all need downtime here and there, especially for relaxation. When we are trying to get into a new healthy routine or improve our own recovery, we must acknowledge the distractions that slow or hinder our willingness to stay motivated and be better.

How to Balance Technology in Recovery

While it may seem impossible to quit your use of technology completely, there are ways that you can establish a balance of your use. Try to limit your use of social media. When you experience downtime, look for other ways to immerse yourself in the present moment.

Try to be mindful of how often you use your phone or laptop, and decrease your use a little bit every day. When you feel an urge to use technology, turn to mindfulness techniques to keep yourself focused on your recovery goals. Train your mind to believe that you are more powerful than your addictive behaviors.

Technology has become a large part of our everyday lives. While there are many benefits to technology, there are also inevitable downsides. In mental health and addiction treatment, your biggest priority should be your recovery. Social media and the internet can serve as a distraction to your recovery, hindering your growth and willingness to stay motivated. It is essential to understand that technology can cause unnecessary triggers and setbacks throughout your journey, especially when it comes to issues with self-esteem and loneliness. Sabino Recovery believes that your recovery should be the most important thing in your life. Suffering from mental illness, addiction, and trauma can be detrimental to your wellbeing. Our treatment center works with clients to create an intentional healing experience for each resident, necessary for your recovery. We are passionate about holistic and evidence-based treatment approaches to equip you with the resources you need to sustain recovery. Call us at (844) 227-7014 for more.

How Technology Can Be a Crutch to Recovery

Jul 3, 2020

Mental Health

Shara Turner, LPC, MSC, NCC, NARM

Technology has become a normal part of the typical everyday experience. As generations continue, this daily use of the internet makes it increasingly difficult to establish and understand a healthy balance with technology. Although technology helps us to feel connected, it inevitably takes us away from experiencing the present moment. When it comes to mental health and addiction treatment, technology might actually hurt your recovery more than help it.

Technology and Recovery

From a very young age, society teaches us that technology serves many purposes, one being to make our lives easier. Information is readily accessible at the touch of a button. Why try to increase our cognitive skills, like retaining important information, when you can just use your notes app?

There are inevitable benefits to technology, without a doubt. However, technology and social media also add an immense amount of pressure for you to act or look a certain way. For someone already dealing with the heavy stressors associated with mental health recovery, technology can contribute a great deal to unnecessary stress and anxiety.

How Technology Impacts Recovery

Consider your own daily use of technology. In most cases, you are probably a person that always knows where their phone is at. This is typical in this day and age, as you probably resort to using your phone multiple times throughout the day. Regardless of how you choose to use your phone, it is inevitably a distraction when it comes to your own recovery.

Addiction and mental health recovery is a long journey that involves increasing self-awareness while facing many challenges and triggers along the way. Any type of recovery requires your full and undivided effort and attention in order to see and experience improvement. Unnecessary distractions only make these challenges and triggers even more intense, leading to setbacks and frustration. For your journey to be successful, you must consider what obstacles are keeping you from meeting and becoming your best self.

The Impact of Social Media

Social media, for example, serves as a constant reminder of what is happening in the lives of others around you. The majority of the time, people post positive and happy things about their life. This can lead to triggers, as looking at the joyful lives of others can cause you to do your own self-reflection.

We all wish that parts of our lives were different, but social media paints fictional pictures. Remember that your main goal while in recovery is to keep your healing an utmost priority. Recovery fosters gratitude, but if we are struggling with feelings of envy and jealousy, we are less likely to practice and prioritize feelings of gratitude. This causes us to feel even more intense feelings of shame and guilt, limiting our own ability to recover.

The Downsides of Technology During Recovery

Although technology provides us with many tools, it can also serve as a crutch in our own mental health recovery journey. There are various downsides to technology, and becoming aware of these dangers can help you avoid setbacks and distractions. Some of these downsides include:

  • Decreased self-esteem: Comparing yourself to what you see on the internet can enhance insecurities and leave you feeling resentful. Improving self-esteem is an essential part of your recovery process.

  • Increased social isolation and loneliness: While social media can help us find friends and have conversations online, it can hinder our ability to establish supportive, intimate relationships with people in person. Social connectivity is essential to our wellbeing and must be prioritized in our recovery experience.

  • Increased mental and physical health issues: Technology can lead to the development of anxiety and depression, especially when relied on. Disconnecting from the internet and media can help you put your recovery first while limiting your susceptibility to developing other mental health problems.

  • Technological dependency and addiction: When we learn to rely on our devices too much for memory, connection, or entertainment, we lessen our ability to stay content away from technology. With intense use, technological addiction can become a problem and cause even more significant issues with our mental health.

  • Procrastination: We all need downtime here and there, especially for relaxation. When we are trying to get into a new healthy routine or improve our own recovery, we must acknowledge the distractions that slow or hinder our willingness to stay motivated and be better.

How to Balance Technology in Recovery

While it may seem impossible to quit your use of technology completely, there are ways that you can establish a balance of your use. Try to limit your use of social media. When you experience downtime, look for other ways to immerse yourself in the present moment.

Try to be mindful of how often you use your phone or laptop, and decrease your use a little bit every day. When you feel an urge to use technology, turn to mindfulness techniques to keep yourself focused on your recovery goals. Train your mind to believe that you are more powerful than your addictive behaviors.

Technology has become a large part of our everyday lives. While there are many benefits to technology, there are also inevitable downsides. In mental health and addiction treatment, your biggest priority should be your recovery. Social media and the internet can serve as a distraction to your recovery, hindering your growth and willingness to stay motivated. It is essential to understand that technology can cause unnecessary triggers and setbacks throughout your journey, especially when it comes to issues with self-esteem and loneliness. Sabino Recovery believes that your recovery should be the most important thing in your life. Suffering from mental illness, addiction, and trauma can be detrimental to your wellbeing. Our treatment center works with clients to create an intentional healing experience for each resident, necessary for your recovery. We are passionate about holistic and evidence-based treatment approaches to equip you with the resources you need to sustain recovery. Call us at (844) 227-7014 for more.

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