When they do occur, additional treatment measures should be considered. Getting your body moving can be as simple as starting a morning or evening ritual of daily walks or as structured as signing up for an in-person HIIT class to hold yourself accountable. Sometimes running into people you know can prompt you to think, “Just one drink won’t hurt.” Don’t get too comfortable. Stay the course and avoid your old partying haunts. At Ria, we offer weekly meetings with certified counselors to help members stay on track and build skills for long-term change.
- Self-care isn’t a luxury when you’re managing your sobriety.
- Don’t hesitate to say “no” to situations that feel overwhelming or compromise your recovery.
- Having my faith in God is my ultimate salvation from the hell I’ve experienced.
- So stay focused and consistent in achieving your goals of leading a happy sober life.
- A mocktail looks like a cocktail but doesn’t have any alcohol in it.
- One of the biggest perks about sobriety is being able to think ahead, long-term.
- Returning back to your old stomping grounds is one of the fastest ways to relapse.
Navigating Through Social Discrimination While in Recovery
Triggers are reminders (whether they’re people, actions, or emotions) that can bring on cravings. And a craving is simply a powerful desire to indulge in a past addiction. Both can happen as your brain chemistry adjusts to life after alcohol abuse. In long-term sobriety, you’ll likely have to navigate cravings, mental health struggles, and readjusting to day-to-day living. The good news is that it gets better with time, support, and dedication. If you are struggling to stay sober, then start skipping events.
- This is something you can do online, face-to-face with a friend, or, if all else fails, a mirror.
- To avoid a relapse at this stage, your mental health is vital.
- It wasn’t until I saw a therapist that I received homework that determined what mental health condition I had.
Identify Your Personal Triggers
The National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends comprehensive health check-ups at least annually for individuals in recovery. Family support can significantly impact long-term sobriety. Repairing and strengthening family relationships is often a crucial part of the recovery process. In social situations where people are drinking, you might feel more comfortable with a drink in your hand. A mocktail looks like a cocktail but doesn’t have any alcohol in it. Other people won’t be able to tell the difference just by looking at your glass.
How to Stay Sober: 20 Tips for Successful Recovery
As explained in a study from the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, even something as simple as a motivational texting program can better your chances of avoiding relapse. For many, returning to daily life after treatment means returning home to family, which is why family can be the strongest social support system. However, relationships within the tips to stay sober family may have been impacted by substance misuse and therefore, require mending. Staying sober requires a person to analyze the reasons why they were using the substance, identify their personal triggers for relapse, and avoid falling into a pattern of use again. Triggers for using drugs and alcohol typically are people, places, and things that remind you of your addictive behavior or encourage the use of substances you’re avoiding. Early sobriety may come with feelings of fatigue and the stress of dealing with challenges (people, places, and things that stimulate the urge to use).
Therapy
The term ‘sobering up’ suggests that it is an all or none phenomenon, which is inaccurate,” says Tetrault. When you feel yourself needing a drink, start reminding yourself what you’re thankful for. You can do this out loud or silently to yourself, but start reciting all the things you’re thankful for and appreciative of.
Explore your options, and don’t give up on finding a source of help. You need new friends to support you who are in recovery too. So how are you going to accomplish that without a recovery community? That is a vital question for you to answer in an action plan to prevent relapse and continue sober living.
With the early stages of sobriety behind me, holistically caring for my body became an important part of my life.
These individuals can direct you toward the resources you need for recovery, including the needed services and diagnosis of substance use and any co-occurring mental health disorders. When reaching out to family and friends for support, it’s important to choose wisely. In fact, your journey to sobriety will likely involve strengthening some relationships and purging others. You may find yourself leaning on your trusted support system a lot and breaking ties with those who do not aid you in your recovery. Acknowledging and celebrating the hard work of recovery is helpful for keeping you motivated and reminding you why you took this brave step toward sobriety in the first place.
The First 30 Days of Sobriety Living Marijuana Free
Research shows that with the right strategies, you can maintain your sobriety for years to come. Organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous are other ways to build a support network. You can try different meetings for the different groups to find one that’s right for you. These people can understand your experiences better and give you the support you need in your recovery.
