Not using drugs or alcohol is almost like a “stay out of jail free” card. 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). It’s impossible to know how you’ll react and how your life will change when getting and staying sober. This article will describe sobriety in more detail, the challenges a person faces while working to stay sober, the options for treatment, and tips for building a sober lifestyle. At Renaissance Recovery our goal is to provide evidence-based treatment to as many individuals as possible. Give us a call today to verify your insurance coverage or to learn more about paying for addiction treatment.
Can support groups replace 12-step programs?
- I felt silly doing it, but they told me that my order wasn’t all that unusual.
- I had always thought that if I gave up my weekend martinis, I’d be imprisoned by the desire to drink, but here I am — sober for almost five months.
- So, it’s extra helpful to have a support network available to you when you need it.
- In fact, getting sober and sustaining sobriety is easier when you have a trusted support system motivating, encouraging, and supporting you along the way.
- There’s no more not caring if they see your cellulite or whatever you’re hiding under there; and you will, once and for all, discover that sex is never like in the movies.
- You can provide an excuse, like that you’re on antibiotics, or you aren’t feeling great or want to feel fresh for something you have going on the next day.
I got out of debt, started a company that provides digital recovery, launched a podcast, and am in the middle of writing a book. It’s been over six years since I first started seriously questioning my relationship with alcohol and considered a life without it. That’s six hard, beautiful, glorious years during which I not only stopped drinking, but also reasons to stay sober finally moved on from all recreational drugs as well as a history of bulimia. Getting sober can be one of the most powerful decisions you can make for your health and future. Every person’s journey in substance use disorder recovery is unique. This article will help you better understand what it means to get sober and sustain long-term recovery.
How Do I Get Sober?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that chronic users of alcohol can cut their life expectancy by an average of 30 years if they continue drinking. In 2018, deaths from drug overdoses declined for the first time in 28 years, helping to raise overall life expectancy in the U.S., according to the CDC. Choosing to stay sober is an investment in personal fulfillment. It signifies a commitment to ongoing self-improvement, resilience, and the pursuit of a meaningful and satisfying life. I was tired of feeling guilty for giving my body something that made it miserable, tired of strategizing and rationalizing my alcohol consumption and tired of trying to get my brain to focus with so little sleep.
Step 1: Recognize the Need to Get Sober
If your circle has grown to include individuals who enable or trigger you to drink or misuse substances, they probably aren’t the best people to ask for help since they may prevent you from breaking the cycle of addiction. 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.
How common is relapse?
If not to your children, to others in peer groups such as Pocket Rehab, or at your AA/NA meetings. If you are thinking about getting sober and seeking treatment at a rehab facility, you may be feeling overwhelmed or even afraid. Addiction treatment can be one of the most difficult and stressful things you ever do, and it can be hard to overcome your doubts about seeking help. For men, this is an excess of 15 drinks a week and 8 drinks per week for women.1 Therefore, if you are a woman who drinks 2-3 glasses of wine per night, 5-6 times per week, you would be considered a heavy user of alcohol. Whether you feel you may be abusing alcohol, or you consider yourself a social drinker, you may be displaying signs of alcohol abuse such as binge drinking which can lead to more serious issues in the future.
- Although drug and alcohol use can temporarily raise self-esteem, you will have lower self-esteem in the long-term.
- «They were talking about solutions, and they had stories that were similar to my lived experience,» she says.
- Today, Marks has found a renewed sense of purpose in helping others.
- A 12-step program also helped Ty Reed stop drinking, but only after he had hit bottom.
The more tools you have for identifying triggers, coping with stress, and managing your new sober life, the easier you’ll prevent relapse. Addiction has a devastating effect on the relationships in every facet of our lives. Family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances — the damage occurs across the board. The good news is that in treatment and recovery, we learn effective steps to rebuild relationships and repair the damage to our reputations. The grips of drug and alcohol addiction can deny you from appreciating and seeing your self-worth. When you remove substances from the equation, you will rediscover the person you truly are — a person worthy of love, respect, and limitless potential.
By getting help and finding recovery, you can avoid developing life-threatening complications from substance abuse. In sobriety, you will lead a healthier, more fulfilling life. You can try to avoid the conversation, but it’s good to have a response ready in case that’s not possible. If the question comes from someone you know well, you may want to say that drugs or alcohol became a problem for you, so you’re staying away from them.
