You are asked to surrender control to a higher power, which may or may not be based on faith. This is something you can do online, face-to-face with a friend, or, if all else fails, a mirror. Having a conversation triggers parts of your brain you don’t access when you’re thinking about something on your own.
You might be ready to face these triggers, or you might not feel comfortable yet. Your family members and loved ones should understand what you are going through. They likely will not pressure you to join along with them if you feel uncomfortable. Being honest with yourself means asking, “Am I ready for this?
- In early sobriety, I also went through a painful breakup.
- A mental health professional can help you cope with some of the challenges you’ll face on your path to sobriety.
- Sleep, diet, and overall health are directly correlated with the status of your mental health.
- Speak with our admissions team to learn more about how we can help.
In sober living, you will be in a community of like-minded sober friends committed to helping each other. According to theJournal of Psychoactive Drugs, theaverage stayin a sober living program was between 166 and 254 days . You might need more time to achieve long-term sobriety. You’ll never finish everything you want to do, but if you set strict timelines, you’ll keep yourself on track for staying sober. As anyone can tell you, you can’t expect a 30-day program to keep you sober for a lifetime.
Take time every day to relieve stress or do something nice for yourself. Experts recommend mind-body programs for people recovering from addiction. Yoga and meditation may be especially helpful. In addition to promoting your recovery, these programs can improve your physical health, relieve stress, enhance your life, improve sleep, and reduce anxiety and depression.
If you managed to keep a job while you were addicted, you’ll get to experience the joys of spending money on things besides drugs and alcohol. We know this isn’t news to anyone, but it’s important to consider when talking about reasons for staying sober. We’re not just talking about your safety, but also the safety of anyone around you. The CDC reports that every day, an average of 29 people die in motor vehicle accidents related to driving under the influence. Those are mothers, children, fathers, brothers, sisters, and grandparents.
Top 10 Reasons To Get Clean And Sober
Instead of giving up and giving in, think about the people who may admire you and how your choices could appear to them. Doing so has a way of shifting your mindset and making you realize your sobriety is about more than just yourself. No matter where you live, there are positive outlets that provide community and support during your life after rehab. Surround yourself with encouraging individuals by joining a support group, attending counseling sessions and participating in meet-up activities. You can also participate in many types of continuing care, including individual therapy, check-ups, 12-step meetingsand alternative support groups. With just 30 days at a rehab center, you can get clean and sober, start therapy, join a support group, and learn ways to manage your cravings.
By calculating the actual number of dollars thrown away on the addiction, the money becomes more tangible, more real. Once those numbers have been calculated, think about what an addict can do with that money. Over time, the savings could add up to a house, a car, or a vacation to a place you’ve always wanted to visit. Whether it’s a child, a spouse, a parent, or another family member, addiction affects everyone. Getting sober will help an addict turn their attention back towards things they care about. Rather than believe sobriety is lame, you should try it before you knock it. There is nothing lame about living the life you were intended to live.
Ideas Of How To Overcome Boredom And Bring Joy Into Your Life
You can now focus on loved ones more than before. You can help others in their sobriety, which is proven toincrease happiness.
Have you ever woken up unable to remember what happened the night before? Even if you don’t tend to black out under the influence, alcohol and drugs can make your memory foggy and unreliable. When you’re sober, you’ll feel sharper and more alert, and you’ll remember things better. Sobriety keeps you safe not only from the physical dangers of substance abuse, but also the convoluted feelings and situations that drugs can provoke. When you are sober, you are less likely to experience suicidal thoughts or get behind the wheel while intoxicated. You are less likely to get angry and violent, or involved with a sketchy drug deal. You are also farther from self-medicating, overdosing, or putting the ones you love at risk.
Staying Sober: 10 Tips For Avoiding A Relapse
If you’re interested in getting sober, don’t hesitate to reach out to a San Diego detox center. See what sort of treatments are available, and see how many reasons that you can come up with for ways to stay sober. However, we hope that as you or someone you love embarks on the journey to beat addiction, they can keep these 10 reasons to stay sober in mind. Sobriety is possible for anyone, that is proven everyday. One of the most important things shared in many treatment programs is the constant reminder of why you are working toward becoming sober.
If you feel yourself struggling consistently each day, then check yourself back into a treatment center. You don’t need to have had a relapse to return. Get help before it becomes a problem again. When something is wrong with you and you don’t understand it, it’s infinitely more scary. One of the benefits of being diagnosed with Alcohol Use Disorder is you know what the problem is, so look it up and research it. When you feel the pull to drink again, you can stay sober by reading up on what’s happening in your head that’s making you think you want to drink. Some days this was really hard to do (after all I’m an alcoholic, drinking is what I did), other days weren’t so hard.
I reach out to trusted sober friends and talk to them. I didn’t really want to be there or be sober—after all, life could be really hard and the only coping tool I had was alcohol.
How Do You Not Get Bored When Sober?
The person might undergo a spiritual experience. If you enter into Alcoholics Anonymous or any other 12 step program you will hear about spiritual experiences quite often. This term refers to a single experience a person has that prompts them to get and stay sober. Interestingly enough, a lot of people report having visions – maybe a deceased family member comes to them in a dream, or they have some kind of religious experience.
As such, extended stay drug rehab is strongly recommended by the US government. One of the most important reasons to stay sober is to protect your health so you can live a longer, happier life. First, and most importantly, you deserve sobriety. If you’re like most people recovering from an addiction, you know how substance abuse can totally and completely interrupt your life. While using, everything else tends to fall by the wayside – friends, family, hobbies, jobs, responsibilities, etc. At some point in your recovery, you’ll feel stressed out, whether it’s major stress or minor stress . When things like this happen, find a sober friend or loved one you can talk to for support.
Staying sober is fun and incredibly rewarding, but these are 40 tips for the times when staying sober is easier said than done. Wedding, funerals, late night dancing… if you are struggling to stay sober, then start skipping events. Everyone’s feelings are important, which means your emotions and health are equal to people who may be celebrating or mourning. If a funeral is too difficult for you to attend right now, feel confident to say you can’t attend. If a wedding is happening, but you’re worried about being surrounded by alcohol, then politely decline to attend. Don’t be afraid to say no and take care of yourself. Be proud of yourself for taking this step to improve your health and your life.
Especially if you’re recovering from drinking. Many people drink with the same group of “friends”. There’s a variety of meetup groups online and plenty of free events. There’s no shortage of ways to get out and meet some new people with similar interests. One of the first things you discover after getting sober is how much time you have. It’s one of the reasons we track your time saved in the app. Addiction devours your time which is a factor in many people’s relapse.