There are many reasons why people become addicted to drugs or alcohol. Some use drugs to cope with stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions. Others may use drugs to escape from reality, relieve boredom, or cope with trauma.
- Craig Beck is the author of several alcohol addiction books, such as “Alcohol Lied to Me” and “The Alcohol Illusion”.
- I’d argue that many of us gravitated to a group of friends who have drinking habits that align with our own, and we did this because we didn’t want sober friends.
- It’s also crucial to prioritize self-care and set boundaries to avoid burnout.
- In the early days, I felt that it was my responsibility to answer the question, “How come you aren’t drinking?
- For many people with a substance use disorder, it’s simply a matter of never having learned the appropriate way to manage anger.
Well, we are here to tell you that the benefits of sobriety far outweigh the downfalls. In fact, living a sober life is the best decision that you can ever make. This one is a little obvious, but you will learn how to live a life of sobriety by attending AA and addiction recovery meetings. Different support groups for family members are also available so they can learn about your new life.
Identify Your Personal Triggers
For example, your friends can say they support your sober living journey and avoid offering substances to you. However, if they’re still opening and actively consuming substances in your presence, you may still need to separate yourself. Triggers for drug https://en.forexdata.info/30-powerful-womens-recovery-memoirs-to-inspire/ and alcohol use are typically defined as people, places, and things that remind you of your addictive behavior or encourage the use of substances you’re trying to avoid. They don’t have to be direct triggers, like someone offering you the substance.
But more importantly, you can look back on these events and learn a lot from them, particularly your moods, emotions, and state-of-mind when these things happened. Many people enjoy creative and productive hobbies where they make something tangible, but it could even be something as simple as blogging about your recovery. Alternatively, you could start a collection, volunteer, take up photography, start gardening, or do any number of other things. The key is to stay busy because boredom can be dangerous for those in recovery. Additionally, your companion will be someone to call on when things become difficult.
The Perks of Living a Sober Life
The transition to living a sober life takes patience and inner strength, but it’s not impossible. Choosing a life of sobriety means choosing a healthy life for you and keeping the promises you make to yourself. When you’re not hungover, Why Do I Bruise So Easily? chances are you’re a lot more productive. Living a sober life usually means doing more of the things you’ve wanted to do. Refer to why you quit substance abuse during the difficult times, or even daily if that’s helpful to you.
In fact, getting sober and sustaining sobriety is easier when you have a trusted support system motivating, encouraging, and supporting you along the way. A study from Substance Abuse indicates that having support from others can improve a person’s chances of engaging in and completing detox and treatment for addiction. Drinking alcohol can be fine in moderation for some people, but alcohol misuse or alcohol use disorder can lead to health issues and personal and professional problems. Once you improve skills and establish sober living habits, start finding what makes you happy. You may also want to spend time improving computer skills for work-related projects, like learning PowerPoint.
Preparing for a Sober Lifestyle
The sober curious movement has gained steam recently, such as with the rise of interest in “Dry January” — a time when participants decide to not drink for the month of January. So, it is understandable that those who are getting sober also need to relearn the basics of living. It may have been years since you last cooked, cleaned, ate, drove, worked, or even bathed sober.
One recent study demonstrated the potential benefits of combining in-person and online support methods. If you or a loved one are considering sobriety, you may wonder what it looks like and how to get there. Sobriety can be a particularly challenging pursuit for someone with an addiction like alcohol use disorder. Don’t tempt yourself with a bottle of vodka or drug paraphernalia lying around the house. All it takes is one tough day or strong craving to derail you from your goals. As you go through your sobriety journey, you will have good days and bad days, and setbacks are part of the journey.
Being Happy Sober
Another way to best deal with this is by not allowing yourself to fall into the negativity of life. You cannot go through life comparing your recovery with someone else’s. If you struggle to get past the first few days and see someone who has just celebrated a year in recovery, do not be mad at where you are. This is especially the case if you’re taking depressants or downers. Abusing substances can also lower your energy due to the fact that substances often rewire the parts of the brain that control your mood.
However, the word is often used in different ways in different contexts. Many 12-step programs suggest that sobriety means total abstinence—never using the substance ever again. In addition, you should also make sure that you’re eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of rest, and staying hydrated. For example, if you were addicted to heroin and stopped taking it abruptly, then you may experience severe withdrawal symptoms within 24 hours after stopping use. These symptoms could include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, chills, and fever.