I am very happy and grateful to be two years sober, but I wish I’d known then, what I know now. That healing journey has to be worked on consistently over time. And I don’t say that to discourage you or make you feel like there’s no end in sight. Don’t be discouraged if there’s someone in the private group posting being sober sucks about how wonderful they feel after three weeks without alcohol, while you’re still struggling. Personally, I would not advise going near a bar or heavy-drinking party in the first 30 days of sobriety, maybe even longer depending on your progress. Quitting drinking involves way more than abstaining from alcohol.
The Sober Library
When you commit to sobriety, you can actually solve your problems instead of ignoring them. It’s not hard to see why people get more done when they’re sober. When you’ve got high energy levels and lots of free time, it’s easier to stay focused on work, school, and personal projects. Between messing up your sleep and taking a toll on your body, alcohol and drugs can make you feel pretty bad if you use them regularly.
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But now, I get to be the person who makes sure they get home safe from the bar. And I’m also the one who doesn’t wake up with a hangover. We don’t talk enough about the fact that sobriety CAN’T solve your problems. We say, “alcohol has destroyed your life and led you down this path,” which is true, but YOU also had a role in it. So long as you don’t drink, you’re still headed in the right direction. She considers herself the victim of a hard world that has rejected her.
Dealing With The Hard Stuff
- And that’s the reality of sobriety.
- You have to spend time acquiring your substance of choice, using it, and then recovering from its effects.
- Once your body adjusts, you’ll notice you have more energy and the ability to think clearly.
- I just told my wife what to think and when to think it.
- Questions remain for the exploring, delightful conversations give me a little tinge of joy for days, and polite interactions leave me without doubt or fear of pending catastrophe.
- Milestones are fine, but don’t place unrealistic expectations on them.
The point is to find activities to fill the time and help you become a better person. You’ll start to transform your identity into someone who shows up, does the hard work, and looks smoking hot in a swimsuit. It works for some folks and has the added benefit of pumping your body full of endorphins, creating new neural connections in the brain, and helping reduce depression and anxiety. Sobriety will get better when you are actually open to LEARNING from other people how to be a happy, stable individual.
Not Everyone Is Going To Forgive You Or Be Your Friend Again, And That’s Okay
And absolutely, sobriety is a lot of work. But the result of that work is miraculous. I have amazing relationships, I have a life with meaning, I have an active spiritual life. The juice is completely worth the squeeze. And yes, sometimes I get jealous of my friends that can drink normally.
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Addiction Treatment Programs
- We’re all works in progress, but I hope that you can find encouragement to keep moving forward, even if you don’t really believe it’s possible to change.
- They want to see behavioral change, and if we don’t provide that, they start to disappear.
