6 Reasons to Stay Sober During Difficult Times and Hardships

This enables individuals to express themselves more effectively and establish stronger connections with others. Starting a new hobby can help you to meet new people and create original experiences. Different hobbies work better for different people, but you should be open to trying something out of your comfort zone.

Positive Impact on Society

Treatment provides you with the tools to change your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors around substance use. If you’re not ready or willing to change those behaviors and thoughts, then treatment cannot do what it’s designed to do. And in case it wasn’t already obvious, the only way to get to long-term reasons to stay sober sobriety is to first achieve short-term sobriety. Your doctor can recommend medications that can help with alcohol withdrawal symptoms and cravings during your recovery. Naltrexone is one type of medication that can help reduce alcohol cravings, making it easier for some people to stop drinking.

Practice Healthy Living

Out of every tip, being around others who support your recovery could be the most important when figuring out how to stay sober. Having one or multiple positive influences on your life can make all the difference when it comes to alcohol abuse. For those addicted to alcohol, the first step in the treatment program will likely be medical detoxification.

What NOT to Say to Someone in Recovery

Sobriety is about regaining command over your life and making wiser choices. It necessitates hard work, determination, and a commitment to personal growth. Sobriety encompasses more than simply abstaining from drugs or alcohol; it involves enhancing your physical and mental well-being.

• Such changes can include avoiding triggers and creating a robust support system that encourages and uplifts.
• And, if you DO relapse…seek immediate support to get back on the path to recovery.
• You may be given medications to help ease the burden of withdrawal symptoms.

They can help motivate a person to remain sober to reach the next milestone. This can include toxic relationships in which you feel unheard, misunderstood, unsupported, demeaned, unsafe, and/or attacked. If you’re involved in a 12-step program, you likely already know the importance of milestones. In these programs, it’s customary to receive plastic chips as you progress to the one-year mark, at which time you receive a bronze coin. A mental health professional can help you cope with some of the challenges you’ll face on your path to sobriety.

Staying sober can help lower your blood pressure levels and reduce these risks, contributing to a healthier life. The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. This https://ecosoberhouse.com/sober-house-boston/ is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care. We hear a lot about practicing mindfulness, not just in the recovery community but in mental health in general.

Find Balance in Your Life

Your intentions may be good, but it takes more than willpower to avoid having a relapse. By embracing sobriety, you can (and will!) experience a range of health benefits that enhance your overall quality of life. By choosing to confront and overcome addiction, individuals open themselves up to a newfound freedom and a fulfilling life free from the confines of substance abuse. While we don’t want to encourage pointing fingers, it is okay for you to have a goal of NOT being like someone. Recovery can become much easier when you live an organized lifestyle.

• You may again seek out the people and situations that support your alcohol use.
• Relapse (using substances again after stopping) can and does happen, with 85% of people experiencing relapse at least once and half of them doing so within the first two weeks of sobriety.
• A big part of alcohol recovery is taking steps to improve your lifestyle through changes like diet and exercise.

Most people who make their way into recovery have left a lot of pain and suffering in their wake. Feeling guilty or ashamed of past behavior or actions during active addiction is natural and healthy. You may also need to change your route to work or home in order to avoid any triggers, or people, places, or things that make you want to use drugs or drink again.

Many people with alcohol use disorder also have other mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. A big part of alcohol recovery is taking steps to improve your lifestyle through changes like diet and exercise. If you’ve been trying to get to and maintain a weight that supports your health, quitting alcohol can help you meet that goal. From the first sip or hit, the chase begins whether you really want to get high or not.