Staying Sober 20 Simple Tips to Stay Sober

Our experts have decades of experience helping people with all kinds of substance issues and can help you identify your personal triggers and warning signs. When you have a substance use disorder, your brain has created countless links between your addiction and seemingly unrelated actions that you usually perform. One of the most common examples of this dynamic is when a former smoker reaches for a cigarette while drinking a beer, even though they stopped smoking years ago. These associations and links are some of the hardest to break. Even certain emotional states can trigger a relapse, especially if you used a substance to help cope with something else in your life. Many sober people I know also identify as Highly Sensitive People, who tend to be particularly attuned to other people’s emotions and energy levels.

Remember, the disease of addiction is as powerful the day after a holiday as it is the day of and the day before. As we learn during addiction rehab and in the meeting rooms, recovery is a one-day-at-a-time endeavor, no matter the season. Perhaps you introduced self-care routines into your life for the first time when you decided to get sober. Triggers are sometimes unavoidable and different for everyone.

Supporting a Friend or Family Member on Their Sober Journey

Seek professional help today, so you can start your journey to high-quality life, not influenced by alcohol or drug addiction. Being part of a group of like-minded people will help you on your journey to permanent sobriety. A support group connects you to sober friends and will help you develop healthier https://ecosoberhouse.com/ routines and avoid situations that can fuel your cravings. Support groups are typically led by a person who has gone through the same problem, and members can draw strength from their experiences and success. Popular support groups include Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and SMART Recovery.

There is a correlation between poverty and substance abuse disorders and subsequent relapses. In addition, poverty increases stress, hopelessness, and low self-esteem. People in poverty also have decreased access to healthcare and social support systems. When weighing the heaviness of this reality on top of addiction recovery, it increases the chance of relapse. You may find that you have so much free time on your hand now that you’re not using substances anymore. One way to maximize your time is by volunteering to teach others about the dangers of addiction and the benefits of living substance-free.

Create a new routine and avoid old habits

Be wary of anything or anyone who causes negative thoughts, wears on your emotional state or triggers you. Withdrawal symptoms can be mild to severe, depending on your level of addiction and substance abuse disorder. Sometimes, you may not realize your symptoms are due to withdrawal and detox. Trying to stay sober isn’t something that lasts for just a year.

• Though staying free, clean, and sober long-term is the main goal, your immediate focus should be developing healthy coping mechanisms and habits.
• Far too many deaths and injuries are caused by someone getting behind the wheel after a few drinks.
• Common setbacks to getting and staying sober include withdrawal, craving, and pressure to use substances.
• Now, when I say manifest your dreams, I’m not suggesting making a vision board, hanging it up, and expecting it to do the work.

Imagine how your friend and family will feel and how it will effect your day the next day. Walk through your day-in-the-life scenario and imagine what it looks like to have lost your sobriety and goals. Imagine the conversations you’ll have with friends on why you did it. One of the biggest perks about sobriety is being able to think ahead, long-term.

Ways to Stay Sober

A sponsor or mentor is someone you look up to that has typically been clean for a long time and can act as extra support for you. Places like alcoholics anonymous or other support groups are great ways to find a possible sponsor. In doing so you can gain knowledge and experience from someone who has been in your shoes before.

• It is especially true if they have alcohol use disorder (AUD) or substance use disorder (SUD).
• For opioid use disorders, there is a higher probability of relapse at 72-88%.
• Get your mind off drugs and alcohol, by walking into nature and enjoying the colors, the sights, and sounds.
• Congratulations on becoming sober after your alcohol addiction rehab!
• However, having faith makes the good things that happen to you extraordinary.

If you are trying to maintain a sober lifestyle, those feelings can become toxic and contribute to relapse if you don’t deal with them properly. Many people who misuse alcohol or drugs have trouble dealing with anger. If left unchecked, anger can have a negative impact on your health and your tips to stay sober lasting sobriety. 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. It is estimated that up to 80% of those who find long-term sobriety had at least one relapse along the way.

If you continue to do things the same way as before, it will be hard to expect to keep your sobriety. A trigger is anything that brings thoughts, memories, or feelings of addiction. To maintain lasting sobriety, it’s crucial to be able to identify objects, situations, places, and people that awaken your urges. When you know your addiction triggers, it’s best to avoid them as much as possible.

• Develop coping strategies to manage cravings and triggers that may lead to a relapse.
• The best way forward for your recovery from alcohol or substance use is to incorporate a wide variety of strategies that will help foster success.
• Distancing ourselves socially isn’t the only practice we need right now—media distancing, as I like to call it, is just as important.
• The CDC reports one in six US adults binge drinks, with 25% doing so at least weekly.

And I spend more time absorbing the experience versus jotting three quick things down before walking out the door. So choose which one you’ll honestly commit to and benefit from using. Another effective boundary recovery tool is writing letters to those you need to set boundaries with because they remain in your life. The key to that tool being successful is writing from a place of grace while holding back any hint of disdain or antagonization.

For many people, staying sober is impossible without professional medical support. The term “staying sober” means different things to different people. It is most often related to avoiding alcohol, but it can pertain to using any substance. Conversely, a relationship with someone who enables your drinking or drug use can harm your sobriety.

• That’s especially true when it comes to staying sober during the celebrations.
• Cut unnecessary expenses and prepare your food at home.
• I could depend on people to be there for me mentally through virtual support.