Going to work helps keep your mind away from drugs, but you need to find other ways to fill up your idle time. You can learn a new hobby or language, play sports, read, visit a museum, or take long walks. The less downtime you have, the less likely you are to suffer a relapse. This does not mean, however, that you have to be perpetually busy. It means having balance in one’s life, for rest, productive work, and play.
Medical support can help keep you safe and as comfortable as possible during the detox process. You ever try to cut something out of your diet you ingest every day? Suffice to say, it’s difficult, but it can be an excellent way to help you stay sober. Removing daily substances from your system causes a sort of waterfall effect of changing mental and bodily functions. Metabolism rises and falls, bowel movements, and even one’s ability to focus on tasks. Take on a diet that’s sustainable (not just a fad) and stick to it to help establish a new routine.
Take Pride in your Sobriety
You might find that group therapy benefits you more if you need the guidance of a therapist for mental health, social, emotional, or relationship issues. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) remains one of the most common support groups for long-term sobriety. AA inspired additional 12-Step programs, like Narcotics Anonymous (NA), for those struggling with other types of substance abuse. Recovery can be a linear process, yet you might need to go back if you aren’t ready to move forward. For example, you might complete a sober living program yet do not feel prepared to get back in the real world. Think of detox as your way of getting to the treatment center.
It also helps to know that a trigger is a temporary experience that will pass if you wait it out. The cravings your trigger brings will weaken with time, and as you continue your journey to sobriety, you’ll evolve to tips to stay sober a point where a trigger does not affect you. Staying aware of the dangers your addiction poses and your triggers will help you stay sober. Relapse starts in your emotions and mind way before you take a drink or drug.
Surround Yourself With Positive People
It’s helped me stay sober because I don’t have idle hands anymore. When I have something to work on in my off time, boredom fades away. It’s hard to stay sober when you feel like shit all the time. You start staying sober, and staying sober starts to feel okay.
If you are seeking drug and alcohol related addiction rehab for yourself or a loved one, the SoberNation.com hotline is a confidential and convenient solution. Therapy offers a safe space with supportive individuals who want to see you maintain your sobriety. It is the place to honestly assess your situation and prospects of remaining sober.
Want More Tips on Staying Sober? Here’s 11 More
This is in stark contrast to alcohol and addiction in general which foster short-term rewards. So, use your sober brain to think about the long-term consequences to your short-term reward and recognize what it would do to your life. If you have been drinking or taking drugs for a long time, you will be unlikely to be able to stay sober without some help. This might be from friends or family members, or it might be from new sober buddies.
- Make friends in the sober house and build a group of like-minded and mutually supportive people.
- Healthy eating doesn’t necessarily mean going on a strict diet.
- According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the seamless transition of detox, treatment, and after care are extremely beneficial to addiction recovery.
- Think about what your hobbies are, what you used to love and care about before you started drinking or using.
- For many people who complete their stay at a rehabilitation center, therapy becomes part of the outpatient program.
With a bit of sobriety time under your belt, you have probably found that there is a lot to be said for quiet nights at home watching Netflix after a hard day’s work. You may have discovered that spending time in nature again rejuvenates and grounds you. And spending https://ecosoberhouse.com/ quality time with family, healthy friends, and your pet ferret Fernando brings you a feeling of peace and comfort you had long since forgotten. Maintenance medications like acamprosate and naltrexone can help you get through the hardest parts of staying sober.
Prepare for Sustained Sobriety at Gateway Foundation
Find the time to reconnect with them, and see if they want to hang out and do some fun sober activities (of which there are many). It’s been my experience that, to find these people, I had to go to AA meetings. I just never had friends who either weren’t alcoholics/drug addicts. It might be the case that you need therapy, or you just need to change your nightly routine or exercise more. Whatever the case, if you have insomnia, you need to do something about it if it’s a part of why you drink and/or use. Whatever it looks like, it can do wonders for your mental health to be around people who are healthy and want to see you get healthy too.
