In these moments, I have to remind myself that recovery isn’t just about not drinking; it’s about remembering that I am first and foremost responsible for advocating for my own well-being and boundaries. This is an opportunity to assert for your needs, and therefore assert being sober sucks your worth. Thankfully, there have only been a few times when someone at the table hasn’t pointed it out on my behalf and adjusted accordingly. However, when it has happened, I have to speak up to point out that I didn’t drink and I’m not subsidizing their drinking.
If I Had To Get Sober Again, Here’s What I’d Do Differently
The juice is completely worth the squeeze. Yes, I no longer have the option of using a substance to escape my feelings or problems. But because of that, I have learned to actually DEAL with them instead. If you’re not clutching a jug with three X’s on it, you’re simply not eligible. It’s like a screwed-up deductible you have to meet, but instead of money it’s blackouts, and instead of co-pays it’s meetings in church basements.
Importance of Medical Detox in Substance Recovery
Every day I remember something I said or did that makes me want to slap myself and when I first stopped drinking, these “Greatest Hits” haunted me 80% of my day. Never mind that I was a walking disaster. I’d read every book on meditation, mindset, self-improvement, depression, anxiety, you name it.
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Depending on the severity of addiction and readiness to change, different options may be beneficial for different people. But seeking a professional opinion on where to get started can help alleviate and address your particular fears. The basic disease model of addiction says that plenty of people use drugs or alcohol to medicate their problems away. If this sounds like you, you might be surprised to find out how much more effectively you can deal with things sober.
Get Help with Recovering from Addiction at Northpoint Recovery in Idaho
- It’s fucking terrifying to suddenly become conscious in the middle of sex, especially if Blackout-You has a very laissez-faire policy about condoms.
- Now, not every program or therapy approach will work for you.
- Healthy relationships, a regular practice of gratitude, finding your purpose, and living in the moment are some of the components of recovery that enrich the good feelings of sobriety.
- But what I’ve heard, and what makes sense to me, is that everyone has their own bottom based on who they are.
- Maybe you’ve been more positive lately.
Many people drink and do drugs precisely because they don’t like who they are and want to dull the sensation of their shame, self-loathing—even self-hatred. The prospect of being without the one thing that relieves their sense of low self-esteem and lack of self-love can be very scary. I’m still doing a lot of work on myself and I still have moments where I choose to order unhealthy takeout food rather than deal with the fact that I’ve had a bad day. I haven’t resolved all of the issues that drove me to drink, but I’ve reached a point where alcohol is no longer an option for me to deal with them.
We are obsessed with our own pain and shortcomings but rarely think of others. Building resilience and training the voice inside your head to be less negative is a lifelong process. Hell, it takes time to get just sort of okay at it. One minute you’re cooking dinner, and the next, you’ve lost five minutes to daydreaming about that one time you threw up on your mother-in-law’s new rug. If meetings and group programs aren’t your things right now, try counseling with someone who specializes in alcoholism.
- You’ll reach a point where you accept that there are some difficulties ahead of you, but you’re not afraid of them.
- I did for years before I finally quit, largely because I was fighting the wrong enemy.
- You have already accomplished so much by choosing to stop using drugs and committing to sobriety.
- Even if you’re not an addict, living a sober lifestyle can seem like a difficult feat.