Staying sober is hard work and will demand significant life adjustments. However, a life of complete sobriety, even after years of addiction, is achievable with the right level of commitment, support, and coping skills. We have compiled 15 tips on how to stay sober and live an addiction-free life.
Hour Emergency Supports
- Trouble sleeping is common after you stop drinking, especially early in recovery.
- People who drink heavily are about twice as likely to have a cardiovascular event within 24 hours than people who do not drink at all.
- A good relapse prevention plan should include a hard copy of your support system.
- High blood pressure is a significant risk factor for various health issues, including heart disease and stroke.
Substance abuse can have a profound impact on your mental clarity, affecting how you think, feel, and make decisions. It impairs your cognitive function, making it difficult to concentrate, process information, and recall memories. It can also cause mood swings and exacerbated mental issues like anxiety and depression, which can further impair your mental clarity and overall well-being. Volpicelli says that some of the negative effects of alcohol on mental health can be reversed if you stop drinking. Staying sober requires a person to analyze the reasons why they were using the substance, identify their personal triggers for relapse, and avoid falling into a pattern of use again. Early sobriety may come with feelings of fatigue and the stress of dealing with challenges (people, places, and things that stimulate the urge to use).
Services/Programs
It is the place to honestly assess your situation and prospects of remaining sober. Therapy sessions usually include growth-oriented practices like mindfulness meditation which help solidify your resolve to stay clean. It’s essential to build relationships with people who are supportive and focused on activities that will support your sobriety. Support groups, community organizations, sports groups, and religious organizations are some of the best places to find friends with whom you can develop healthy relationships.
- Establishing a routine with regular sleep and support group attendance can reduce stress and help you stay sober.
- When things like this happen, find a sober friend or loved one you can talk to for support.
- A large body of research exists examining—and proving—the efficacy of AA for sobriety.
Avoid Old Habits and Toxic Relationships
They are poison to your recovery and want to see you fail. If they’re people using drugs or old drinking buddies, they’ve got to go. A good relapse prevention plan should include a hard copy of your support reasons to stay sober system. I remember having three different cell phones stolen during my short time on the streets. Don’t find yourself without support after you’ve made a terrible decision as a result of substance use.
Build Healthy Relationships
Using drugs and alcohol doesn’t make you less afraid; it just numbs you. The impacts of substance abuse on your mental and emotional health can be severe and debilitating. If you suffer from depression, anxiety or other mental health issues, drugs and alcohol will significantly worsen your condition. Addiction blocks mental clarity, prevents healing from trauma and causes emotional instability. In fact, drug and alcohol abuse can cause mental and emotional health issues that did not exist prior to using.
Accomplish Goals
Your goals give you something exciting to look forward to daily and serve as motivation in times of distress. Staying out of risky situations means taking deliberate steps to avoid people and situations that can trigger cravings. Avoid old routines and habits that can make it easier to slip back into addiction. It could mean changing your route to and from work, changing jobs, or relocating entirely. Addiction affects every part of your life, so every sacrifice is worth it if it helps you maintain permanent sobriety.
- Having a daily routine in recovery is necessary because it prioritizes your sobriety.
- So learning something new in my recovery was instrumental in my success.
- It helps you learn new thinking patterns and coping skills that make it easier to resist cravings.
- The loved ones of drug abusers can lose trust in the addict due to unpredictable behavior.
- The cravings will come inevitably, but you should allow memories of the pain of addiction to keep you going.
When you go sober, you’ll have better physical and mental health, stronger relationships, and improved overall well-being. However, the road to recovery can be difficult, and many people struggle to quit on their own. When you are in recovery, you can overcome the symptoms of addiction and instead have a healthy lifestyle. You can replace substance misuse with exercise and physical activity. The sober life can also give you the opportunity to think about nutrition as well.
- Maintaining sobriety can be a challenge, but with time and practice, it becomes easier.
- Setbacks don’t erase progress, though, and they don’t mean you’ve “failed” to stay sober.
- Your goals give you something exciting to look forward to daily and serve as motivation in times of distress.
- This process includes the various triggers and stimuli that drive a person to find comfort in an old addiction, as well as the dozens of warning signs that indicate a relapse is coming.
Restorative Sleep
If you love writing, I’d consider throwing yourself into blogging. Additionally, I found community through blogging about my addiction and rehab stories. They were recovering addicts and active drug users faithfully reading https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/what-reasons-for-you-to-stay-sober/ my story. I could depend on people to be there for me mentally through virtual support. Even if it’s a loved one or family member, you have to decide what is more important; their feelings or your long-term sobriety?