Content
They can feel overwhelming and like they will never end. Anything you can do to improve your overall health and wellness will serve double duty and improve your ability to stay sober. I have since learned I am not alone in experiencing this phenomenon. 65% of all those in recovery gain weight, and if you struggle with an alcohol problem, there’s a strong chance you may also be fighting anxiety, depression, mood swings or compulsive behavior. These unanticipated obstacles to wellbeing have the capacity to derail an otherwise smooth sailing recovery.
Quality sober folk
Who does that, when instead, we all have the opportunity to do the same things, over and over again, and just expect different results? That’s the key to successful alcohol moderation. Take some compulsiveness, stir in some chaotic mind syndrome, sprinkle on some childhood trauma, and finish it off with a heaping dose of insanity. When you’re in early recovery, even good days can be tough. It feels like you’re pulled in 521 directions at once, and there’s the constant draw to fall back into old habits. But when life sucks, staying sober can be more than hard, it can feel like it’s next to impossible.
I would tell you, but now that I’m not always right all the time anymore, I’d just be guessing.
Hi we’re Jack and Meredith and we’re alcoholics. We wouldn’t be alive without the help of our favorite twelve step programs, but that doesn’t mean recovery doesn’t fully suck too. Listen as we discuss how sobriety and twelve step is portrayed in specific media, books, movies and television. God grant me the serenity to rock the house down tonight. Hi we’re Jack and Meredith and we’re alcoholics.
We wouldn’t be alive without the help of our favorite twelve step programs, but that doesn’t mean recovery doesn’t fully suck too. I remember when I was considering sobriety, and I carefully crafted my opinion of Alcoholics Anonymous. I mean, who finds a group of empathetic people with shared traumatic experiences and tries to work through their issues through a set of processes with proven results over decades of trial and error, anyway?
Programs
- Since when do other humans possess perspectives worth considering?
- 65% of all those in recovery gain weight, and if you struggle with an alcohol problem, there’s a strong chance you may also be fighting anxiety, depression, mood swings or compulsive behavior.
- They talk about the health benefits of moderate drinking like poise, attraction, decision making and better-smelling breath.
- You have already accomplished so much by choosing to stop using drugs and committing to sobriety.
- When it seems like all you want to do is forget, to go get high or drunk and be gone, if only for a few moments, remember what addiction’s cost you.
Knowing what you should do isn’t enough. You have to motivate yourself, schedule it in, and consistently do the things that will help you improve your life in recovery. Recovery Connection is the ultimate addiction recovery resource portal for information on the latest treatments, centers, and programs. Whether you’re looking for treatment or for aftercare options, we can point you in the right direction.
- And I’m also the one who doesn’t wake up with a hangover.
- Everyone faces difficult situations, ranging from getting a rough night’s sleep to dealing with a death in the family or an unexpected divorce.
- Take some compulsiveness, stir in some chaotic mind syndrome, sprinkle on some childhood trauma, and finish it off with a heaping dose of insanity.
- I just told my wife what to think and when to think it.
- Sobriety is not all roses and reggae, after all, and those who are in a position to help, will always stress the indisputable fact that being clear-headed is better than being a drunk.
I look at them and there’s a part of me that envies their ability to put down a drink, to enjoy alcohol responsibly without having it take over their lives. It makes me feel like I am just an out-of-control person. One of the things that I truly loved about substances was that they gave me an escape; an escape from my problems, an escape from my incessant worrying, an escape from reality. When I got sober, I didn’t miss the actual substances or the craziness that existed in my life as a direct result of abusing them, but I did miss the escape.
Grift People Grift People
I blame all this damn listening I am doing now in sobriety. Since when do other humans possess perspectives worth considering? How can I be right all the time if others can be right some of the time? Not only did alcohol make me smart, it also made me impervious to the alternative viewpoints of almost everyone I encountered.
Before you call me ungrateful or tell me that I am a hop, skip and a jump away from a relapse, hear me out. Yes, freedom from addiction and a life of sobriety is an incredibly amazing (not to mention totally worthwhile) journey. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.
I love being sober
If you feel like sobriety sucks, you need more support. You can find the balance in recovery you need. As you get going, keep a simple chart or use an app that tracks your progress. Everyone faces difficult situations, ranging from getting a rough night’s sleep to dealing with a death in the family or an unexpected divorce. Choose to recognize that the choices you make directly impact your experience. Get coffee with a friend to take your mind off relationship problems.
- And absolutely, sobriety is a lot of work.
- And another thing about sobriety…who would want to know what his spouse thinks of him?
- It means continually checking in with yourself, continually reaching out to new people who may have ideas you haven’t tried before, and continually asking questions that will help you improve your life.
- But now, I get to be the person who makes sure they get home safe from the bar.
Don’t Be a Victim
You can always improve how you fare in sobriety by looking at where you can improve Alcoholics Anonymous your quality of life. The other people next to you at group therapy sessions and support group meetings all have experiences that can help you. They want to be there for you when you are struggling. If you are hungry, even if that is not your main issue, get something healthy to eat.
You have the power to make changes that will improve your life, make sobriety more interesting, and connect with awesome people who can help you enjoy your life in recovery. Unfortunately, for someone in recovery, feelings of discontent are dangerous. It doesn’t take long for thoughts to become words and words to become actions.
Go to a 12-step meeting, find a sober group online, or call a sober friend who understands. The Sober Library is a free global resource for all things related to recovery from alcohol addiction and living sober. And yes, sometimes I get jealous of my friends that can drink normally.