When a person decides to get sober, it is never easy. It might be because they went cold turkey or it might be because they were in rehab where they went to detox and got support for their addiction. It may feel overwhelming at first, with lots of questions to answer. Recovery may be scary, but it helps to know a person is not alone. Many people have gone through addiction recovery and are now sober. To those who are new to sobriety, or have loved ones supporting them, here are some things to consider to support success for the long road ahead.
Honesty
Even if it is hard to tell people about a drinking or drug problem, it is harder to sit on it and wait while alcoholism or drug abuse take their toll. When the time comes, it is okay to be scared. More times than not, love and support will be offered because family and friends journey with a person through addiction to recovery. The main thing is to be honest up front.
Write it Out
When the going gets tough in sobriety, it is best to write it all down. There will be many thoughts and emotions swirling around. To keep track of it all, it helps to write down positive and negative thoughts, experiences, and behaviors. Sitting with a pen and paper and putting down what comes to mind is therapeutic. It may feel overwhelming but it is necessary. Give it a chance to see how it feels before giving it up.
Sit with Feelings
When people get sober, there is a hard time feeling what is going on. Many people numb out on drugs and alcohol so feelings are not comfortable (at first). When going through lots of emotions, it helps to sit down and think about what the feeling is, what caused it, and how did it occur. Brainstorming feelings and what caused it can help immensely. It also helps to learn why a person feels the way they do as it may go a long way in recovery.
Get a Hobby
One of the best things to do is to get a hobby in recovery. Whether it is to stop drinking or something else, there will be people to bond with who share those ideas. It is important to stay busy in early recovery. Get into art classes, writing courses, dabble in some things and find out what piques curiosity and interest early on, then stick with it to reap the rewards.
Step by Step
A very hard thing for people in early recovery to figure out is that sobriety is a choice that people make. It is okay to just get up and put one foot in front of the other, not worrying about much else that day. For the moment, that may be all a person can do for the moment. When that is all it takes, the days become weeks, then months, even years. One foot in front of the other is often the best way to start the day and to kickoff sobriety.
While we know sobriety is a struggle, we know it is not impossible. We will help you navigate the ins and outs of sober living with our helpful hints and tips designed to support your journey forward in recovery. Our trained staff will teach you how to navigate those first days and weeks of life in sobriety and recovery. We are located in beautiful Laguna Beach. Call us to find out how we can help you navigate addiction recovery: 888-981-4295
