Is it Possible to Live a Completely Sober Life? This is What to Know

When you find that you have the urge to drink, stop what you’re doing, and do something else. To break the craving, you’ll need to change the situation that you’re in. Very often, problems with addiction arise when you don’t feel able to express your emotions. Find a friend or group of friends that you feel comfortable speaking to. We’ll also look at the benefits of sober practice and how you can implement these in your life.

Not only that but sober life these days is becoming a lot more of a norm for many. Addiction treatment what your triggers are, what your coping mechanisms are, and why you do the things that you do. With this newfound information about yourself, you can craft a new life for yourself that best fits your personal needs. One study found that mutual support groups can be as effective as 12-step programs and may help improve the odds of success for people who are committed to maintaining a lifetime of total abstinence. It’s important to understand that addiction recovery is an ongoing process that requires continual care. Sober living in Portland, Maine doesn’t end with rehab, nor does it happen overnight. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance addiction, you most likely understand the above statement extremely well. Strеѕѕ саn bе а соmmоn trіggеr for аlсоhоlісѕ, аnd уоu соuld rесоgnіѕе thіѕ аѕ оnе of thе rеаѕоnѕ уоu ѕtаrtеd mіѕuѕіng drіnk. If уоur рrоblеmѕ ѕtаrt іn thіѕ wау, thеn уоu ѕhоuld lооk аt dіffеrеnt wауѕ уоu саn mаnаgе уоur ѕtrеѕѕ аnd lооk аftеr уоur mеntаl wеll-bеіng.

Surround Yourself with Supportive, Sober People

You’ll find yourself more fulfilled, happier, more connected, and better off than when you were drinking or using drugs. When you’re getting sober, you may suddenly find that you have a ton of time on your hands. During the time you used to drink or get high, you’re now at loose ends. This may mean taking things one hour at a time, but if you string enough consecutive hours together, eventually, you have a lifestyle of sobriety. When you’re getting sober, you may have a role model or sponsor who helps you along the way. This person serves as an inspiration and a guide through the toughest parts of your journey. You’ll also be able to take pride each day in the fact that you’re making the best choices for your life and your health. In our culture, there is an idea that you have to be drinking to have fun, but that simply isn’t true.

• Maybe not, especially if your substance use has become a problem.
• Unfortunately, if one does have a problem attaining a sober life, ignoring it is never a solution.
• Not only that but sober life these days is becoming a lot more of a norm for many.
• You may be spending a lot of your money every week on alcohol or drugs, and that means you have a lot less money to spend in the important areas of life.

Here are some surprising (and not-so-surprising) occurrences that will inevitably happen to your relationships, your identity, even your free time, and how I’ve learned to deal with each one. The life I had before I quit drinking was a lot like Groundhog Day; I was always waiting for it to begin and always reliving the same stuff, day after day, year after year. When I finally walked away from booze at 34, my life opened up. I can honestly say sobriety is the best thing I have ever done for myself. It was my jumping-off point into a life I knew I had buried inside of me. I got out of debt, started a company that provides digital recovery, launched a podcast, and am in the middle of writing a book. It’s been over six years since I first started seriously questioning my relationship with alcohol and considered a life without it.

Such symptoms are often related to mood and may include irritability, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and sleep problems. Some definitions of sobriety call for complete lifelong abstinence while others focus on developing coping mechanisms that can reduce harm with the understanding that setbacks are common. Not having a supportive or safe living environment on your own. Giving access to nearby gyms, yoga studios, and recreational activities, along with giving assistance with keeping up with the regimes that were established in more structured treatment. All form submissions are 100% confidential and your policy could cover the compete cost of treatment. We really are all learning to live in the moment, and to see that very, very few of the things we worry about happening in the future actually end up happening. But even moderate drinkers should seek a medical opinion before abruptly stopping drinking, since there is a possible and very serious risk of seizure. Binge drinking is considered five or more drinks in one sitting. So those 40 or so drinks in a month, if they’re consumed in six or eight binge drinking episodes, can actually pose big trouble.

Mindfulness and Mediation

Once I got sober I realized that I didn’t have to make more money in order to pay all of my bills, I just had to be more responsible with what I did have. Not having to spend money on drinking made this a whole lot easier. When one is an addict, any and all extra money goes towards getting drunk or high. Even money that should go towards things like eating healthy or getting the car’s oil changed on time eventually gets siphoned off towards fueling the substance abuse. Addiction changes our priorities and not for the better. There is something about the addiction recovery process that makes you grateful for the little things in life. You learn to appreciate simple things like waking up and not feeling sick or having extra money to go out and get a cup of coffee with a friend. There are some people that I had to let go of when I first got sober, and some people that eventually fell out of my life because our lifestyles became incompatible. A sober life is always better than one spent fighting with addiction.

Learning to find your strength and ground yourself when they strike is essential. However, it is worth it, and you will thank yourself for putting in the effort when you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation. Rather than thinking about anything being “lifelong,” it’s better to just think about “life,” meaning the quality of one’s life. If we want to improve our lives, we have to ask ourselves what we need to do to make it happen. Unfortunately, if one does have a problem attaining a sober life, ignoring it is never a solution. By that definition, if there are no harmful consequences — health impacts, problems with relationships or at work — there is no addiction. We need to be careful not to throw the word around loosely. Download the Extended-care, Sober living,recovery program brochure by Foundation House in Portland, Maine. It is essential that you try as many helpful ways to cure your addiction as possible. Try to discover which of the tools of recovery works best for you and include these in your own personal recovery toolkit.

One of the major benefits of sobriety is that you will regain the patience, time, and ability you need to build long-lasting relationships. Once sober, you can use this ability to make up for lost time and make new friendships. If you find it difficult to make new, sober friends, try joining a support group. Loved ones of the individuals in sober living can also rest assured that their family members will be held accountable in this type of sober living setting. It’s essential to remember that a sober living home isn’t considered a group home. Instead, it’s a community, sisterhood/brotherhood of like-minded individuals sharing similar experiences and a strong desire to stay sober. A sober house in Maine is considered to be a safe, and substance-free residence for individuals in addiction recovery. Typically, sober living is referred to as transitional housing or halfway homes. The caring team of specialists at Opus Health are committed to helping you transition to a healthy, productive life – free of drugs and alcohol.

Avоіdіng tеmрtаtіоn саn bе а lоt hаrdеr thаn іt ѕоundѕ, еѕресіаllу whеn іt соmеѕ to alcohol. Alcohol treatment mау hеlр іn а lоt of аrеаѕ, but thе tеmрtаtіоn mау ѕtіll ѕurfасе. Pеорlе, рlасеѕ, аnd ѕіtuаtіоnѕ, саn аll bе trіggеrѕ for drinking, ѕо іf уоu саn thіnk of аnу thаt mіght lеаd уоu to bе tеmрtеd bу alcohol, trу аnd аvоіd thеѕе аѕ muсh аѕ роѕѕіblе. Thіѕ саn bе раrtісulаrlу іmроrtаnt whеn уоu fіrѕt ѕtор drinking, whісh іѕ whу nеw реорlе аnd nеw hоbbіеѕ соuld рrоvе to bе thе dіѕtrасtіоnѕ уоu nееd. Aѕ аn аlсоhоlіс, уоu mау hаvе ѕреnt lеѕѕ аnd lеѕѕ time оn thе hоbbіеѕ аnd іntеrеѕtѕ уоu uѕеd to еnјоу. Yоu соuld thіnk аbоut rеdіѕсоvеrіng ѕоmе of thеѕе оld hоbbіеѕ, оr lооkіng for nеw оnеѕ, ѕо уоu саn еnјоу уоur dауѕ, аnd mаkе thе mоѕt of thе сhаnсе to bе рrоduсtіvе.

You learn new skills, interests, and learn just how much you can overcome when you put your mind to it. This is one of the most beautiful things a sober life can offer you. We all lead busy lives, which can easily be fueling your mental health struggles. Free up as much time as you can and simply relax in the natural surroundings available to you. Try not to think about all of the work you have to do or tasks you need to accomplish. Our mission is to provide compassionate care, combined with evidence-based treatment therapies for people struggling with addiction and mental health. Oro Recovery provides compassionate care, combined with evidence-based treatment therapies for people struggling with addiction and mental health. It is helpful to bereminded of all the positive things that have come from getting sober whengoing through challenging times like these.

The Importance of Boundaries in Addiction Recovery

There may be times when you feel as though your addiction is going to get the better of you. Having someone to talk to at these times is vital for your recovery. There are several different ways that you can take care of yourself when you’re recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. It is essential to understand that you are kind to yourself and that you allow yourself to practice self-care. After finishing my treatment program I realized how many other people there are out there who are struggling with situations similar to mine. I found out that I had an opportunity to help other people overcome the same adversity I had faced. By working with people in addiction I have had the privilege to show people that not only is a life of recovery real, it is also attainable. I learned how to have fun without the use of drugs or alcohol. Another series of studies found that individuals who remained abstinent for less than one year relapsed two-thirds of the time.

During that time, they often come to make certain associations between alcohol or drugs and certain people, places, and things. It’s no secret that the financial cost of addictive substances really adds up quickly. As your addiction worsened, you likely spent more and more on drugs or alcohol, eventually blowing hundreds or even thousands of dollars in a matter of weeks or months. Back when you were addicted, you spent so much time being preoccupied with your next high, getting high, or recovering from it. Now that you have eliminated drugs and alcohol from your life, you have so much more time to fill with meaningful activities.

I would have classified myself as someone who loved to be around people and go out with them at night. Thinking back to before I was sober, I usually had to drink to be around people. I recharge when I’m by myself, and I deplete when I’m with others—especially big groups. People in recovery should make every effort to minimize the amount of negativity in their lives. This also means not hanging around people whom you don’t feel you can be honest with, and vice versa. Trust is a big issue in sobriety, and leaving behind an old life — and for many people, an entire existence as an alcoholic — is a big leap of faith. If you turned to alcohol or drugs as a means of coping with a bad relationship, then it’s crucial that you get out of that relationship. Sober people have no time for negativity in their lives. Addiction destroys relationships but now you have the chance to develop genuine, lasting relationships with non-drug-using friends and work to repair old ones.

Additionally, sober living homes encourage productive and healthy living. Addiction commonly starts by using drugs or alcohol to cope with stressful emotions and situations. However, addiction can also cause feelings of anxiety and stress as it progresses. Once you enter recovery and begin taking the steps towards healing, you learn to confront stress and anxiety rather than hiding from them or numbing their effects. The stress and anxiety caused by addiction are then reduced and you learn new coping mechanisms to deal with these emotions as they come to you. Focusing on your mental well-being is something you probably worked hard on during treatment. You learned how important it is to dedicate time to yourself.

You may be surprised at all of the benefits you experience and enjoy. As you continue in your recovery, you may notice that your mental health changes. Finding what brings you joy and comfort should be considered one of your main goals. At times it can become easy to become so fixated on your sobriety and your health that you forget to enjoy yourself. Fight that urge and remember to find joy while you maintain your sobriety and goals. Here are a few simple suggestions to keep in mind as you journey outdoors. Addiction is an expensive lifestyle, as you constantly seek out the drugs or alcohol each time you have cash. When you are no longer funding your addiction and living a sober life, you have more money since it is not being spent on substance abuse.

I’d argue that many of us gravitated to a group of friends who have drinking habits that align with our own, and we did this because we didn’t want sober friends. One of the most powerful tools we have against fear is to name it. It Sober House lingers in the back of our mind, whispering lies and prompting us to be worried about things that have not actually happened. Once we clearly identify our fears and give them a label, some of that influence is immediately diminished.