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Many with relatively severe substance use issues elect to attend inpatient or residential rehab programs. Most people don’t quit using alcohol or drugs overnight. Getting sober is a gradual process that can take weeks, months, or even years. Many people struggle with lapses and relapses throughout the course of their recovery journey, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you encounter temporary setbacks. Sharing struggles with alcohol and drug use with loved ones can create opportunities to improve relationships and gain support in the recovery process,” she adds. Decide what you’ll say if someone asks why you’re sober.

Avoid Old Routines and Habits

We say, “Thanks God for getting me out of this mess, I’ve got it from here.” And back behind the drivers seat we go. The daily maintenance of our spiritual life is where the real work begins. Once you do return to work, it’s important to create a budget and take steps to safeguard yourself as work stress can be a relapse trigger. Financial troubles and problems finding and keeping employment are major triggers for relapse, but it is possible to take baby steps and get your finances in order. Just keep in mind that your improvements won’t happen overnight. Depending on the type of dependency, PAWS can last from six months to two years after you stop using drugs or alcohol.

Tips for the First 90 Days of Addiction Recovery

• So, what are some of the ways that we tend to self-sabotage our recovery?
• It’s a deeper level of work that goes beyond just removing the substances from the equation.
• Have some sober friends you can invite as your plus-one to a social event like a party or wedding.
• Elder recommends first understanding your relationship to alcohol or substances (as a coping mechanism, for example) and getting comfortable giving others a sense of your journey.

To avoid relapse and remain sober, it’s important to develop healthy relationships. Some of the immediate changes you will need to make will be obvious—like not hanging around the people that you used with or obtained drugs from. After all, you can’t hang around your drug dealer or old drinking buddies and expect to remain sober for very long. Knowing in advance how to decline alcoholic drinks or drug use in social situations can make it easier to stick to your sobriety. Practice and plan your responses so that you feel confident and prepared in these environments. Family support can significantly impact long-term sobriety.

More on Substance Abuse and Addiction

We are now ready and available to receive the guidance and support that will lead us to a happy, sober and meaningful life. At the age of 23, after a nine-year battle with alcoholism and drug addiction that nearly killed me, two old-timers in AA plucked me out of my misery and put me on a one-way airline flight from Cincinnati Ohio to Minnesota. I knew when I got on that plane that there was no going back. All of MY efforts to change my life resulted in more pain, more loss, more trouble. I was utterly powerless to stop drinking and using on my own and my life was a mess. I was terrified of what may lie ahead, but I was completely willing to let someone else direct the next steps of my life.

• Repairing and strengthening family relationships is often a crucial part of the recovery process.
• You may be unable to patron the same places you once spent time in to have “fun”, and your idea of “fun” and leisure time will completely change.
• These programs allow you to be completely honest about your addiction and struggles with getting sober without the fear that what you say will get out into the public.
• Look for those who had been down the road ahead of you on the recovery path as they will be someone who could lead you in the right direction.

Such fear is nothing to be ashamed of because it is natural. fear of being sober Our brains are hard-wired to become uncomfortable in the face of the unknown. Simply the anticipation of a potentially unpleasant or stressful circumstance causes the brain to go into flight or fight mode.

Understanding Emotional Sobriety and How To Achieve It

And in case it wasn’t already obvious, the only way to get to long-term sobriety is to first achieve short-term sobriety. She is an advocate for mental health awareness and addiction recovery and is a recovering alcoholic herself. Find Jami DeLoe on her blog, Sober Grace, Twitter, and Facebook. So, what are some of the ways that we tend to self-sabotage our recovery? Once you have solid answers on whom you want to talk to, it’s time to consider the actual convo itself. There are no hard-and-fast rules for this particular step—only you know the context and history of your relationships and your sobriety journey.

Why Aren’t You Drinking? 10 Confident Responses to This Common Question

Attending church functions and following the church’s teachings about abstaining from drugs and alcohol can be effective for some people. Churches often host 12-step programs or other addiction support groups. You may also be able to find an addiction treatment center that caters to your religious beliefs, helping you invoke your faith as you start a new life in sobriety. Combining the teachings of a particular religion and the teachings of support group educators can be an effective way to help you stay abstinent from drugs and alcohol. The first 90 days of addiction recovery are often the most critical.

tips to help you overcome the fear of being sober

It is during these first few months that most relapses occur. Becoming comfortable at home without your drug of choice is something that takes time and patience, so it’s important to have a relapse prevention plan of action during these first 90 days of addiction recovery. Nifaliophobia, or the fear of being sober, manifests as a significant and persistent fear related to the absence of alcohol or drugs from your life. If your fear of sobriety significantly impacts your ability to function or make decisions about your health and lifestyle, it may be helpful to consult a professional who can provide a proper assessment and support. There are so many benefits from staying sober, but so many people who face addiction are unable to do it. Millions of excuses will fly out of an active user’s mouth about why he or she won’t get sober.

We’ll do anything to stop the pain, fix our broken toys. “What an order, I can’t go through with it.” Letting go absolutely is a frightening prospect. So it’s human nature that at some point our ego will re-emerge.