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.

• Ethos Structured Sober Living is an all male community in recovery located in the heart of West Los Angeles.
• The discomfort you initially feel at the beginning of your new sober life is the gateway to a life beyond your wildest dreams.
• The ways in which you deal with stress, grief, anger, sadness, and other negative emotions change once you stop using and get sober.
• You can remember everything and not feel that sense of terror of waking up and not remembering what you said or did the previous night.
• Once sober, you can use this ability to make up for lost time and make new friendships.

Acknowledging and celebrating the hard work of recovery is helpful for keeping you motivated and reminding you why you took this brave step toward sobriety in the first place. Just be sure that your rewards don’t sober house involve drugs or alcohol. Instead, focus on things, experiences, and activities that will support your new, healthy lifestyle. If you find it difficult to make new, sober friends, try joining a support group.

Real and Authentic Relationships

In the past, I drank heavily because the anxiety in my brain was overbearing. I “worst case scenario’d” every single thought inside my head. I have bad weeks where I slip into zombie-like routines, eat too many sugary foods, and generally feel bad about myself. Know that this is temporary and will pass, but if it feels unbearable or significantly impairs your ability to function, there is no shame in asking for help.

If you were active in your addiction for a period of time, you may have developed financial problems. Research shows that if you maintain these types of toxic relationships, your chances of relapsing are greater. To avoid relapse and remain sober, it’s important to develop healthy relationships.

Tips to Stay Sober

Trust us, if you struggle with substance abuse or addiction, living a sober life will improve your life immensely. To help you maintain your sobriety and see the benefits of doing so, we are providing you with a detailed list of reasons why living a sober life is beneficial. Sober relationships will be a key factor in your recovery journey.

Learning sober coping strategies to deal with stress can help you stay calm and avoid triggering explosive emotional reactions or relapse. The goal is not to avoid feeling angry or upset but to self-soothe without substances. Breathwork, meditation, and yoga are all some ways you can work on your emotional regulation outside of a healthcare provider’s office. Finding meaning and value in sobriety and staying in tune with yourself and your progress can help you be present in your emotions and thoroughly process and release the pain you may feel. Healing with such awareness can help empower your recovery.

Identify Your Personal Triggers

Hangover symptoms including nausea, vomiting, headaches and brain fog can last for days in some cases and can diminish your quality of day-to-day life. Lean on close friends and family for support, even if your relationships aren’t what they used to be. Think about going to counseling or family therapy to help with that and to deal with other personal issues. This type of fear is what holds us back from living a life that will benefit us in so many ways; if you’re ready to start your journey to recovery today, speak with someone from Cumberland Heights.

Before I quit drinking, I never really used to care about dividing the bill down the middle with a group. At some point after college, it just didn’t matter if someone had a meal that was four dollars more than mine, or if they ate more edamame, or even if they had one more drink than I did. Not only because my portion of the check is significantly smaller than anyone else at the table, but also because I refuse to invest in Big Alcohol.

APPLY FOR TREATMENT

For many people with a substance use disorder, it’s simply a matter of never having learned the appropriate way to manage anger. Talk to your therapist, other healthcare provider, or sponsor about how to deal with your anger in ways that won’t cause you to harm yourself or others or turn to alcohol or drugs. After becoming sober, many people realize that most of their previous relationships were superficial. Many friends were only “drinking buddies.” As a sober person, you may realize that maintaining real relationships is easier and more meaningful. When you are not suffering through the effects of addiction, you have more time to focus on your connections with friends and family.

If left unchecked, anger can have a negative impact on your health and your lasting sobriety. 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.

Whether that is the love from your parents, siblings, friends, or other loved ones, being sober helps you realize that true love is unconditional. Being sober can help you see all the sacrifices those around you have made to support you in your sober journey. Have some sober friends you can invite as your plus-one to a social event like a party or wedding. And stay in touch with your sponsor and call them if you’re feeling anxious or uncomfortable. Dr. Sledge is a sought-after speaker in the industry, talking about the critical need to treat both the mind and body of those struggling with substance use disorder. In addition to working for Cumberland Heights, Dr. Sledge is an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine.