Early recovery is difficult, and these difficulties may stifle your happiness. As you remain sober for longer, though, living the sober life gets better and better. People who have been through the worst kinds of alcohol and drug addiction have gotten clean and sober, and got on to live happy and successful lives.
- Do not bail an alcoholic out of jail
There are countless cases where an alcoholic will end up in prison. - Read on for some steps you can take to help your friend, family member, or loved one.
- At Renaissance, we specialize in the outpatient treatment of the above conditions, giving you a more flexible and more affordable route to recovery than residential rehab.
- If you don’t control codependency, it can lead into more serious complications such as obsessive behavior, blame, and mental health issues.
- As you build on your success, you can celebrate months and years of sober milestones.
- If you continue to have difficulties, consider going to a support group like Debtors Anonymous, who can help you with your financial difficulties.
- Alcohol consumption and abuse may cause you to look tired and puffy.
Therefore, it’s important to ask questions to ensure that the program you want meets all of your needs. There are multiple factors to consider, including cost, reviews, licensing, accreditations, amenities, and treatments. These are only a few of the signs that may indicate a substance use disorder. A licensed clinician uses this criteria—and more—to determine the likelihood and severity of a substance use disorder and formulate a treatment plan. This guide includes the steps required to fully support the path and the journey to addiction recovery.
Why Do You Want to Get Sober?
They may approach a new hobby, exercise, job, or even a diet with an addiction-like vigor. While new activities may be beneficial, you should not use them to fill the void left by the addiction. The idea is to find balance in your life by engaging in productive activities in a non-compulsive manner. There are many more interventions that may be used to help you recover from substance misuse.
Detox occurs when the body goes through the process of eliminating substances from itself. Individuals who experience withdrawal symptoms have become dependant on the substance. This means that the brain and body have become so accustomed to having the substance present that without it, they can’t function properly. The brain and body need time to return to functioning without the substance. Medical support can help keep you safe and as comfortable as possible during the detox process. It’s possible that 2020 may be filled with parties, which make a recovering person’s journey towards recovery more challenging.
Stay Cool and Calm
For many, professional treatment is essential for achieving sobriety. If you or a loved one struggles to stay sober, remember that addiction is a physical and psychological issue. Whenever possible, avoid people with whom you have unhealthy relations. If you can’t or don’t want to do this, seek professional counseling and encourage your loved one to do so too. Disulfiram (Antabuse), acamprosate (Campral), and naltrexone are the most common medications to treat AUD. When combined with other evidence-based therapies (such as cognitive behavioral therapy), MAT can help prevent relapse and increase your chance of recovery.
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. You may find that you have so much free time on your hand now that you’re not using substances anymore. One way to maximize your time is by volunteering to teach others about the dangers of addiction and the benefits of living substance-free. Partaking in some form of community service not only helps you contribute positively to society, it also strengthens your self-confidence and increases your sense of self-worth.
Develop a Structured Routine
If your loved one has become addicted to alcohol, however, their brain chemistry may have changed to the point that they are completely surprised by some of the choices they make. This episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, featuring multi-platinum award-winning singer Bryan Abrams, shares his sobriety journey and how he found a treatment that actually worked. However, there are certain things you can do that may help relieve the pressure, and in some cases, also better help your loved one start their path to recovery.
A big part of alcohol recovery is taking steps to improve your lifestyle through changes like diet and exercise. If you’ve been trying to get to and maintain a weight that supports your health, quitting alcohol can help you meet that goal. While 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) can benefit your loved sober alcoholic one, Al-Anon meetings are great resources for you. Like AA, Al-Anon is a mutual-help group for the loved ones of those who struggle with alcohol misuse. Attending meetings, which are held all over the world, allow you to share your experience with others and find strength and hope from them and their experiences.
