Being Sober Versus Being in Recovery

Congratulations on becoming sober after your alcohol addiction rehab! The worst of your battle is behind you, but many people often face a new set of challenges when learning how to stay sober after rehab. You could be looking for a way to gain more support from family and friends, or want to limit possible triggers for relapse that can be present in everyday life. They may have stopped drinking, but their life may be exactly the same, leading them to be jealous of others who are drinking or to struggle with emotional or mental health issues. I’ve never crashed a car or received a DUI, never drunk while pregnant, never been fired from a job, never punched someone in a bar, and never set the house on fire. My marriage is long and happy, my daughter excels at school and is socially happy, and I have a successful career in an competitive field.

At the end of each month, I clear the board and start all over. I’m thankful for it, because it is faster and more convenient (in some ways). The flying itself no longer holds the excitement for me that it did when I first being sober around drinkers flew, but I will never cease to enjoy visiting yet another new airport and checking it off my mental list. It isn’t the same as traveling to another country or even to another state, but it has an appeal all its own.

What Does it Feel Like to Be Sober?

You may also experience what is commonly called sobriety fatigue, which refers to the overall exhaustion that may occur as a result of the emotional and physical stress of staying sober. So, it’s extra helpful to have a support network available to you when you need it. Building a support network can take time, but the efforts are worth the benefits of having the right people in your life https://ecosoberhouse.com/ for your sobriety journey. Building a support network is one of the best things you can do to build a strong foundation for sober living. Admitting that there’s a need for a change in your life can be one of the most challenging parts of getting sober. Recognizing this need for change means taking into account how drugs or alcohol have been causing problems in areas of your life.

We are more than happy to help with any problems you may have regarding addiction. You may find yourself in a situation like a family gathering or hanging out with friends and alcohol is present. Others may be encouraging you to drink and don’t realize that you are aiming to stay sober. If you are afraid of not fitting in because you are not drinking along with others, non-alcoholic beer or cocktails are a great option. You may not be comfortable telling others you don’t drink anymore and can still be confident with a non-alcoholic drink in your hand.

Best Beers for Gut Health

However, remaining abstinent from substance use can seem daunting for many, and you might be curious and wonder if it must be for a lifetime. Being sober is an individualized affair, with different risk factors and tolerances depending on circumstances and the abused drug. People (some of whom experienced far worse consequences from their addictions than I did) are running marathons, taking up pottery, and starting new and happy relationships. They are living lives that have less room for alcohol—and lives worth protecting from relapse. Continuing therapy after your treatment allows you to become a better version of yourself and equips you with a stronger desire to stay substance-free. It helps you learn new thinking patterns and coping skills that make it easier to resist cravings.

• Join a support group, and as you get more experience, look for ways to help others.
• Setbacks don’t erase progress; they don’t mean you’ve “failed” to stay sober.
• The celebrities coming forward telling their experiences can make you feel relatable, and perhaps give you motivation to stay sober.
• Shame is having negative beliefs about yourself and your self-worth.

“The goal is not to isolate and to socialize in environments where there is no temptation to drink because alcohol is not served or part of the equation,” explains Hafeez. It takes around 6-24 hours for the effects of alcohol to leave your system for good. So, yes, you can call yourself sober when your blood alcohol volume (BAC) level is 0.0%.