So you’ve gotten sober, congratulations! The battle is far from over. Yes, it is fantastic that you have been able to stop using and I am so proud of you but now you have to face the next challenge; staying clean. How do you stay clean when you are surrounded by all different types of temptations? How do you resist the urge when your friend tries to pass you the blunt because they don’t understand you are trying to do better? Patience and determination are key. Here are a few things you can do to help maintain your sobriety:
Make changes– it should go without saying but don’t hang around the same people you used to drink or do drugs with. Make new friends. If you are having a difficult time making friends, try out some new hobbies or activities and meet people who have similar interests. It is also great to meet people in support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Now that you are in recovery, you have to focus on taking care of yourself and finding people that support the new and improved you.
Build healthy relationships– When you were using, you probably were close with people who used as well and now that you are sober, you can’t go back to being friends with the same people. It may hurt to lose those friendships but if you don’t let them go and make new friends, you have a greater chance of relapsing because the people you used to hang with and use with will only enable you if they are still active users. You must build friendships and relationships with people who have the same clean, sober, goals as you or you are at risk of relapsing.
Stay cool, calm, and collected– It may be hard to deal with and manage anger during early recovery, but you need to learn how to manage it because this will affect your recovery. You may have never learned how to handle your emotions which is ok, but as an adult, you must take your life into your own hands and educate yourself on how to deal with and react to certain situations.
Find balance in your sober life– It is important that you don’t replace one addiction with another, even if it is something positive. You want to maintain a healthy balance of everything in your life and not too much of any one thing where you may lose control of any aspect because this may be a trigger that offsets your recovery and leads to relapse.
Staying sober can be difficult but there are many ways you can stay drug and alcohol-free. These are just a few helpful tips to maintaining sobriety.
If you or a loved one is seeking help for overcoming substance abuse or addiction, we are here to help. Please call us at 877-RECOVERY to learn about our comprehensive treatment programs in Arizona.
