Is There Some Sort of Trick to Staying Sober?
March 1, 2021 by The Word Jester
If you’re new to recovery, just beginning to learn how to live clean and sober, or returning after a relapse, you might wonder if there’s a trick to remaining drug and alcohol free. That‘s totally understandable. But is there really some sort of trick to staying sober? Those who are struggling with a substance addiction might be inclined to seek out some secret solution to staying off drugs and alcohol.
With all due respect, there is no quick fix to help you stay on the right path. However, there are tips on how to build a solid foundation for living clean and sober. The process is called recovery. If you’re looking for a trick, a fad, or a gimmick, you may be disappointed.
However, there is a solution that works. To those who have recovered from an apparently hopeless condition of mind and body, they realize that there is no big secret to this solution. If it helps, you can think of this as the trick to staying clean and sober; whatever works for you.
This solution, or trick if you must, is to follow suggestions. If followed, these recommendations supported by experience will help you stay clean and sober. Let’s explore three of these suggestions to help you launch your recovery journey, or revitalize a program after an unfortunate relapse.
Reach Out
The first so-called trick to staying sober is to start the journey. Admitting that you might have a problem may seem like the trickiest part of all. Addiction – alcoholism and drug abuse – can be manipulative. Addiction is a disease that tries to convince you that you do not need help.
You may either feel you don’t really have a problem at all, or if there is a problem it isn’t that bad. If you’re like thousands entangled in a web of addiction, you don’t want or think you need help fixing the problem. You may not be convinced there even is one.
Alcoholics and addicts will passionately insist, “We got this”. This is a common attitude held by millions who suffer from substance addiction. If you want to call it the first trick towards recovery, it’s overcoming these fallacies in judgment. The first, and most important suggestion, is to reach out for help.
Get Connected
There are millions who have busted free from the chains of addiction. A vast majority of those who successfully stay clean and sober insist on the vital importance of something in their recovery. They all got connected, and they stay connected. This could involve continuing to benefit from the support provided by counselors and mental health professionals.
Trained addiction specialists can help you address issues, things which invariably feed your addiction. These are the symptoms that can trigger a relapse. Getting and staying connected could involve absorbing information through reading recovery literature. There are a variety of sources that can help you to work towards daily self-improvement.
Another important way to build connections, especially in recovery community, is through the various recovery fellowships. There is something to be said, and a lot of evidence to support the idea, that addicts and alcoholics sharing their experiences with one another is an invaluable recovery tool. The trick isn’t how you stay connected as much as it’s the fact that you need to.
Be Teachable
Addiction recovery can involve some unique situations. A variety of personal circumstances can work against your recovery goals. The key is to be open-minded and teachable. You should be willing to do whatever is necessary to stay clean and sober. While this may seem tricky, it’s not. It’s important to remain teachable throughout your recovery.
Many have found their way into recovery, only to think they had the problem whipped. You must not become complacent; falsely assuming that you know all there is to know. This is a dangerous place that can lead you to make poor choices. Losing that early-sobriety instinct to be teachable could wash away decades of sober time in an instant.
People with years of clean and sober time, people who lost that willingness to remain teachable, had to set a new sobriety date. Some never make it back at all. Each day you spend in recovery will bring you an opportunity to learn something new. Learn how to be teachable and stay that way.
When people suffering with a substance addiction reach out for help, they launch a wonderful life transformation. However, there are no tricks or gimmicks to living drug and alcohol free. Change takes effort and change takes time. However, if you’ll take that first step and ask for help, you’ll clear what is possibly the biggest addiction hurdle. Make this important part of recovery your priority. Then, you can begin to develop connections and become open to learning new things.
Realizing that there isn’t a magic cure or trick to living clean and sober initially may be discouraging. However, that is not uncommon. Recovering from a seemingly hopeless condition of mind and body takes time. Your recovery success will not depend on finding some secret solution to an end result. It will begin and continue to grow by following suggestions.
Millions are enjoying a life in recovery each day by following these three simple tips. We understand that the joy of recovery is in the journey. If you think you have a problem with drugs or alcohol, reach out for help. There is a wonderful world out here that’s free from the chains of addiction. Reach out to someone today, because tomorrow may be too late.
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