Plain and simple, the rule of thumb is that you must put as much effort into your sobriety as you did your addiction. For many of us who struggle with a substance use disorder, this means that our recovery program must take precedence over everything else. When you were out there using and drinking, your addiction was the one running the show. Even if you did not drink and use around the clock as most of us do, there is no doubt that most of your time consisted of plotting and scheming your next drunk or high.
When addiction takes over powerlessness, unmanageability, insanity, and faithlessness all take a front seat in our lives and make us worse than ever. We truly believe that we were meant to be inebriated because our obsession tells us so, or when we try to get sober, the withdrawals get the best of us. Trying to deal with the uncomfortable symptoms of withdrawal is distressing, and we give up yet again.
Hopefully, there will come a time which we finally concede that we can no longer live like this and need to recover from drug and alcohol abuse. We raise the white flag high to relieve our addiction, but what do we do next?
Ask for help
You need to find an outlet to ask for a way out from under. Whether you go to a therapist, go to 12-Step meetings, or find a rehabilitation facility to attend, asking for help in any capacity will lead you into the direction of getting sober. Hearing the solution in a recovery setting can lay out a plan of action that will help you to get to the root cause of your addiction because drugs and alcohol are merely a symptom of a much bigger problem.
Do work
You have to know that today is the best time to get sober. With all the modalities of therapy that are offered today and the many recovery approaches that you can use to get and stay sober, now is the time to do work. Journal, be part of the discussions, be reflective, and most importantly trust the process. This does not mean that you will not question what you are doing because you should have a complete understanding of how and why the process works. This simply means that you must have faith that something other than what you were doing will work for you like it has for countless others.
Take suggestions, listen to the solution, and you will find yourself in a way better situation. Getting into action is a crucial part of long-term sobriety that you should implement one day at a time.
Offering a full range of recovery and mental health services, Valiant Living offers “Expanded Recovery” to enrich our clients’ lives in mind, body, and spirit. Through evidence-based therapy options and the endless adventure of Colorado, Valiant fosters connection, encouraging clients to get connected to themselves, their peers, their families, and their higher power. With the power of recovery, clients are restored to full health and experience life-changing healing. Call us today for more information: 303-536-5463
