July 4th is a holiday that is definitely associated with drinking and using. Although the main attraction is the fireworks show every year, the events leading up to the fireworks and what happens after is what usually causes all the problems. Drinking alcohol as a social lubricant or using mind-altering drugs to enhance the fireworks can make July 4th deceptively seem like a holiday to get lit.
What really happens for someone addicted to drugs and alcohol is that they get wasted, blacked out, and passed out, often ruining everyone’s time. While July 4th may seem like a good reason to drink or use drugs, staying sober is an even better idea. Here are some of the reasons why July 4th and recovery are similar in hopes of getting you fired up in your sobriety.
July 4th Represents Freedom
Being in remembrance of all the soldiers who fought so hard for our country, in the name of freedom, should motivate you to fight for your recovery. You deserve to be sober, and your sobriety will not come without being fought for. To become free from drugs and alcohol, you will need to be aware that there is no cure for addiction, and willpower is challenging to maintain.
You will be in constant combat with the obsession of the mind and the allergy of the body that embodies your addiction. To gain freedom from the insidiousness of addiction, you will have to fight for your sobriety every day. Going to recovery meetings, asking for help, working the 12-Steps, attending therapy, and many other aspects of recovery will need to be put into action.
July 4th Represents Tradition
1776 was the year that the United States of America gained its freedom from Great Britain on July 4th. For centuries, Independence Day has been celebrated to commemorate this incredible feat in US history. Recovery has its own tradition with Alcoholics Anonymous starting in 1935, which has pretty much been kept intact since the program was defined.
Other programs, such as Narcotics Anonymous, have also been born from the initial 12-Step modality that has been instrumental in getting millions of people sober using a 12-Step program. Decades of recovery have been achieved through the suggestions that are made by those who have gone before and are still relevant today.
July 4th Represents Celebration
The observance of July 4th gives people a chance to observe the freedom that has been bestowed onto them. Each year, celebrations are held to honor those who fought for our freedom and to continuously inspire those who still are. Those in recovery also celebrate milestones along the way to keep them inspired to stay sober. Recognizing lengths of sobriety with a one-day-at-a-time mentality is one of the ways everyone roots for one another as a source of recovery comradery.
It is important to recognize each other for getting sober because staying sober is out of the ordinary for someone who suffers from drug and alcohol addiction. Banding together in the name of freedom from drugs and alcohol will create the fellowship that you crave.
July 4th Represents Union
The celebration of this holiday also brings about fellowship with other proud Americans. Waving American flags and watching incredible fireworks shows can bond strangers together based on liberty and freedom for all. Similarly, recovery is all about bonding strangers together with the same common peril of addiction. One person sharing with another person about how they stayed sober is vital to carry the message to one another.
No one could ever understand addiction the way you do unless they have struggled with addiction themselves. The fellowship among people with common addictions has proven strength comes in numbers, just like the soldiers who fought for our country.
July 4th Represents Abstinence
Although many people like to party and get intoxicated to celebrate this fun holiday, you can decide how you will view July 4th ongoing. The symbolism of how our country gained its freedom should never be taken away. How you use the fortitude of this day, can proclaim how abstinence gave you the courage to take the next indicated step into a new freedom for your recovery.
Others may continue to drink or use drugs on July 4th, but now you have your own conception of observing the holiday with complete abstinence. You will actually get more out of July 4th being sober because you will authentically show your patriotism without drugs or alcohol in your system. You will wake another day sober, and have the ability to remember why this holiday is so important.
With July 4th signifying US independence, you can take this day to be thankful for the liberty that the day brings. Being free from drugs and alcohol on this special day in the history of the United States will show you how special your sobriety truly is so that you will be on fire for your recovery. As each firework shoots into the sky, you can thank your lucky stars that you are sober another day in the land of the free.
We hope you will stay sober this year on July 4th because drug and alcohol recovery can relieve you from being held back by your addiction any longer. 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. With the power of recovery, clients are restored to full health and experience life-changing healing and freedom. Call us today for more information: 303-536-5463
