While getting and staying sober was the best decision I’ve ever made, in a lot of ways it’s also been the most challenging. One of the easiest ways to forget your own problems is to give back to people less fortunate than yourself. When you’re feeling low, instead of sitting at home in isolation feeling sorry for yourself, get up and head to the local soup kitchen or veteran’s association.
Share Sobriety Sucks
- Recovery Connection is the ultimate addiction recovery resource portal for information on the latest treatments, centers, and programs.
- When I got sober, I didn’t miss the actual substances or the craziness that existed in my life as a direct result of abusing them, but I did miss the escape.
- When things seem to be going down hill, you must remember that bad things happen to people all the time.
- I mean, who finds a group of empathetic people with shared traumatic experiences and tries to work through their issues through a set of processes with proven results over decades of trial and error, anyway?
We wouldn’t be alive without the help of our favorite twelve step programs, but that doesn’t mean recovery doesn’t fully suck too. I remember when I was considering sobriety, and I carefully crafted my opinion of Alcoholics Anonymous. I mean, who finds a group of empathetic people with shared traumatic experiences and tries to work through their issues through a set of processes with proven results over decades of trial and error, anyway?
Grift People Grift People
Before you call me ungrateful or tell me that I am a hop, skip and a jump away from a relapse, hear me out. Yes, freedom from addiction and a life of sobriety is an incredibly amazing (not to mention totally worthwhile) journey. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.
Quality sober folk
I am very happy and grateful to be two years sober, but I wish I’d known then, what I know now. I know, I know, this website is called “Recovery Connection” and it is designed to encourage those who are suffering the slings and arrows of addiction to get help. It is also an educational tool for addiction professionals and those in recovery, and I am here to tell you I had some unexpected lessons to learn when I became sober.
Sobriety Sucks
I stop drinking my intelligence potion, work on myself for a few years, and whammo! Just like that, my ears are more than just sunglasses holders. Nobody told me this side effect of long-term sobriety. You will have days when you don’t necessarily make the strongest choices to improve your well-being or strengthen your recovery. No matter what happened yesterday or even five minutes ago, you can choose to be patient with yourself, reassess, and pivot as needed.
Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates. Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates. So you lost your job and it wasn’t your fault. But complaining about it not being fair, and focusing on the injustice of it all will just make you feel down and make you more likely to fall deeper into the “poor me” trap.
Knowing what you should do isn’t enough. You have to motivate yourself, schedule it in, and consistently do the things that will help you improve your life in recovery. Recovery Connection is the ultimate addiction recovery resource portal for information on the latest treatments, centers, and programs. Whether you’re looking for treatment or for aftercare options, we can point you in the right direction.
The nature of life is change, no matter what. How you feel today — no matter how boring, stifling, angering, or depressing it may be — will be different tomorrow. Your feelings will look different in a day, a week, a month, and a year, so look to the future with optimism. That’s just the nature of existence – there are ups and downs on the rollercoaster.
But now, I get to be the person who makes sure they get home safe from the bar. And I’m also the one who doesn’t wake up with a hangover. Yes, I no longer have the option of using a substance to escape my feelings or problems. But because of that, I have learned to actually DEAL with them instead. Yes, asking for help was already listed, but it is so important that it is worth repeating. Getting through recovery’s ups and downs requires you to do more than just occasionally show up and interact with people who may be able to support you.
If you are feeling exhausted, refresh with a quick walk outside or a coffee nap if you can. Sometimes, it is the little things you may not realize are having a significant impact on your ability to cope. The good news is that you have choices. You are not a slave to your emotions or your addiction.
I mean, now I have to be considerate and show at least a minimum level of compassion to foster a thriving relationship. Alcohol made my Sobriety marriage so much easier. I just told my wife what to think and when to think it.
Call for Help With Addiction
Even though breakups, job losses, and an unexpected death of a friend or family member, can be devastating, they will all happen at some point. And you need to know that you can make it through without relapsing. Even if you are making one small choice to improve how you feel each day, like working out more or eating better, track it. You can then consistently look back, see how far you’ve come, and assess what you have accomplished along the way.