Recovering from an addiction, whether drug or alcohol, is hard, to say the least. Chaos can become a comfortable norm. Something is holding you back and you barely have the power to fight it. When the battle is over, all you want to do is celebrate. Deciding to become sober is the best thing in your life. Slowly but surely, you make the transition toward a tolerable life. Every moment of recovery is worthwhile. Do you want to know how to get your life back together? Keep on reading.
Slow down and start enjoying life
So, you’ve managed to beat addiction. This is something to be proud of, as not everyone has what it takes to quit. You’ve overcome the burden of the disease, as it’s commonly referred to, and got your life back on track. The question now is: Are you ready for the real world? You can’t simply go back and take the bull by the horns. You may feel great and energetic, but there is a high risk of failing unpleasantly. If you want to live life to the fullest, take things slowly. This means enjoying your mornings, taking time to enjoy whatever you’re doing, appreciating the great outdoors, and paying attention to the people with who you talk. If you want to be sane, don’t rush things. Enjoy the present moment and don’t think about the past. Right now, you need some time to readjust to the demands of life.
Commit to sobriety
Did you have a drinking problem? There’s nothing to be ashamed of because many people battle with alcohol addiction. At social gatherings, they drink alcohol because that is what everyone else does. They don’t even realize drinking isn’t good for their health. If you have a genetic predisposition, you become addicted. The good news is that now you’re a reformed alcoholic and you don’t drink vodka anymore. The most important thing is to stay committed to sobriety. Once you’ve conquered the first challenges, you need to commit to sobriety. If you’re not committed to the process, you’ll eventually work your way back to social drinking. Concentrate your attention on your sobriety and don’t let anything distract you from your goal. Be physically and mentally present. Think about hiring a life coach, who can create a personalised program for your needs.
Pick your friends carefully
The persons you associate with have a major impact and influence on your life. This is the reason why it’s important to choose your friends wisely. What kind of people do you need in your life? Well, people who are supportive and understand you need to make progress in recovery. When you’re having a bad day and you feel an urgent need to drink, your friends will remind you of the danger of relapse and how one drink will compromise your sobriety.
It’s recommended to have some rules when hanging out with non-sober individuals.
- Make some places off-limits – When you remove addiction from your life, you make an important step. Living a sober life is different from living a normal life. You have to make certain sacrifices. If you had a problem with alcohol in the past, it’s recommended to avoid bars and places where they serve alcoholic drinks. Make it clear to your friends that you can’t go to parties either.
- It’s not okay for your friends to drink around you – If you’re focused on your sobriety, you must associate with people on that next level. Make friends with people who will respect your sobriety. Individuals aren’t malicious, but they may not necessarily take your sobriety seriously. They respect you, but they don’t respect your not drinking.
- Your friends can’t expect you to skip appointments – Programs like Alcoholic Anonymous are meant to help people cope with the difficulties of addiction. Don’t skip appointments. They are an integral part of your recovery, providing essential support. Don’t miss meetings just to hang out with friends. While you’ll be missing out on a good time, you could jeopardize your recovery.
Discover what is expected of you
You didn’t choose to become addicted. According to the experts at www.help4addiction.co.uk, it’s never a person’s choice and it can happen to anyone. Sobriety, on the other hand, is a choice. Set realistic expectations. They will guide you along the way. It’s important to live your life for you and not to please expectations. This is because expectations change all the time and you’ll feel disappointed and frustrated when you understand you can’t live up to people’s expectations. The only ones you should care about are your family and friends. Talk with them and discover what they want from you. Understand that these people have seen you abusing substances and will expect you to act in the same way. Perhaps they expect you to take control of your life and leave your addiction in the past. Either way, you have to know.
Accept your mistakes and move on
Everyone makes mistakes. It’s human nature. It’s important to understand that the things you’ve done in the past don’t define you as a person. Don’t jump to rapid conclusions about your value. Nobody’s perfect. If you make a mistake, accept it and move forward. This will gain you the respect of the people you love and make you more human. Don’t waste your time thinking that you could have done things differently. Life is unpredictable and it’s hard to tell what comes next. Close your eyes and tell yourself that it’s okay to make mistakes. Others who have made bigger mistakes than you, Keep moving forward. That is what matters. Recover from your failures and mistakes and move on. Things got better and it’s all thanks to you. You made it happen.
The bottom line is that when you’re starting over after addiction, you’re beginning a new life which can seem overwhelming in the beginning. You might not know what to do. Don’t rush things because you need time to grow. Be patient and work on one thing at a time.