“It was always easy for me get sober… I could never figure out how to stay sober” – ANON
Getting sober, or quitting drinking for most is not difficult, especially if you are a high functioning or social alcoholic. You just simply quit. The hard part is staying sober and not picking up a drink after you have quit. Below are 3 helpful tips for those of you that have quit drinking and want to learn how to stay sober.
1. Create a Sober Support System– Letting people know you have quit drinking takes a lot of humility and bravery. It can be challenging to create a support system if you want to keep your drinking issue private. Create a small circle of people around you that are supportive and will hold you accountable if you decide you want to drink again. Be open and honest so your support system is able to help you. Start to hang around other people that don’t drink as a hobby. If you live with people like family or your spouse, it’s important to let them know what you are doing. I don’t keep alcohol in my house and I also recommend not having any alcohol in your house for at least your first year sober.
You may also like What happens if you relapse?
Your support system can even be people you meet in 12 step meetings like a sponsor, or church group. When I got sober, I had a few close friends that I told, and I joined a meeting with other women that did not drink and spent most of my time with them It was a nice distraction from my normal routine of going out and looking for where I was going to drink next.
The more time passes, the more people you will meet that align with your new life. They don’t all need to be in recovery or sober, but they will be like minded people that don’t need to drink to have a good time. I joined a yoga class and we would make plans to go on hikes and meditation retreats. I also made friends with other young people in recovery and we would hit beach meetings and have fun.
This post is all about HOW TO STAY SOBER
2. Get a Hobby– If you are like me, drinking was my hobby. I drank socially pretty much every night after work, and I would drink all weekend. You need to do something instead of your old drinking routine. If drinking on weekends was your thing, then get a weekend hobby like working out, volunteering, working, running or yoga. If you drank at night, join a recovery group and hit a night meeting instead. If you drank all day long, then drink water or tea or coffee all day long instead. Pick up a book or join a book club. Join a strong recovery group and dive into working on yourself. The most important thing is to work on yourself and get down to the causes and conditions of why you drank in the first place.
Here is a list of 3 Books you need your first year sober
Whatever you choose to do, find something positive to fill your time with and not the normal self destructive things most alcoholics do.
3. Don’t Drink no matter what– That might seem obvious, but if you do not have it in your mind that you will not drink NO MATTER WHAT, you will drink again. You need to set up a plan for when the time comes that you feel like you want to drink- because it will happen.
If you are an alcoholic you will want to drink again.
If you’re not an alcoholic, you would simply just not drink and it would be effortless, you wouldn’t be on a sober website researching how to stay sober. So think about a plan and stick to it. I recommend designating a person in your support system to call when the FIRST feeling of wanting to drink creeps in. Not the next day, not the next week, you need to reach out immediately. This is the pivotal moment that captures most alcoholics. We start to bargain and think “My drinking wasn’t so bad… I can control it this time… I can have just one… it will definitely be different.. or not.. actually it was bad, but F@K it..” Have it in your mind you will NOT DRINK NO MATTER WHAT.
I hope this is helpful to you as you continue on your sobriety journey.
Don’t forget to check out 3 Weeks to Freedom- Kick Start your Kick-Ass Life in 21 Days
2 Responses