You can scroll through the internet and read dozens of articles on what to do when you first get sober, but this is all about what not to do your first 30 days sober. Below I share some of my mistakes I’ve made my first 30 days sober so you don’t have to. What you should do in your first 30 day sober, is go to recovery meetings, get a sponsor, don’t drink.
These are the things NOT to do when you first get sober.
HANG OUT AT THE SAME PLACES YOU DRANK
So, I did this.. a lot. I was 25 when I quit drinking and all my friends were single and would hang out at bars and clubs. I thought I could just go and not drink, which worked for a while. However, I got to a point that I was either going to drink, or get fully into recovery and stop the old behavior and habits. Your old pathways will eventually lead back to the same place. If you want to change your life, you need to change your destructive habits and places. Do not hang out at bars you drank in your first 30 days sober.
GET A TATTOO
One of my first, and many mistakes during my first 30 days sober was I got a tattoo.. on my wrist. I’m in the process of getting it removed and the removal is extremely painful process. Don’t do anything of permanence when you are in probably the biggest brain fog you will ever have. It was impulsive and reckless. If I would have thought it through, a visible place on my body would have not been where I would have got a tattoo, especially when I do not have any others.
MOVE
Ever hear the saying “wherever you go, there you are?” Well, I tried to move states and start a new career thinking that a fresh start and moving away from all my problems would fix everything. I believed that my issues were circumstantial and a move would fix it all. It didn’t take long for my problems to follow me and I was pretty much in the same spot I was in when I stopped drinking. I had relapsed, and was a mess again.
I moved back to my hometown and picked up with the wreckage there until I was fully done drinking and got sober. The “Geographic” that I took taught me that I am the problem, and how I deal with problems needed to change. Don’t make any major moves or fall for the delusion that things will be different when you are somewhere. Unless YOU change, nothing will change.
“I had always wanted to move to New York. I finally quit drinking and felt like I could do anything! I quit my job, packed up and left! I was starting my new life with a clean slate! About two weeks into my move, I realized it wasn’t what I thought it would be, I was running out of money faster than planned, I didn’t have many friends there, and was scared. It is a miracle I didn’t drink. I moved back home and settled in. I still want to move and I will someday, but I’m not ready yet and know I need to plan it better and know that a move will not fix everything.” – Kim 4 years sober
GET INTO A RELATIONSHIP
I cannot stress this enough. This is probably the number one thing not to do your first 30 days sober. Two half people do not equal one whole person. When you have been drinking alcoholically, you are not in a great place, and you will change as your recovery progresses. The person you are the day you stop drinking will not be the same person you are in 6 months or a year, or two years. You’re learning how to care for yourself, and when you are in a relationship its important to balance your needs and the needs of your partner. When you are getting sober and healing, it’s hard to form a healthy fulfilling partnership. Before jumping into a relationship, you must be able to be ok alone. When you are happy alone, and comfortable in solitude, then you are ready to date.
My hopes are that you learn from my mistakes and can avoid learning the hard way like I did. When you first get sober, join a recovery program or rehab, get a sponsor or therapist, and don’t drink.
xoxo
Lisa H
You may also like:
Dealing With Anxiety in Sobriety
7 Signs You Have A Problem With Alcohol
How To Stay Sober At A Party
2 Responses