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Over time, chronic substance abuse can even cause physical body issues such as heart palpitations and pain, diarrhea, seizures, diabetes, heart disease, and more. Why put yourself through all of that when you can live a happy, sober, and healthy life instead. As you consider what you do and don’t enjoy about alcohol, you might make the choice to have a drink on occasion. This is one key difference Top 5 Tips to Consider When Choosing a Sober House for Living between the sober curious movement and total sobriety. Unlike people who stay sober because of dependency or addiction, sober curious people may not necessarily meet criteria for an alcohol use disorder or intend to give up alcohol permanently. If you’re starting to wonder whether giving up drinking might have a positive impact on your life, know that you’re not alone with these thoughts.
Just keep in mind that your improvements won’t happen overnight. A mental health professional can help you cope with some of the challenges you’ll face on your path to sobriety. Depending on the type of dependency, PAWS can last from six months to two years after you stop using drugs or alcohol. This article discusses what sobriety means and describes strategies that can support your long-term recovery. It also covers tips on how to deal with the challenges you’ll face on your journey to sobriety. Additionally, it can be helpful to maintain a clean and uncluttered living environment to promote a calming atmosphere and prevent anxiety.
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A life in recovery gives you the unique opportunity to develop healthy coping mechanisms. These mechanisms will pave the way for overcoming hardship without relying on a substance. These healthy coping mechanisms are more sustainable than numbing pain or trying to drink away your past challenges. Without the influence of substances, you have the opportunity to enjoy sober relationships while ending toxic relationships. You can form authentic relationships built on mutual respect, interests, and understanding rather than just who is willing or available to drink or use drugs with you. We hear a lot about practicing mindfulness, not just in the recovery community but in mental health in general.
- Although you’ll probably still need to make apologies here and there, they won’t be a result of drunken escapades and you can genuinely apologize and make amends with a clear and sober mind.
- Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares how to avoid repeating mistakes and build better habits.
Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website. Most people who make their way into recovery have left a lot of pain and suffering in their wake. https://goodmenproject.com/everyday-life-2/top-5-tips-to-consider-when-choosing-a-sober-house-for-living/ Feeling guilty or ashamed of past behavior or actions during active addiction is natural and healthy. Financial troubles and problems finding and keeping employment are major triggers for relapse, but it is possible to take baby steps and get your finances in order.
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Practicing mindfulness means that you’re focused on the present moment and enjoying it for all that it is, rather than thinking about the past or the future. Life after addiction might also mean you have more professional success and new creative outlets that you discover when drugs and alcohol aren’t occupying all of your time. Research shows that if you maintain these types of toxic relationships, your chances of relapsing are greater. To avoid relapse and remain sober, it’s important to develop healthy relationships. It is estimated that up to 80% of those who find long-term sobriety had at least one relapse along the way. Some people experience many setbacks before they find lasting recovery.
On a lighter note, going sober curious is cause for celebration, but your friends do not want to hear you talk about it every single time you see them. The Temperance Movement of the 19th century promoted abstinence from hard liquor in particular. But in 1833, Richard Turner coined the term “teetotaler” referring to those who practiced “total temperance,” as in abstaining from all alcohol, not just hard liquor. Sometimes, people will say they are “sober” to mean that they never drink, but this is not the only definition.