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3 Things to Remember When Sobriety Feels Impossible

Starting out another year singing the shoulda coulda wouldas of sobriety? You’re not alone. Getting sober is no easy task. It requires commitment on your part and support from others. 

And that’s what we’re here for! 

Participating in treatment might just be the thing that moves sobriety out of the realm of impossible into the world of tough but totally doable. 

3 Thing to Remember When Sobriety Feels Impossible

Today, let’s talk about the challenges of getting sober fast and how we can help you fight back against them. Are you ready? Let’s walk through this together. 

  • If you want to get sober, you’ll benefit from getting to the core of the problem. 

Struggling with addiction or not, we all know what it’s like to watch ourselves from a distance and think, “Why do I do that? That’s not the kind of person I want to be.”

It’s helpful to remember our actions are often the symptom of an underlying issue in those moments. Putting a bandaid on addiction isn’t much help. But finding the source and removing it from your life? Now we’re talking. 

In treatment, this often looks like a dual diagnosis. A dual diagnosis occurs when a person abuses drugs or alcohol and has a mental health issue. This distinction is common. 

Around 33% of people with a mental health issue also struggle with addiction. And the reverse is also true: 33% of people with alcohol dependency and over 50% of people who use drugs deal with mental health concerns. (1)

With treatment, you can receive help for both mental health issues and drug or alcohol addiction at the same time—a win for long-term sobriety! (2)

Of course, not everyone requires a dual diagnosis. Your story may be different, and your approach to sobriety may follow a unique path. That’s why working with a professional is key. 

  • If you want to get sober, you may need to avoid your triggers. 

Do you know what causes your cravings for drugs or alcohol? Are you ready to respond to those cravings in a healthy way? 

For many people, triggers can be narrowed down to a few specific categories: 

  • Stress
  • Being around friends who also struggle with addiction 
  • Being in a place where you have a history of substance abuse
  • Emotional trauma
  • Happy moments (3)

It can help to sort through these categories and give a name to the specific things that trigger you. You might relabel them in this way: 

  • A bad day at work
  • Hanging out with Ryan
  • Going to that bar on Second Avenue
  • Every time I talk to my ex
  • My birthday

Maybe your list will be shorter. Perhaps longer. That’s okay. The important thing is to label your triggers and then make a plan for what you’ll do when they come a-callin’: 

  • After a bad day at work, I will go for a run. 
  • When Ryan asks to hang out, I’ll bring Teetotaling Tom along. 
  • I’ll never set foot in the bar on Second Avenue again. 
  • I’ll block my ex’s number and keep conversations short if we run into each other. 
  • I’ll plan a birthday celebration that can’t possibly involve substances and enlist friends to help me stick to the plan. 

Do you feel like your list and your plan are a bit more complicated than this? We can help! 

  • If you want to get sober, you have to believe the struggle is worth it. 

Getting sober doesn’t happen overnight. You’ll work through hard days before you get to better days. Research shows it takes most people between two and five attempts to move from addiction to recovery. (4)

And it makes sense, right? As one study found, it’s easy to give more weight to the good times of substance use now than the good times of abstinence later. (5)

But let’s take a look at the facts. 

WebMD lists the following physical and emotional benefits of sobriety

“increased general health, improved mental clarity, longer and deeper sleep, increased energy, healthier skin and complexion, decreased risk of long-term health issues including cancer, better weight management and eating habits, increased confidence, emotional stability, better overall well-being, improved relationships, more motivation, depression relief and anxiety relief.” (6)

Worth it! Right?

You’re here because you want to get sober fast. And maybe because you’re a little overwhelmed. We can help. You don’t have to get sober alone. The Right Step Houston is here to guide you, educate you and support you on the road to sobriety. 

The Right Step Houston offers families a place to find hope and healing. Connect with us today to see how we can help your family find recovery at 844.768.0169. 

  1. https://www.nami.org/NAMI/media/NAMI-Media/Images/FactSheets/Dual-Diagnosis-FS.pdf
  2. https://dualdiagnosis.org/dual-diagnosis-treatment/
  3. https://www.verywellmind.com/why-did-i-relapse-21900
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31090945/
  5. https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/understanding-what-motivates-residents-in-sober-living/
  6. https://www.webmd.com/connect-to-care/addiction-treatment-recovery/health-benefits-sobriety
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