The road to recovery can be long and arduous. Whether you are first leaving treatment or just getting sober, you get a taste of reality. That feeling can be overwhelming, to say the least. It can be difficult to know the best first steps to take. Being in the somewhat fragile stage of early recovery, you want to make sure you do not compromise your sobriety.
Keep in mind that, in this part of your recovery, your sobriety is the top priority. You need to put strategies in place to stay sober. Luckily there are ways to break down the habits and behaviors that keep you on the right path so that they do not seem so overwhelming.
The first thing to do is to figure out your post-treatment living situation. You have multiple choices depending on what best suits your recovery journey. Transitional living, or a sober living home, is a great option if returning home immediately is impossible or inadvisable.
A sober living home is more than a halfway house or group home. It is a place for encouragement, learning life skills, and trying out living on your own with a safety net. Transitional living can be very beneficial for people who are ready to get back into society but would still benefit from the structure and accountability found in a treatment center.
The second thing that you should do is find a support group. There are many different kinds of support groups to choose from and, because of COVID, you have options for in-person and online groups. Consider reaching out to a professional to help you find all kinds of meetings, not just 12-Step ones, in your area and throughout the country.
You will find that certain groups offer both in-person and virtual meetings. That means that if you are worried about COVID or having to drive far for a meeting, you can do your meetings on a video call instead. Virtual meetings can seem a bit unorthodox at first, but once you have gone to a few, you will find that you are making connections with people just as you would at an in-person meeting.
If you try out a group and find that it is not a good fit for you, that is okay. Try a different one. Your recovery is the most important thing right now. Sometimes you do not get along with the people, the program, or the time and place, so it is always okay to change it up if you feel you will get more benefit somewhere else.
Scheduling is huge in early recovery. You might find that you have a lot more free time than you used to now that you are not using drugs or alcohol. Scheduling out your day can help you manage that free time. At first, you may need to go hour by hour but once you get in a good groove, you will not need to be so meticulous.
Make sure that you are not just filling your time with work or chores. You should also allow yourself time for relaxing activities, like watching TV, reading a book, sitting in the sunshine, or playing video games. Scheduling will also help you not fall into the pitfalls of replacing one addiction with another, such as working out or excessive gaming. Blocking out time for different activities helps you manage and balance both the productive and relaxing times of your day.
Though it is difficult to hear, there will likely come the point where you are tempted to use or drink again. Things come up in life that you do not expect and they can drop you hard. Having an emergency plan can put you and the ones you love at ease knowing that you have thought through what to do if the worst happens.
If you are not sure how to make an emergency plan, there are numerous resources available to help you. Your emergency plan should be thorough. You can make one with your therapist or treatment team from your rehab facility. It is not something that you should be afraid of because it is there to protect you and your sobriety. If things get too difficult, there are resources you can use at any time.
Enjoying life is the most important part of sobriety. This is the whole reason you got sober in the first place. Go outside, be in nature. Spend quality time with the ones you love. Pick up a hobby and try new things. Do whatever you can to enjoy the freedom that sobriety provides. You have been given a second chance and you should take advantage of that. Life is a beautiful thing when you are free from the influence of substances. It may not always be easy but there is always something to be grateful for, even in the challenges you face.
The challenges of early sobriety can be a lot to handle. Sometimes you can't do it on your own. You may feel that there is guilt and shame associated with not being able to stay sober by yourself, but that is never the case. If you need extra help, go out and find it. Treat the mental disease of addiction the same way you would a physical disease. Get help as often as you need it before things get worse. Luckily, there are people who can help you through this difficult time in life. NorthStar Transitions, located in Boulder, CO, can be the place to find that help. We offer support for those who are having issues with substance abuse, whether you're looking for first-time treatment, are newly sober, or need help after a relapse. Take the first steps by calling us today at (303) 558-6400.
