Put on a nice movie, binge-watch a show (or two), enjoy a nice dinner, take a long bath, have a picnic, plant some flowers, read, journal, meditate, or just sleep. Enjoy the little things. There are simple ways to fill the time and have fun that are beneficial to your recovery.
Staying away from alcohol or drugs can be tough. However, being sober doesn't mean you have to stop having fun. There are plenty of activities you can do that don't involve substances and can actually be more enjoyable without them.
It's about a reorientation of life. Living Sober is more than just not drinking – it's about finding a new sense of hope and purpose in life, new practises, and new sources of enjoyment in a community that shares your outlook on life.
The answer to this question is not a simple yes or no. It really depends on the individual and their level of addiction. A heavy drinker may be able to occasionally have a drink without relapsing.
Just because someone is clean does not mean that they have treated their alcoholism. Stopping drinking is only the first part of an alcoholic's problem. They also have a problem with their mind, which works to avoid and be resistant to feelings of anger, fear, shame, loneliness, and guilt.
Teaching clients these simple rules helps them understand that recovery is not complicated or beyond their control. It is based on a few simple rules that are easy to remember: 1) change your life; 2) be completely honest; 3) ask for help; 4) practice self-care; and 5) don't bend the rules.
If you find that you continue to struggle, you may have an underlying mental health condition. The only way to determine whether you are dealing with a mental health condition on top of the typical highs and lows of early sobriety is to ask for help from a mental health professional.
An alternative to this is S.O.B.E.R, which stands for stop, observe, breathe, expand, and respond mindfully. The idea behind the S.O.B.E.R technique is that people tend to relapse because they act on impulse, and do so on auto mode.
However, the fact is that exercise releases endorphins that are responsible for feelings of euphoria and happiness, just like alcohol. In fact, many people refer to a good workout as a “runner's high.” Exercise's physical and mental effects can actually mimic that feeling you get when drinking alcohol.
Beer drinkers have better mental and physical health than teetotallers and ex-drinkers, scientists have found. Enjoying a pint or two sees people rate their levels of health and happiness more highly, according to a team at the University of Murcia in Spain.
When you quit alcohol, your body a chance to increase serotonin without depletion, so you may actually feel happier over time. Still, improved mental health doesn't always happen immediately or seamlessly once we remove alcohol (and that's okay). Sobriety can be the starting point for confronting mental health issues.
Not all relationships survive when one partner gets sober and the other does not. However, that does not mean that all relationships where that happens are doomed. Some grow stronger with time and care.
