Choosing recovery close to home means your support system is just a few miles away. Remember, you can get sober and you can stay clean, even if you happen to fall off the path. Some individuals start to exhibit compulsive behaviors, performing the same actions over and over, seemingly without reason. Impulsive behaviors may tips to stay sober also develop, especially in moments of high stress. Remember, this is far from a complete list of triggers, so you may have to dive a bit deeper to recognize yours. Lean into ways you can decompress with simple things like hot showers, Epsom salt baths, breathing exercises, essential oils, and spending time in nature.

Staying abstinent is something that will be with you your whole life. If you have been sober for over a year you could consider becoming a sponsor yourself. When it comes to support, the sponsor and the person in recovery are able to mutually benefit each other. Having a sponsor can allow you to have someone in your corner with experience who can hold you accountable.

Learn to recognize signs of relapse

It aids in digestion, balance ((mentally and physically) and can help you ward off depression and cravings. Even if you’re unable to attend a class, there are plenty of channels on YouTube where you can walk through a yoga routine. There’s a variety of meetup groups online and plenty of free events. There’s no shortage of ways to get out and meet some new people with similar interests. By Buddy T

Buddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. 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.

• The important thing is to identify what could be a possible trigger for you, and attempt to eliminate it from your life or avoid it the best you can.
• If you slip and use drugs or alcohol, it’s important not to let a singular act derail your journey to recovery.
• Of course, staying sober is not always a bed of roses.
• For some, a trigger may be spending time with a friend who doesn’t respect your sobriety.
• And, to be honest, it’s a hell of a time to try to become or stay sober.
• Alcohol addiction treatment relies heavily on different types of therapy that help participants identify, process and accept their emotions.

Going through detox and stopping all substance use is only the first step; the real work at staying sober happens in the weeks and months following detox. Staying sober requires intensive care and therapy tailored to the individual needs. It also involves having a network of family, friends, or a community of people that offer guidance and support on the journey https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to recovery. For many people, staying sober means abstinence from alcohol, drugs, or other intoxicating substances. However, there is more to sobriety than not being under the influence at a point in time. Staying off intoxicants is crucial, but to truly stay sober, one must identify and overcome the factors that led to the addiction in the first place.

Find Sober Activities

Setbacks don’t erase progress; they don’t mean you’ve “failed” to stay sober. Despite the difficulty, sober living offers many benefits, including better mental and physical health. You can do many things to improve your chances of staying sober. To reduce the risk of relapse, it may be necessary to avoid situations that may trigger a desire to use alcohol or other substances. This can include avoiding certain places or events where alcohol or drugs are present or limiting contact with people who may be a negative influence.

You start staying sober, and staying sober starts to feel okay. However, you might have great friends who don’t drink or use. Find the time to reconnect with them, and see if they want to hang out and do some fun sober activities (of which there are many). It’s been my experience that, to find these people, I had to go to AA meetings.

How to Stay Sober From Alcohol Without AA

Old habits can lead to past mistakes that you don’t want to repeat. This could include staying away from friends that you used to drink with often or even something as small as deciding to start making your bed every morning. Some of your old tendencies could be part of the reason for your past alcohol abuse.