How to Stay Sober Long-Term

Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) involves withdrawal symptoms that persist past the detox period. Such symptoms are often related to mood and may include irritability, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and fatigue. In a recent analysis of CSTL residents we looked at psychiatric severity as a predictor of alcohol and drug outcome using growth curve models (Korcha et al (2010). We found that a subgroup of about a third of the residents had significantly higher psychiatric severity than other residents and had significantly worse outcomes. Our work on identifying and describing these residents with worse outcome is continuing. The study design used repeated measures analyses to test how study measures varied over time.

What’s the Point of Staying Sober?

While sobriety is the goal, relapse is a possibility. In fact, relapse rates can run as high as 90% during one’s lifetime. Therefore, it is crucial to stay mindful of relapse warning signs. Self-care is one of the aspects of life grossly neglected during drug addiction periods of substance use, as substance use takes over everything else in life. However, in recovery and maintaining long-term sobriety, practicing self-care is something very important.

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In addition to being able to recognize them, it’s important to know when to seek help. Two additional measures were included as covariates because they assess factors emphasized by as tips to stay sober important to recovery in SLHs. How might your life change if you slept better and thought clearer? Give sober curiosity a chance, and see the difference for yourself. To learn more about how alcohol affects the body, I highly recommend listening to this episode of my podcast.

Strengthening Mental Health

The goal of recovery is to cease abusing drugs or alcohol, not to reduce. Having just one drink at a friend’s birthday party or just one hit of a joint at a wedding or just one hit or heroin can snowball into something much bigger. Moderation only makes sense for those who are not dependent on whichever substance is at hand. If moderation worked for you in the past, there would’ve been no need for getting sobriety.

• For more severe addiction issues, healthcare professionals may suggest inpatient care, which requires you to live onsite at the hospital or facility for the duration of treatment.
• If you’ve had hangouts where you drank, do yourself a favor, and steer clear of these places on your sobriety journey.
• Life is unpredictable, and rigidity can lead to stress if things don’t go as planned.
• Luckily, we are living in a digital age where Zoom calls and online meetings are readily available.

Some people in recovery take different driving routes just to avoid their old haunts, like their favorite bar on the way home from work. If you’ve had hangouts where you drank, do yourself a favor, and steer clear of these places on your sobriety journey. Consider inpatient or outpatient therapy options if you’re struggling emotionally with guilt or shame. Sometimes, staying sober is easier when you replace old habits, like sitting at a bar, with new hobbies, such as photography. Doing so can lessen the times you have cravings and can get your mind off of negative thoughts.

Using Your Relapse Prevention Plan

Having my faith in God is my ultimate salvation from the hell I’ve experienced. Time and time again, God has delivered me from dark situations and forgotten corners. I realize some people would suggest that God placed me there first, but that is a lack of faith.

• People who are sober curious often experiment with alcohol-free periods.
• Hence, coping with stress in healthy ways is important for staying sober.
• Some of your old tendencies could be part of the reason for your past alcohol abuse.
• We suggest that efforts to translate research into treatment have not sufficiently appreciated how interventions are perceived and affected by various stakeholder groups (Polcin, 2006a).

What Does Sobriety Mean?

• Instead of writing “social situations,” note “attending parties where alcohol is served.”
• People are more aware of how drinking affects their health, productivity, and relationships.
• Then, a 12-step program such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous is perfect for you.
• A lifelong commitment to sobriety means consistently working towards personal growth, developing healthy coping mechanisms, and building a strong support network.

We have come up with ten tips on how to maintain that sobriety you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Even if you take nothing from these =https://ecosoberhouse.com/ tips, please know that you can do this. Understanding these root causes can help in developing targeted strategies to address the discomfort and build a more positive relationship with sobriety. Regularly updating this inventory can provide a tangible measure of progress in recovery, countering anxiety with evidence of growth and stability. Regular practice of these affirmations can help rewire the brain’s response to anxiety-provoking situations.

• Sharing your goals with them can keep those “harmless” drink offers at bay.
• Learning and regularly practicing stress-reduction techniques can help you manage triggers more effectively.
• According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, quitting alcohol can lead to significant improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms.
• You could join a local basketball league or try knitting.

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. If you continue to do things the same way as before, it will be hard to expect to keep your sobriety. If you find it difficult to make new, sober friends, try joining a support group.