While most people focus on drug and alcohol treatment as the goal, it is really only part of a much longer journey. When an addict is seeking help for their substance abuse, questions about how long withdrawals last, or how to detox, dominate the mind. But the bigger question that starts to rise to the surface as thoughts become clearer is how do you live sober? Depending on how long you’ve been an addict, it can seem like an incredibly daunting task, like starting your life over from scratch. In fact, this very aspect of recovery has been a stumbling block for many addicts and alcoholics. But it doesn’t have to be. It’s important to know that your life in sobriety is not just healthier—it is happier. It’s a major change, but it’s really for the better.
You Can—And Will—Have a Social Life While Sober
One of the common stumbling blocks for addicts seeking treatment and recovery is the justification that their entire social life is predicated on drinking or using drugs. While it’s certainly true that addicts develop relationships with other addicts and users, and certainly no one would advise them to return to those relationships without a great deal of caution as they pursue sobriety, addiction is actually a very isolating disease. Over time, addicts of all kinds tend to isolate themselves, pulling away from social interactions, even among people that share their addiction. One of the major benefits of entering rehab is that you begin to form social relationships with people who are on the same page as you—people who want to have a healthier, happier life of sobriety.
When you’re out of rehab, and back in the real world once more, you will likely find that your social life is actually greater than it was before you entered drug and alcohol treatment. Whether you’re meeting people through an ongoing twelve-step program like AA or NA, or getting ongoing treatment on an outpatient basis, or seeking support through one of the many online forums dedicated to sober living, you’ll find likeminded people who still want to have a good time. If you make the decision to go into a sober living facility after rehab, you’ll have even more options. Whatever your interests are, you are bound to find at least a few recovering addicts are of a like mind. There are “Daybreaker” sober dance parties all over the country, coffeehouse meet-ups, motorcycle clubs, gamers, and more, all of whom are interested in going about their beloved hobbies with other enthusiasts in a sober setting.
Sobriety Makes Things Better
While there are still difficult things to face when you’re sober, most recovering addicts and alcoholics concede that their life while sober is better in ways that they may have never imagined. Beyond the positive impacts to health—both mental and physical—sobriety means that you’re actually present for fun activities; you’re not in an altered state, unable to remember it later, or consumed with the desire to use and not paying attention to what’s really going on around you. All in all, the quality of your experiences will grow and improve because you can really enjoy them.
Some of the most important aspects of recovery are hobbies and work. In many rehab programs, part of the treatment plan is for addicts to integrate themselves back into society—and this means finding at least a short-term job. During treatment, addicts in treatment are also encouraged to take part in social activities like beach days, cookouts, and more—for the purposes of learning how to interact with people in a sober setting. After leaving rehab, you can continue these functions, and enjoy them, free of your addiction. It will not always be easy, but it will be much more worthwhile.
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