How to Get Sober: Top Tips to Help You on Your Journey

Addiction is no laughing matter. Millions and millions of Americans struggle with substance abuse and addiction across the country, and each could tell you how difficult it is to get sober and break the addiction cycle.

Getting sober is not an easy take, and one that will take a lot of focus, determination, and support. If you’re about to head down the road of getting clean and sober, it’s important to consider all the possible approaches and practices that might benefit you.

What do you need to know about how to get sober effectively? What will be most helpful to know as you begin to embark on this journey? Read on and we’ll walk you through the basics.

Identifying Personal Triggers

No matter what type of addiction you might be suffering from, there is likely psychological reasons you are being pushed in the direction of your addiction. 

External triggers, including people, places, feelings, and situations, all can create cravings, emotions, and needs that are associated with substance abuse. There are many reasons why someone might turn to substances.

Working to understand your own triggers can help you create a plan to maintain sobriety. 

Some of the more common triggers of substance use include stress and anxiety, environmental cues, peer pressure, and relationship troubles. Loneliness and isolation, or a desire for connection, can also push people toward these kinds of substance abuse situations. 

It’s important to consider your history and try to trace it back to the feelings that lead you toward your addiction. What kind of emotions are you dealing with when you move to pick up the bottle, engage in drug use, or some other type of abuse activity? 

If you can make a small list of potential triggers, you can have a more concrete idea of what needs to change in your life. The more you’re around these triggering elements, the more difficult it will be for you to maintain your sobriety in the future.

Prepare For Withdrawal Symptoms

Depending on what kind of addiction you’re struggling with, you may have different withdrawal symptoms when you decide to cut this habit out of your life. Your body is going to miss the impact of the substance you tend to use.

For a small amount of time, you may experience a wide variety of unpleasant and painful symptoms as a result of your withdrawal. Preparing yourself to face these symptoms can help to ensure you don’t relapse. 

In some cases, medical professionals may be able to prescribe medication that is intended to help your symptoms. 

You may also want to look into a rehab center like Hope Rising.

Sometimes, you may need to get away from life and temptation and go through these symptoms somewhere where you have around-the-clock support. A detox problem can provide this kind of help in a way that nothing else can. 

Rehab can also provide important social support as well. There will be other people in your detox program who are dealing with the same issues as you. Going through this struggle with a group of other people can help to make you feel less isolated during the more difficult days.

If you’re not careful, withdrawal problems can be a big barrier to true recovery. They are hard to deal with. The more you can mentally prepare for this element of the challenge, the better.

Change Your Environment

Breaking away from addiction and getting sober is a big life change. You’ll likely need to change a lot in your life in order not to fall back into old habits and choices. 

You should consider what about your environment was creating the triggers we discussed earlier. If your job was creating a huge amount of stress, for example, it might be worth looking for different work as you attempt to get clean.

If you abused substances because the people around you were often doing the same, you might need to consider spending your free time with a different group of people. It can be hard to be around many people drinking, for example, if you’re trying to stay sober.

You may need to reach out to a different group of friends or even join a social support community like Alcoholics Anonymous.

The more you can engage in the support of a new community and step away from an old one, the better your sobriety attempt is likely to go.

By the same token, you’ll want to start engaging in new, healthy activities that you may not have considered in the past. Replacing the type you spent doing drugs with running or hitting the gym can help fill a gap in your daily life.

Developing a solid structure and schedule for your life can also help to put a taper on the chaos that can lead to relapse. Keeping yourself organized and in control can help maintain the hard-earned sobriety you’ve worked towards.

Getting Sober and Staying Clean

If you’re struggling with any kind of addiction issue, getting sober is no doubt the goal that you’ll want to work towards. Of course, this is a goal that is often easier said than done.

The above information can help you to fight toward a clean and sober lifestyle. Being aware of the challenges ahead and the changes you need to make can make this process much easier.

Need more advice about personal health and wellness? Keep scrolling our blog for helpful information.