If you’re thinking about entering treatment for substance abuse, it’s understandable that you might be struggling with envisioning a new life for yourself. It’s not uncommon if so much of your life up to this point has been intertwined with substance use. Your treatment and recovery is a journey that you must commit to from day one. Instead of living in a state of denial about what you can no longer do and enjoy, try to find a new perspective. Acceptance can bring you to a much healthier place where you can embrace your sobriety. Life isn’t over just because you can’t use substances. Your recovery journey is just beginning.
The Longer You Live in Denial, The Farther You Get from Acceptance
It’s natural to want to deny the thoughts that are telling you that you have lost a part of yourself that you have known for so long. You no longer have access to something that you’re used to having — this is difficult. Bottling up these emotions and pushing them deep down inside of you isn’t healthy. It’s also not healthy to wallow in denial for extended periods of time. Sober Life wants to help you feel these emotions and help you move past them when the time is right. The longer you sit in denial, the further acceptance is from your reach. It gets harder and harder to accept sobriety if you’ve spent so much time and energy denying that living a sober life has benefits for you.
Furthermore, denying that you have a substance abuse problem only puts you at a disadvantage. Think about how stubborn little kids are. Let’s say two children are running a race that includes hurdles. One child understands that the fastest way to the finish line is to jump over the hurdles. The other child, however, refuses to accept that the hurdles are there to stop them. Instead of jumping over the hurdles, they try to run through them and find themselves stumbling and falling down. Even though they can clearly see that running through the hurdles leaves them far behind their opponent and has consequences, such as a scraped knee or bruised arm, they deny that there’s a better way. The more hurdles they run through, the farther ahead their opponent gets. The child is left in the dust and loses the race. If you’re putting up with the consequences of your substance abuse because you don’t want to accept that there’s a larger problem, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Acceptance will keep moving forward and not look back to see where you are. You’ll be left trying to catch up. Pay attention to the warning signs of substance abuse and let go of denial. Accepting that you are abusing substances can lead you to embrace the wonderful, healthy life that you can be living if you work on your sobriety.
Acknowledge That You Must Make Changes
Sobriety isn’t a short-term goal that you accomplish before returning to your old habits. You can’t just return to doing everything the way you did before you got sober and think that you can avoid abusing substances by sheer willpower. You must acknowledge that you are going to have to make some changes. This is where having a supportive sober community can be so beneficial. Just because you aren’t using substances anymore doesn’t mean you lose out on social activity or having fun. You just have to find new ways of having fun and being social that don’t revolve around drinking alcohol or using drugs. The quicker you can implement some of the changes you made in treatment into your life once you return home, the smoother the transition will be. You will be able to stick to your new, sober life.
Be Honest with Yourself and Others
It’s essential to be honest and upfront with yourself and with others now that you are sober. To be committed to sobriety, you’re going to have to be confident and firm with your boundaries. You must learn how to say no if someone offers you a drink. You have to trust that you will stick to sobriety no matter how difficult it gets. This is where being upfront about what you need can help. Instead of being reactive, try to be proactive. Remind your friends beforehand that you are sober, instead of waiting to be offered a drink and then having to turn it down. If your friends cannot respect these boundaries, you might have to take an honest look at who you surround yourself with and if they should be a part of your long-term recovery. Being honest about what you need leads you closer to accepting and embracing your long-term health and well-being. You have what it takes to embrace your sobriety.
Sober Life is here to help you embrace your newly sober self. Long-term recovery takes persistent hard work and dedication. You must strive to be your best at all times. We know, however, that you have the strength within you to recover. We know that not every day will be a perfect one, but we also know that you have the power to give each day your best. We can help you learn to embrace sobriety. Call our trained staff today at (619) 542-9542. We can’t wait to speak with you and get you the help you need. You can take back your power and freedom today. Substances don’t have to rule you forever. Call Sober Life today. We can’t wait to hear from you!
