You must be willing to do the work and embrace the suck. You learn the hard lessons, And you evolve. But I also think the uncomfortable parts of sobriety provide the biggest benefits. Our ability to survive our darker side, and push through despite it, is what makes us better and keeps us sober long term. When you abuse alcohol, you become the center of the universe and can’t imagine why anyone might want to escape your orbit for a second. The people I’d hung out with and felt close to often faded away.

• They don’t care about what he or she thinks.
• It’s an absolute shame that he wasn’t able to wrestle his demons and remain alive, but it’s no question that he wanted to get better.
• Additionally, there are online support networks that can help steer you in the right direction.

The Downside of Sobriety

It’s important to remember that you never have to give yourself up to make other people comfortable—ever. Whether you’re stating a one-sentence response (“I don’t drink”) or using a small excuse, the only thing to consider is whether you are comfortable, and whether your boundaries are being upheld. There are millions of other people in recovery, all at different stages, and many are having a bad day just like you are. There is a lot of stuff to process as you build your life in recovery every day, and that isn’t always going to be easy. Unfortunately, for someone in recovery, feelings of discontent are dangerous. It doesn’t take long for thoughts to become words and words to become actions.

How to have fun in Brooklyn as a sober millennial

The early days of sobriety are challenging. The physical and psychological withdrawals are one thing, but learning how to live as a sober person with problems that can’t be masked in alcohol is quite another. My biggest fears in life include being in large groups of strange people, standing at parties by myself, and really just people in general.

To get better, you have to change.

Sundays suddenly became many hours longer than they had been previously. I woke up early and had energy and enthusiasm, but no place to put it. All of my friends were still sleeping off their hangovers by the time I’d had breakfast, read the paper and written an article. Often-times in recovery, being sober seems to be the aim. Yes, it is a crucial and a fundamental part (the beginning aspect) of starting the journey to full scale “recovery,” but the independent process of avoiding drugs and alcohol is nowhere near true freedom. ” Sometimes they stop talking to you altogether.

Well, there’s a concept in psychology known as “confirmation bias,” and it means that we often look for evidence to support something that we already believe to be true. Personally, I always thought drunk people were fun, and I didn’t want my own poop relationship with alcohol to stand out. I wanted to blend in nicely with a crowd who understood that sometimes you just want to drink your face off, or one that didn’t think anything was weird about a glass of noon wine. As you get going, keep a simple chart or use an app that tracks your progress. You have the power to make changes that will improve your life, make sobriety more interesting, and connect with awesome people who can help you enjoy your life in recovery. The Smart Party is the original alcohol free meetup group.

The people in our lives have a limited threshold for bad behavior, even when we’re truly sorry. Eventually, people don’t want being sober sucks to hear our apologies anymore. They want to see behavioral change, and if we don’t provide that, they start to disappear.

The deeply UNCOMFORTABLE aspects of sobriety help you grow the most, which is why I want to talk about them. Those who have been invested in AA swear these promises are realized. Many newcomers wonder how long-time members can make these claims when sober members are still acting out. Some people get there faster than others. Their recovery is none of your business, and vice versa.

Join Recovery Connection in celebrating your recovery with our sobriety calculator. I share my experience because I do not want others to be blindsided like I was. Sobriety is not all roses and reggae, after all, and those who are in a position to help, will always stress the indisputable fact that being clear-headed is better than being a drunk.

Why Does Alcohol Make Me Sleepy? + When To Worry

Their goal is to provide society with an exciting, upbeat alternative to the bar scene. Here are some of the fun activities you can enjoy that do not result in waking up drooling in a Bushwick warehouse. Whether you fancy a break from alcohol or simply want to supplement your drinking time with other fun pursuits. Check out this list and let me know if you have other suggestions for our readers to explore soberly. But, inevitably, a bad day would sneak in there. I translated bad days into personal failures.