How Do I Stay Sober?

It takes hard work and dedication to recover from a substance use disorder. For many people, it will require a lifetime of dedication to stay on the sober track.

Unfortunately, relapses are common. Approximately 80% of those in recovery who have found long-term sobriety have experienced at least one relapse along the way. Staying sober is challenging for many people, but the more strategies you learn to identify triggers and cope with stress, the easier it can be to prevent a relapse.

Identify Your Personal Triggers

External triggers can be people, situations, places, and things that elicit cravings or thoughts associated with substance abuse. Internal triggers are thoughts, feelings, or emotions that are associated with substance abuse.

Identifying both your external and internal triggers can help you remain sober. When you know what could cause or contribute to a relapse, you can then create a plan to avoid or prepare for these triggers.

Build Healthy Relationships

An essential part of the recovery process is building healthy relationships. As someone newly sober, you may have noticed that some of your past relationships were unhealthy or even toxic. You may need to make changes with many relationships in your life, including cutting ties or limiting contact with people with whom you used to partake in substance abuse.

It can be beneficial to work on improving relationships with supportive friends and family. You can also join support groups and find peers that are also working hard to maintain their sobriety.

Sober Living at Tharros House

Tharros House is a sober living facility located in the Boston, Massachusetts area. Sober individuals who want to maintain their sobriety and reside in a collaborative living environment are an excellent fit for Tharros House. Contact us today to learn more about how Tharros House can help you continue and strengthen your sobriety.

Sober Woman Exercising Boston Massachusetts

How Do I Stay Sober?

For people who have recognized that they are suffering from an addiction, one of the first questions they may have is to ask for advice on how to remain sober. Fortunately, there is a lot of help out there for someone who is going through the addiction recovery process.

Focus on Your Health

One of the ways that someone can work on maintaining sobriety is by getting and staying healthy. As you recover from addiction, it is crucial to focus on your health by eating nutritious and well-balanced meals. It is also important to start exercising, which has many physical health benefits. Exercise also releases endorphins and helps with developing mental clarity. Being physically active also helps you to restore a sense of balance in your life, which is important at this stage of recovery.

Make Necessary Life Changes

Another way to help maintain your sobriety is to make certain necessary changes in your life to better facilitate recovery. It is often necessary to cut ties with individuals who helped to encourage your addiction or anyone that is negatively impacting your life. It does not mean that you need to end these relationships forever—but it is often helpful to take a step back from these relationships and focus on your relationships with people who are helping you maintain your sobriety.

An additional necessary life change is to avoid the locations where you used to partake in your addiction. For example, if you are recovering from an addiction to alcohol, you will probably want to avoid going out to bars or other locations where alcohol is present, and people around you will be drinking.

Develop a Structured Lifestyle

Incorporating more structure into your life is a good way to help stay sober. One way to include more structure in your life is to consider a sober living home, which provides structure for its residents. Contact us today to learn more about the structure that the Tharros House provides.