Sober Fun - Yes It Is Possible!

A party is not what it used to be; while once it may have taken us a few drinks to loosen up we now know the true definition of fun thanks to Above It All, AA, and other 12 step programs.  Nothing is more exciting then truly feeling comfortable in your own skin for the first time in a long while. There are many programs that provide various outlets to let us cut loose while staying safe and sober. Now that we have gone through detox, and gotten sober we are able to enjoy life again. Whether it be an event at a theme park with 1000 of our closest sober friends, a sober dance, or a meeting we are more equipped to handle social situations that might have been awkward for us when we first got sober. We are finally able to be comfortable and have fun. This sober way of life provides us the opportunities most people long for such as being surrounded by people who truly just want to enjoy each other’s company and genuinely care for one another without wanting anything in return. 

From movies nights to spending hour’s playing cards at the local coffee shop being comfortable in your own skin is an amazing feeling we are now able to enjoy. It is a great gift to be able to hang out in the company of people who truly understand you, no one is saying that it will not feel awkward or uncomfortable the first time you go to a sober dance or other events such as sober game nights, or other fellowship gatherings you may attend but just like your first meeting you will be welcomed with open arms.

Learning to be Okay with Being by Ourselves

Sometimes one of the best relationships we build after going to 12 step treatment, AA, or Above It All is the one we build with ourselves. When we first get sober and receive rehabilitation it is normal to need a lot of support and be surrounded by people. However, when we stay sober we get to start working on loving ourselves and being okay with not having people around us constantly. We get to spread our wings and find out what it is that we like doing. We get to find out what we are about, what we stand for, and what makes us tick. We become okay with those situations that used to make us feel awkward such as seeing a movie alone, going to a party where we don’t know that many people, and just showing up for life despite our feelings or doubts. Through continuing to work on ourselves, we learn that we can do anything as long as we are spiritually fit. What comes out of this is the opportunity to start showing up for ourselves for the first time as well as learning how to enjoy those moments where we are alone just as much as those moments when we are around people. There is a sense of self love and being competent that comes from being independent. When you get to the point where your happiness is not contingent on any particular person, place, or thing, but rather a feeling that comes from within, then you will begin to experience what true freedom actually is. This is one of the many gifts that sobriety has to offer.

Learning to Let Go of Being in Control

Many of us even after going to alcohol and drug rehab still want to run the show. There is a part of us that have a hard time with surrender and giving up control; but if we hold on to the problem so tight and don’t let our higher power in then we are shutting ourselves off from other possibilities. We need to be able to see that we may not always know what is best for us and that there are an infinite number of solutions to every problem. If we have not come up with a solution to the problem then it is usually because there were not enough people involved. Through going to Above It All, AA, or other 12 step programs we can begin to let go of our black and white thinking and see that if we have faith and rely on a power greater than ourselves then things will work out fine even if we don’t know how. It only takes one thing changing to have an entirely different experience. Whatever the situation may be we can be sure that we can get through it sober. Many of us drank to escape. We don’t have to do that anymore. Instead, we can create a life we don’t want to escape from. We can build a life beyond our wildest dreams. We can sit through the discomfort that comes from uncertainty and we can learn to accept things as they come.

Investing in a Relationship with Yourself

 Many of us when we first get sober and receive alcohol addiction detox don’t know much about our likes, dislikes, or who we truly are. Most of us were so caught up in our disease that we never really had the opportunity to grow emotionally or figure out what we were about. This can be a long process but it is well worth it. When we go to a recovery center, AA, or Above It All we have the opportunity to build a relationship with ourselves, figure out what our dreams are, and achieve them. We have the chance to learn what our likes and dislikes are, what we stand for, and how to love ourselves. We get to attempt the impossible and climb that mountain we’ve wanted to climb, jump out of planes, get that degree, or build that family we’ve always wanted. The sky is the limit when it comes to possibilities in sobriety. We get to dream big and live the life that we have always wanted to live as long as we continue to apply ourselves and work towards our ideals. Many of us have always had hopes and dreams even when we were using that we had given up on. Most of us were so stuck in our disease that our dreams never came to be, but now that we are sober, we are capable of picking up the pieces of our broken dreams and rebuilding them. We can do anything we set out to do as long as we put our sobriety first.

Dealing With Change and Loss in Sobriety

Just because we get sober and receive rehabilitation does not mean that everything is perfect. Life is still life. There are going to be ups and downs. Just like the good times pass so do the bad times. When we go to AboveItAllTreatment, AA, or alcohol centers we learn how to live life on life’s terms regardless of the situation. We get to learn how to stay sober no matter what. Alcoholics have a hard time when it comes to change or anything that brings up emotion for us. Losing a friendship, relationship, family, or job can all be things that we find unacceptable to us. These things that seem unfair are actually opportunities to grow and heal. Through the hard times we get to come out better people then we were before that experience. If we have faith that we will be okay no matter what, we will be able to hold our heads up, learn, and change. We get to strengthen our sobriety and learn how to handle situations that used to baffle us. We get the chance to learn that we don’t have to drink to start over and that feelings are not facts. Our feelings do not have to dictate our actions. We can act with dignity and grace regardless of how uncomfortable we feel. And we get to wake up and try to do a little bit better than we did the day before. All we can do is continue to try our best in any situation we encounter.

Learning How to Value Ourselves in Sobriety

 For most of us our self-esteem was extremely low prior to receiving help from 12 step programs and getting sober. This may continue well into our sobriety until we learn to love ourselves. Many of us have compromised our values, morals, and beliefs. We have learned to take scraps because many of us don’t believe we deserve more, but we do. We all deserve happiness. When we get the gift of desperation and go to Above It All Treatment Center, AA, or alcohol and drug rehab we can begin to work towards our ideals and become the men and women we have always dreamt of being. We deserve out of life what we put in. If we learn to have faith in a power greater then ourselves then we can learn how to live life on life’s terms and be happy regardless of what is going on around us. We can begin to see that we are in our own special way valuable and worthy of happiness. No matter how far down the scale we have gone we can still see how our experience can benefit others. We can spread the message of hope and joy and show others that it is possible for anyone to stay sober as long as they do the work. We can be restored to sanity and find that over time we have once again become useful, functioning, and contributing members of society. We have become dependable people and we are all worth something.