Early Sobriety and "Learning" Blind Faith

The idea of getting sober can be a scary thought. It is normal to have fear of the unknown especially when we are in the grips of our alcohol addiction. No one wishes to admit they have a problem or have to turn around and have blind faith in a thing they are not sure will work. After all, how do we know that it is worth it? How do we know that a 12 step recovery program or that drug recovery centers will work for us? The fact is that we practice blind faith in things on a daily basis. We never wonder if our blankets are going to keep us warm, our bath water will be hot, or if the sun will come up tomorrow. We have faith that these things will continue to happen without us having any control over it. We can apply this type of blind faith to our recovery. If we don’t ingest any mind altering substances, no matter the circumstances, we can guarantee that we will be able to stay sober. If we turn our will and our lives over to the care of a higher power, do the work, and change our behavior, our life will get better. If we amend our behavior and decide to no longer participate in self destructive behavior then we will become better people. Feelings are not facts. If we walk through our fears and stay sober despite them we will eventually be able to handle each situation regardless of how scary it may seem.

Life After Cloud Nine

Often times what ends up happening when we receive alcohol addiction help, and get sober is everything seems to get better, there are moments of pure bliss, and everything seems great. It’s almost like were high on life. This is often referred to as a pink cloud. It’s that time in sobriety when the emotional fog from years of battling with our alcohol addiction has lifted and everything seems amazing. These times come and go throughout our sobriety.

Staying Realistic and Being Prepared in Sobriety

While it is a nice place to be in it is also important that we prepare for the times that don’t seem so perfect. The longer we stay sober the more those feelings of elation are replaced with more consistent feelings of joy, peace, and happiness. It may seem disappointing when those elevated moods drop and that pink cloud dissipates but the fact is that when that happens it is a perfect opportunity to begin really working on ourselves. It is through doing the work, and going through the addiction recovery process that we can begin to heal from our past as well as build a foundation on which we can have long term sobriety. Its one thing to stay sober through the good times but it’s another to do the work and stay sober through the more difficult times. The more we are in tune with our reality the better the chances are that we will stay sober. If we build a life we love and work towards being the type of person we want to be there will be no need for pink clouds because being present in the moment and truly will be much more gratifying.

Worrying About the Future in Sobriety

What will the weather look like in 5 years? What about the exact moment you will find your dream job? What happens if you end up not getting that job and all of a sudden you find yourself in a financial mishap? Future tripping is a tendency that the alcoholic has mastered. One thought turns into a whole script for our future that we have written in our heads that causes us to panic and live in fear. Combine that with high anxiety and a fear of failure and you have a recipe for disaster. The future is not something we can predict as much as we think we can. Through going to a 12 step recovery program we are given tools to help us stay present. Prayer and meditation are two big tools we learn through the 12 steps of recovery that can help keep us grounded. Sometimes just standing still, and asking yourself “am I present or am I living in the future?” can help us stay present in the moment.

 

Redirecting Focus

If you find that you are living in the future it can beneficial to redirect your focus to the present moment. If you are consciously reminding yourself what you are doing in the moment, you’re not worrying about the future. Another way to stay present is doing relaxing and meditating exercises like yoga. Movement and focusing on your breathing is not only a good way to exercise, but it’s also a way to get some serenity and stay grounded. The future hasn’t happened yet, and we can only control our present actions. Live in the moment, because in the future when we look back on our lives all we will have are the memories we are creating today.

What Does "Living Life on Life’s Terms" Mean?

When we get sober it can be hard to live in acceptance at first. Things can come up that can be difficult to walk through. It is imperative that we learn how to live life on life’s terms. What this means is that we turn our will over to a higher power and learn how to take things as they come. If we are willing to accept things as being exactly how they are supposed to be in each moment we will be able to gain clarity and approach each situation with peace and dignity. Prior to receiving alcohol addiction help for our alcohol addiction, going through the addiction recovery process, and getting sober, most of us were used to trying to control every aspect of our lives. Most of us had become so isolated and spiritually bankrupt that there was no one else to turn to let alone a set of spiritual tools that we could use to help cope with each situation. When we get sober we learn that in order to have any real sense of power or control over a situation we must surrender, ask for guidance, and take action. As it says in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous “Faith without works is dead”. Therefore while it is important that we have faith and surrender, it is also equally as important that we take action. In recovery we get to find the balance between surrendering and taking action while living in acceptance.

Walking Through Fear With Faith In Recovery

When we were in the midst of our alcohol addiction most of us were used to living in fear. When we get sober does not mean this changes immediately. We fear the unknown, something that has happened, going to happen, or losing people, places, or things. Sometimes this is just par for the course on our journey through recovery. However, there are times that things beyond our control come into play and our deepest fears come to light. It’s at this point that we must turn to our higher power to pull us through. Things don’t always turn out the way we hope but all we can do is pray and know that there is a plan for us all. We may not know how things will work out but if we have faith in a power greater than ourselves then we will be able to walk through any fear that may come up for us.

 

Make the Choice

 Many of us choose to make the supreme sacrifice and go back to drinking rather than continue the fight. Through doing the 12 steps of recovery and going to an addiction recovery program we are given the tools we need to cope with situations that we couldn’t handle before. No matter how big or small the problem may be we never have to drink over it and we never have to go through anything alone ever again if we don’t want to. There are many people that are in recovery that will be happy to help if we let them. If we take everything a day at a time or even a moment at a time, then we can make it through anything.

Recovering From a Relapse and Doing Things Differently This Time

Unfortunately as alcoholics and addicts, relapse is a part of many of our stories. While it is not always the case many of us have a hard time getting sober the first time around and can get caught up once again in our drug addiction. Relapse does not have to be a part of your story; but if it is it doesn’t mean that you are incapable of recovering.

Your Feelings are Normal

It is normal to feel beaten down, scared, and even more defeated after relapsing then you might have

prior to originally getting sober. Many of us feel like we have failed and have let ourselves and others down. Our ego usually takes a beating when we relapse. All we can do is be grateful for what we learned from the relapse and try to do things differently this time around.

Learn from Your Relapse

If we are able to look back at our experience and see where we fell short we can do things differently this time around. Perhaps we need to go through alcohol inpatient treatment, attend 12 step meetings, go to therapy, or seek extra alcohol addiction help. Whatever the case may be we all have the chance to recover if we keep trying, and don’t drink or use no matter what. If we are willing to put our sobriety first then we can begin to build a strong foundation for ourselves and our recovery.