How Our Recovery Can Affect Others & How to Work on Yourself

While many of us are very aware of the effect that our using had on ourselves, sometimes we can be unaware of how our actions may affect others in sobriety even though we are no longer in the middle of our drug addiction. It is normal to be concerned with what is going on with us now that we have gone through the addiction recovery process, AA, or custom addiction care and have just gotten sober. With that being said just because we are on the right track and doing better doesn’t mean that our actions no longer affect others. Sometimes we can become overly self-involved that we fail to think about how our actions might impact others. Just like when we were using it can be painful to watch someone going through a hard time or not taking care of themselves.

Work on Yourself - For You

Sobriety doesn’t mean that our actions stop affecting people. It is imperative that we continue working on ourselves so that we can continue to better ourselves. It is also imperative that we are aware of how our actions not only effect ourselves but others as well. If we continue to think of others as well as keep our sides of the street clean then we have a chance at building better quality relationships. If we are willing to look at our behaviors and promptly admit when we are wrong then we will be able to go through life with our head held high, we will be able to look people in the eye once again, and we will be able to go to sleep at night with a clear conscience knowing that we did the best we can.

Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously During Sobriety

As important as it is that we take our sobriety seriously it is also important to remember to laugh and have fun. When we go to Above It All ,AA, or other 12 step programs and get sober there is a long journey ahead of us. But this journey is also lined with joy, fun, and happiness. Sobriety isn’t just about work or just about fun, but about balance. It is about laughing when things are getting too serious. It’s about packing as much as we can into the stream of life and living. We know all too well what it is like to be isolated and miserable in our disease but now that we have received drug addiction detox and are in recovery we get to enjoy every moment. It is imperative that we take time to enjoy life’s little moments. Whether it’s something small like going to see a movie with friends, or something big like taking a trip, we get to appreciate the memories and relationships we build. Nothing helps more than a good laugh to get you out of the worst of moods. Many of us get sober and feel broken, crushed, and defeated but over time those tears and discomfort will turn into laughter and a light heart. We escaped the hell that we were in and now we get to celebrate. We get to do the things that we have always wanted to do but never got to. We get to create a life beyond our wildest dreams and share the message of hope with others.

Changes

In life there will always be changes taking place. Prior to drug addiction detox, AA, or 12 step programs it may have been easy to ignore or dismiss these changes. Thanks to sobriety we now have clear minds and cannot just dismiss things when they are changing around us. Regardless of how big or small these changes may be it can still be difficult for us. Through going to AIA We are given the tools to help us to not become so overwhelmed with life. We now know that we can choose to talk to people to see what the next steps are that we should take. We can also attend a meeting to find a solution and remind ourselves how far we have come, as well as reach out for help from a fellow sober friend.  Try fellowshipping to get out of our own minds as well as choosing to embrace the new things that are happening in our lives by seeing what we can learn from these new experiences. The reality is that we no longer have to go through anything alone as long as we stay sober. The tools we are given can help us get through any hurdle. Life is in session, just because we are now sober does not mean that every day will be perfect. But regardless of what happens we no longer have to drink or use over it. Instead we can choose to live life on life’s terms, learn from our experiences, and continue growing towards becoming the person we want to be.

Hitting the Bottom

We all come from different walks of life. Prior to receiving addiction treatment your rock bottom might have been different from somebody else’s but at the end of the day we all hit the bottom at some point. It's how we handle this that defines us. While you may have the idea that the day you decided to get sober was your low we often find that even in sobriety we can still hit an emotional bottom. Our problems do not just vanish when we stop using and go to alcohol programs, AA, or Above It All Treatment. However, our lives do drastically improve. We now know that drinking was only a symptom and was used to lubricate the emotions we felt that we were trying to mask. Now that we are sober we must use the tools we have been taught. Doing the work we need to do in order to stay sober along with using the tools we are given along the way is very important for our quality of sobriety. There will be ups and downs along the way but we do not have to drink or use no matter what the circumstances are. We no longer need to drown our sorrows. Instead, we are able to cope with the fact that there are going to be times when we are uncomfortable by being aware that this too shall pass, we no longer have to go through anything alone, and we can be rest assured that there is someone else out there that has gone through the same things and have managed to stay sober through it all.  Now that’s a comforting feeling.

Showing Up for Family

For many of us the idea of showing up for anyone including ourselves may seem impossible prior to going to Above It All Drug Rehab and getting sober. Now that we are sober the ability to show up is one of the many gifts we are given. After all we have put our families through, from the constant worrying, and heartache to the lying, and perhaps even stealing we are now given the ability to show up after not being present for so long either emotionally or physically. Whether it is going shopping for groceries for our parents, watching our nieces and nephews so our siblings can go out for a night on the town, helping our children with their homework, or just putting dinner on the table, we are able to do these things because of the help we are given when we go to alcohol programs, AA, or alcohol addiction detox. And we can become someone that people can begin to depend on again. While it may not always be easy to stay present, being able to give back to our families after taking so long is a huge blessing. We must remember how often we let our families down in the past and how great it is that they can look at us now and see responsible reliable people.  There are meetings around the clock that you can attend to be able to share your experience, strength, and hope. We have been given a gift that we should not take lightly. Showing up for our families is one of the many examples of how sobriety can save and change lives.