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.

Dealing With Stress in Sobriety

Just because we get alcohol addiction help and get sober does not mean that everything is perfect. It just means that we finally have tools to deal with things as they come up. In sobriety there are a number of things that can come up, from your car not starting when you’re running 20 minutes late, to a job interview, to your bank account being over drafted. Life can throw you curve balls. There will be times when you’ll want to rip your hair out or dwell on “what ifs”. Without the alcohol to calm the storm, what now? How do you deal with life’s ways of surprising you?

 

Relaxing During Stressful Times

Sometimes just breathing, sitting down, putting pen to paper and venting will relieve some of that tension. Get yourself to a meeting, and share about what’s going on. There will be someone there who is going through what you are, or has gone through it and can give you a different perspective.

Don’t be So Tough on Yourself

Stress is our reaction to being overwhelmed.  Pick something that makes you happy that you may or may not have done in a while and do it!  As alcoholics our minds are constantly racing. We can be our toughest critic. When we go through a 12 step recovery program we are given everything we need to be able to stay calm, cool, and collected in every situation. Through the 12 steps of recovery we can begin to deal with stressful situations while maintaining a sense of peace, and serenity.

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.

Feeling Alone?

Many of us are all too familiar with feeling like we are alone and there is no one that is there for us when we are in the middle of our alcohol addiction. This feeling can continue into our sobriety. What we fail to realize sometimes is that there is a difference between being alone and sitting with ourselves. While both situations can be potentially uncomfortable there is nothing wrong with taking time for ourselves. In fact it is healthy to invest in time with ourselves and regroup. We are like batteries in the sense that if we give of our time and don’t take time for ourselves we become drained. When we get through drug addiction treatment , AA, or other substance abuse programs and get sober we never have to go through anything alone again. We gain a huge support system in sobriety. The more that we invest in ourselves and our lives, the more we can appreciate those moments to ourselves without feeling isolated or uncomfortable. We can take comfort in knowing that we have made friends that are there for us no matter what and that even if we need moments to ourselves they will still be there when we need them or wish to socialize. So if you need that time to decompress go ahead and take it. Curl up on the couch with a book you’ve wanted to read, watch a movie, or go do new things you have wanted to try out. Building a relationship with ourselves is one of the highlights of recovery that should not be missed out on.