What to expect in your first year of sobriety

For those of us addicts out there we know what a struggle it can be to get sober. For many of us getting sober is kind of easy. We can stay clean for a day, or a week. The problem is staying sober is the hardest. 

I have been sober for 11 years. I have very bad back problems which the doctors only kept masking with pain medication. After years of begging for something to get done, it never did, and I became addicted. Just like many others around the world. 

I have noticed that many people around my age are addicted to pain medication. That's if they didn't end up going to stronger drugs in time. I think that was the time when the doctor handed pain medicine out like it was candy. They didn't care. Even if they did not know the patient would get addicted. Should have still thought of that patient's health and the risk the pain medication was doing to the body. They didn't care though. They made so much money from the drug manufacturers, that made they turn a blind eye to help.

When you are able to finally become sober, that first year is going to be the hardest. That is true. The struggle to stay sober is going to be very hard. Get help if you need it. If you get help like going to a detox center pay attention to all the skills you will need once you are out to help you stay clean. I have never been to a short detox place. Do they just pump you full of drugs to detox you and let you out? Or do they give you any skills to stay sober once you leave? I have always wondered that. 

Any longer place will help you with skills to know what to do in the face of relapse and how to possibly avoid it. You have to really want it. If not it will be too easy to relapse. When they say mind over matter, that is true to a point. Yes, the drug is powerful, however, our brains are way more powerful and if you can tap into that power, it will only be more of a tool to help you stay sober. 

When they say do not engage in any new relationship while in your first year. I really believe this. If you go through a horrible break-up with that person and being an addict. The first thing you're going to want to turn to so you can numb the pain is your preferred drug.

You can think " Oh I will be just fine if it doesn't work out." That is where the power of the brain will take over what is familiar to it. If you have been using the last 20 + years, that is what your brain knows to take care of things, to get rid of that unwanted pain. 

It is going to be hard. You need to get rid of all your friends that use drugs. You need to change your phone number and in some instances, you might even need to move. All this will only help on your road to recovery. 

If your old using friends can not get a hold of you, by calling or stopping by, then it's less of a chance they will help you relapse. The main part of that too is your dealer. Make it completely impossible for them to get a hold of you. 

You can tell all these people you are done, you quit. Do you think they will believe you? Dealers know how that goes. Most will be sober a day or two, a week or two. So all of a sudden just when you think you're safe, they call or stop over out of the blue to see if you need anything. If your willpower is not strong enough then you will relapse for sure.

Find yourself a hobby. Try a bunch of hobbies until you find something you enjoy. Learn a new hobby if you don't know how to do it or what you want to do. Youtube has almost anything on there and for free. I enjoy doing many things, which helps keep me busy and my mind focused on something other than getting high. 

Things like reading can distract you but it may not keep you distracted. My suggestion is to find a hobby that is physical. Gets you up, and moving because you will lose your energy and motivation. You had your drug of choice to give you that energy. Now you just have your brain. If it is something that you enjoy doing, that may motivate you to get up and want to do it. 

Try and limit how much money you have on hand. The more money you have, the more tempting it will be to spend on the streets to buy drugs. Have someone hold all your money. After a month or two, do not just get all your money back, that alone will trigger you to want to use drugs. 

"Trigger", as I just mentioned is going to be a big thing in your recovery. So many things are triggers. A trigger is something that reminds you of your drug use. Feeling, a thought, a smell, and even a memory. It just takes thinking of what a good time you had that one night you were high. Then you get the urge to use drugs.

If you still think that you can smoke weed and stop pain medication, think again. Sooner or later your brain will shift to try something else. Any drug can lead you to relapse. Even a glass of wine or just that one can of beer. Not in every case. It just can happen. Your better off staying away from everything. Just a suggestion if you want to stay sober.

Once you get past that first year, do not think you are out of the woods. Relapse can happen at any given time. You can be clean and sober for 30 years and relapse. Being a drug addict is a lifelong struggle. You will always struggle to stay sober. 

The urge will always sneak up on you. The thought will always come into your mind. It is up to you what you decide to do with those thoughts or urges. Go for a walk or a bike ride. Try working on a puzzle, or a DIY project. Something to distract your mind. The urge will go away. 

A good place besides Youtube is WikiHow. That site has anything you want to learn or know. You can get it free or upgrade. I am not sure what all the upgrade entails. Know you can even download the tutorial but not sure if that is only if you upgrade. Nonetheless, it's a great site to learn a lot of new things. Some of the tutorials and made by people who just decided to show how they made something and other things are made by experts. A good page to start on:

https://www.wikihow.com/Find-a-Hobby

Having a hobby you enjoy makes life more fulfilling, but first, you have to find one that's right for you. If you're…www.wikihow.com

There is so much more on this and many other sites to try and keep your mind occupied. 

If you have any questions, feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to answer them. If you feel you're ready to get help. Check your local area for detox centers or clinics near you. Here is a hotline you can call that can point you in the right direction. 

SAMHSA National Helpline

Confidential free help, from public health agencies, to find substance use treatment and information.

Learn more

1–800–662–4357

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