Alcohol Freedom Blog

During early stage recovery it is particularly difficult to avoid giving in to your craving for alcohol, yet you must persevere. It is critical to focus on your sobriety for that day, hour or even the next minute if that is going to help you from taking that first drink. Your entire being must be about avoiding alcohol at all costs. Frankly, even if you tried, there is little else you will think about in the early days of being alcohol free.Your situation with alcohol will be foremost on your mind and probably should be in the early days of sobriety, but eventually you will need to get on with your life, trying to regain a normal lifestyle again. It’s challenging – reminders of alcohol will be everywhere and unless you relocate to a cave somewhere you will need to adjust your mind to the new reality that is your life free from alcohol.Without a doubt it helps to have someone to talk to about your daily temptations and near misses with the bottle. Not everyone is comfortable talking in a group environment and you may have exhausted the tolerance of family and friends. When you are alone you can’t always count on yourself to be a good listener, you’re the one that got you into this mess in the first place! Private counseling is an option not enough people try and yet it has proven very successful.

It’s important to find a way to communicate your feelings in the early days of recovery and plot a course for your future sobriety.

Living your life alcohol free will be especially difficult in the early weeks, months and perhaps the first year or two while you adjust. In the meantime those around you are getting on with their lives and depending on the consequences your drinking had on them, they may or may not be prepared to listen to your daily lament of the challenge you face.

Think about keeping a diary. This can be an outlet for your emotions and a good one since it’s all about you and it won’t talk back! Your struggle with this alcohol addiction is important to you and those around you, but it will get old fast to those who aren’t keenly aware of the difficulties you face daily to keep sober. Unless someone has actually been through what you are going through how could they know or understand?

Fortunately over time you will begin to adapt to your new sobriety. It helps if you’ve had a “spiritual awakening” along the way and understand the error of your ways. When a recovering alcoholic finally “Gets It” everything starts to make sense and your future prospects doesn’t seem nearly as difficult to comprehend as they once did. This is a time to remain vigilant and yet be optimistic. Good things are happening:

• You’re starting to feel better and can see there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
• You’ll be feeling confident and more comfortable in your new skin of “The Recovering Alcoholic”.
• You no longer fear people knowing about your alcohol problem and for a lack of a better way to describe it, there is a new found maturity, a rebirth into adulthood and responsibility you haven’t previously enjoyed.
• You are feeling more recovered than in recovery, but you must still always be watchful of the signs of regressive behavior.
• No longer do you feel the need to avoid being around alcohol or others who drink – it’s just not for you anymore and you are okay with that.

Up to this point in your renaissance of sobriety you were consumed by all things anti-alcohol and as you tried to be the poster boy or girl for alcohol rehabilitation, you quite likely put off a few people around you. So be it, at least you maintained your abstinence. Your life may not be where you want it to be – there may still be problems at home and work with trust issues, but you are trying daily to prove your worth as a responsible family member and a reliable employee.

Alcohol has played such a huge role in your life, first with your abusive drinking and now with your courageous battle to avoid further alcohol consumption it has become a part of your character. For better or worse it defines who you have been for quite a long time.

It could also be holding you back from truly reaching the crest of your development, and it’s time to do something about that. You deserve to live a full and satisfying life now that you’re managing without alcohol.

Early in your sobriety you shouldn’t make any life altering decisions since your total effort should be about staying sober. Eventually as you feel rejuvenated, once again experiencing the verve and vigor of the self-determination that was stolen by your alcohol dependence, start taking those precious steps toward new hope. You’ve come a long way from a terrible place and deserve to feel good about your future as it’s defined by your new stable and balanced identity.

Enjoy your family and spend some quality time with them hiking or camping, if it’s possible take some evening classes and learn new skills. Take up golf – and yes – do this with your spouse! If your job is becoming a problem then look for another one, plan a career change. You’ve been granted a second chance at life and it can’t be wasted. If your drinking left you in a financial bind, now would be the time to explore creative ways to improve your fiscal position.

To others you may well always be tagged “the alcoholic” or the one with a drinking problem. DO NOT let this become who you are! You are the one who is successfully waging a courageous battle against alcohol dependence through your personal fortitude and strong constitution. You’re new sober persona was forged in the fire of emotional torment and recovery, and you emerged a stronger, more confident person. Let this be who others see when they judge you and more importantly how you see yourself.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS