When you’re starting out fresh into sobriety, whether for the first time or after you’ve recovered from a relapse, sobriety can be pretty hard. Things don’t seem to go right, you’re dealing with other consequences from your past choices, and on top of all of that, it seems like triggers and the cravings they bring are hiding around just about every single corner. Sobriety can be extremely tough when you’re just starting out, but is it always so rough?
The short answer is no. Sobriety isn’t always going to be rough, but like many things in life, it is what you make it. If you work hard to make the right decisions and take a lot of care for maintaining your sobriety, things will get easier sooner than you may realize, but if you set yourself up for failure by rekindling old habits or friendships that may encourage relapse or a new addiction, trying to maintain sobriety and juggle these issues will make it harder than it should be.
Sobriety isn’t always going to be hard, but it’s not always going to be easy. After you’ve struggled with any kind of chemical dependency, sobriety becomes your choice every day, even if you have to work at it. You have to make the choice to choose sobriety, even when it’s hard. When you start taking on the hard days as normally as you do the good days, you’ll stop noticing what’s a hard day and what’s a good day. You’ll just notice that they’re all sober days, which makes them all a good day because it’s your choice.
Things will get easier. It’ll be easier to manage triggers and cravings with time. That may not be the answer you want, but it’s the truth. Have a little faith, be patient, and with time, sobriety will not be so hard. It won’t always be easy, but it will eventually become your nature again, though you should always work to maintain the tools you learned in treatment in the first place. Even when sobriety isn’t hard, be ready for the hard days to come back, and you’ll be better off facing them.
Sobriety can be hard, but if you have the right tools to approach problems and your struggles, you’ll be better prepared for the hard days that come. The Springboard Center tailors residential or outpatient treatment programs to address your personal needs instead of putting you into a one-size-fits-all program that may not cover everything you need. It’s okay to need help climbing out of the pit of addiction, make the call and get help today: 432-620-0255.
