One of the first things people learn about staying sober is that there is a huge difference between dry versus sober. When a person quits drinking, they learn alot about themselves, whether they drank a ton all the time or drank a little bit all the time. It doesn’t matter what kind of drinker a person is; alcoholism does not qualify who it impacts.
Sobriety Vs. Not Drinking
A big difference in recovery is learning what the difference is between people who do not drink and those who are sober. People who ‘don’t drink’ are sometimes people who have an occasional drink here and there and never get drunk. That makes a person a normal drinker. Some people don’t drink and use drugs but, that does not make a person sober from using substances. Even if a person does not drink any alcohol but still uses other substances, they may not exactly be ‘sober.’
Clean Vs. Sober
Recovery can be difficult to handle for a person. It is advised to go into recovery with an open mind and a willingness to do what is necessary. The power of recovery lies in following a program that works for you. Sobriety and working a program helps you learn how to celebrate and feel good without substances. Sobriety helps you handle a bad day and come out a better person. Not drinking can teach you to love yourself and other people. Not drinking may also teach you to apologize when you hurt others, hold better boundaries and be a better person overall. Staying clean and sober have a lot to do with mindset as much as how much a person does or does not use drugs or alcohol.
Staying Sober
The biggest goal for any person in recovery is to stay sober and not go back to the old ways. Relapse happens, it is part of recovery. It may be part of a person’s journey several times before they are finally able to call it quits for good. It can bring out the bad side of people in a way they never thought possible because it brings to light all the scary stuff hidden underneath the layers of addiction. When a person quits using drugs and alcohol, they can focus on healing from the inside out and finally change their mindset about how to live a better life focused on a healthy lifestyle. Even if some people are drinking here or there or smoking weed here or there, that does not mean they are completely sober or clean in recovery. They may even be triggering for you to be around so it may mean being cautious about how you spend your time around so you can stay as clean and sober as you need to keep your recovery going strong.
Your recovery is only as strong as you make it to be for yourself. Don’t cheat yourself out of the life you deserve in recovery. The Springboard Center’s addiction treatment programs are tailored to meet the needs of each client. By utilizing a set of diverse methods of addiction treatment, we are able to deal with your addiction from all angles and concentrate on every aspect of your healing process. Call us to get started: 432-620-0255
