Staying Loyal to your Sobriety

In recovery, it is not uncommon to hear people talk about staying “loyal” to their recovery or encouraging you to stay loyal to yours. It is one of those things that sounds positive and important but also sounds really vague. You have completed treatment and returned home sober and ready to resume your life. It takes more than going to treatment to stay sober. Now you need to put into practice everything you learned during treatment.

You need to be sure you make the most of your two critical support networks: your family and 12-step group. If your family members attended family counseling while you were in treatment, they will have a better idea how to better support and encourage your recovery goals. If not, encourage them to attend Al-Anon (the family component of Alcoholics Anonymous for family members of loved ones who have a problem with alcohol.

The first 90 days are going to be the toughest. It’s during this time that relapse is most likely to occur. We recommend having a conversation with your spouse or partner about your recovery goals. Brainstorm ways that you can work toward achieving your goals, and ask for your partner’s encouragement and support as you enter early recovery. It is, however, your recovery, and this has to be your constant focus.

Make It Happen

So how do you stay loyal to your recovery? Here are a few specific actions can you take to make it easier to stay sober:

• Spend time with other people who are living in sobriety and/or committed to helping you to stay sober.
• Go to 12 Step meetings or other support group meetings every day or even more than once a day if you are going through a tough time or having a hard time maintaining your recovery commitments. Alcoholics Anonymous Gamblers Anonymous Bodywhys Narcotics Anonymous
• Make other “commitments” in recovery that will hold you accountable (e.g., volunteer to speak at a 12-Step meeting, offer to bring snacks to the next meeting, or offer to take part in peer support or counselling at your rehab program).
• Talk to someone if you are even thinking about relapse – no matter how insignificant those thoughts may be.
• Prioritise yourself and your recovery by putting all the things that make you feel strong and powerful first in your life. Go for your goals, believe in yourself by making a plan and then turning that plan into action, and know that you are exactly where you need to be and doing what you need to do to live your life to the fullest

The Importance of Goals and Attitude

Everyone needs something to look forward to and goals to work toward. When you’re in recovery, this is critically important. Think of goal-setting as one of the best proactive things you can do for your recovery. When you achieve one goal, you should always have another one to replace it. Sometimes, when you arrive at one goal, you find that you want to go in a different direction. This flexibility to alter your goals to fit your changing wants and needs is a sign of healthy recovery.

Keep a positive and upbeat attitude. Some days will be good and others will be more challenging, but keep in mind that this is your life in recovery and you have chosen to live it in sobriety. What you envision for your future depends on what you do today. Embrace your life. Demonstrate affection to your loved ones. Begin to help others new to recovery as they set off on their journey. Live life in the present – one day, today, at a time. Be fully present, be aware, and give life all you’ve got.

Loyal to Your Recovery

You have a relationship with your recovery that you must work on every day. Some days, being a part of that relationship is easier than others, but every day, it takes effort. Like any relationship, it requires loyalty on your part to stay strong.

Staying loyal means acknowledging that in order to continue the “relationship” you have to do – and not do – certain things. it means making choices that prioritise your mental health and wellness and decrease the urge to drink or get high. It means being honest with yourself and the people around you, and continually opting out of the things that cause you stress and opting into the things that connect you with contentedness and calm.

Now that you’re sober, some of those unresolved issues such as stress, depression, unresolved trauma from your childhood, domestic violence or sexual abuse, may require continuing counseling. You’re no longer covering them up with alcohol, dulling the pain, but you do need to learn how to overcome them. Now that you’re healthier, you will be in a better position to address them and seek the help you need – perhaps through continuing counseling.

How will you start living your loyalty to your recovery today?

Get Help at Tabor Group

If you or a loved one are suffering from an addiction to Alcohol, Drugs, Gambling or Food get help today. We can help you recover in a healthy, friendly environment and beat your addiction. Don’t hesitate to contact one of our counselors today at +353 (21) 488 7110 or Email Us and we can help you