How To Get Sober: 11 Ways to Finally Conquer Addiction

Over 23 million people in the United States struggle with drug and alcohol addiction.

That number is horrifying in that it reveals the massive scope of the problems Americans face when it comes to physical and emotional battles with addictive substances. The number is also comforting, particularly for those who struggle with addiction, in that it lets them know they’re not alone

If you’re struggling with addiction and are reading this article, you’re at a critical point. Chances are, your struggles have you scared or at very least have you yearning to take control of your life again.

Our team is committed to helping you achieve that end.

Below, we’ve compiled a quick list of 11 tips on how to get sober. Our hope is that at least a handful of our suggestions will resonate and help you get your life back to where it’s meant to be.

1. Focus on Today

Many times an addicted person’s stress comes from lamenting on the failures of yesterday. They think about why they made poor decisions, what they’ve lost, and how their life could have been.

Retrospective thoughts like that are counterproductive to becoming everything you can be today.

Get your head out of the past and start focusing on improving your future.

2. Be Transparent with Family and Friends

There are few how to get sober strategies that are better than having family and friends support you.

Don’t ever be ashamed of your addiction in front of the ones you love.

Sit down with them and let them know what you’re struggling with and how you’re working to change it. Let them be proactive in helping you meet your goals.

3. Don’t Make Relapse Easy

If you’re addicted to heroin, alcohol or any other harmful substance, it’s important that you make access to those substances as difficult as possible.

Remove them from your home. Don’t walk by places where you know you can get your fix on your way to work or school.

The more distance you can put between you and addictive substances, the better your chances will be of getting sober.

4. Meditate

Meditation is a fabulous way of unpacking your thoughts and learning how to forgive yourself. It’s also excellent at helping you calm your mind which can assist in your sleeping better and reducing impulsive behaviors.

Learn more about mindfulness meditation and partake in free guided sessions today!

5. Develop Healthy Addictions

A lot of people learn how to get sober by getting their addiction fix from a more healthy source. Activities like exercise, being social, and more can all be fun habits you can train your body to crave and start devoting more time to!

6. Find a Better Circle of Friends

Most people who are struggling with addiction have a group of friends who also have addiction issues or at very least enable addictive behaviors. If you want to give yourself a real chance at sobriety, the best thing you can do is dump those friends and find new ones.

There’s a popular saying that says you’re only as good as your least successful friend. Make sure your “least successful friend” is somebody you can aspire to be.

7. Take on a New Responsibility

Beating addiction for many people can be about finding a new way to occupy their time. So, what are some ways you can start keeping busy?

We recommend finding a good job, taking on a side-hustle or adopting a pet.

Any one of those things can help you develop great new skills and will make finding time for destructive behaviors difficult.

8. Get Away from Triggers

Do you know what triggers you to want to use? For many, discovering triggers is a long journey that requires lots of introspective thought and therapy.

If you’re aware of at least one or two your triggers though, you can be proactive in avoiding them.

For example, does stress make you want to use? If so, when a stressful situation is arising, don’t be afraid to walk away from it.

One day you’ll have the skills you need to face stress and other triggers without needing to walk away or feeling the need to use. Until that day comes though, walking away is the best option.

9. Set Goals for Yourself

Figuring on how to get sober is a long journey people take day by day. Sometimes, when you’re hyper-focused on today though, it can be difficult to see where you’re going.

To make sure you’re making consistent progress towards the life of your dreams, set goals and do your best to always move towards them! Goals are a great way to keep you on the right path and away from relapse.

10. Don’t Worry About Statistics

It’s all too common that we hear of people who don’t want to try and recover because of the negative statistics they’ve read in regard to relapse and failure.

Let us be clear about this… You are not a statistic. You are a person.

Numbers have no power over you or your actions, only you do.

Ignore statistics and focus on being the best version of yourself every day.

11. Seek Professional Help

As you can see, there are a tremendous amount of ways you and the people around you can help stomp out addiction. Still, to make your sobriety come easier and be more durable, we recommend finding a high-quality rehabilitation program.

Rehabilitation programs provide those seeking sobriety with the professional help they need to get well medically and emotionally.

Wrapping Up How To Get Sober: 11 Ways to Finally Conquer Addiction

There you have it! 11 ways we believe you can help yourself conquer addiction.

Our recommendation if you’re wondering how to get sober is to incorporate as many of the above suggestions into your daily life as possible. We’re confident that by changing the way you think and the activities you partake in, you’ll start to move your life in a positive direction and leave your addiction behind you!

Do you struggle with an addiction to harmful opiates? If so, our team is here to help.

At Methadone Near Me, our aim is to provide those looking for solutions to their addiction with all of the information they need to find the relief they deserve.

Click here to learn more about methadone and find the help you need.

Sources

[1] Open Society Foundations. (2018). Defining the addiction treatment gap – addiction is a disease – let’s treat it that way. Retrieved from https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/data-summary-20101123.pdf

[2] Guided Meditations – UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center – Los Angeles, CA. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/mindful-meditations