How to Stay Sober After Drug Addiction

By janice

Getting off drug is one thing, but staying sober is a totally different thing. Staying sober is the more difficult than being clean of the drugs addictive qualities. Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous know it’s easier to stay clean, but not stay sober. But, by attending meetings regularly, thoroughly working the 12 step program and getting a sponsor make staying sober a whole lot easier.

Staying sober takes work and it’s hard, and there are no guarantees that all the hard work will keep an addict sober. Staying at a residential rehab for a month or longer, will give an addict the tools needed to stay sober once they are released from the rehabilitation facility. But, the amount of people, once they leave a rehab, who go right back into their addiction is staggering. Only about 20 percent manage to keep their sobriety and it’s because they diligently use all the tools available to them and take full advantage of all the free programs available.

Most Rehabilitation facilities offer an ‘Aftercare’ service to all recovering addicts. Aftercare is one of the best programs available in order to ensure their sobriety is maintained. Usually, Aftercare offers a 12 step group meeting and follows up with group support sessions. Aftercare is run by a therapist who specializes in drug or alcohol addictions. These Aftercare therapy sessions can last as long as you need them to.

Recovering addicts will find they have too much free time on their hands and their only experience to deal will free time is to drug or drink, so it is absolutely essential to fill up the free time by becoming busy. Signing up for an athletics club, volunteering, or even going back to school will improve chances of staying sober. Do whatever it takes to keep busy, and find an activity that is enjoyable will be a great tool to aid with staying sober.

Hunger, loneliness and being tired are all danger signs that will lead to falling back into old using habits. So, being healthy is a key factor and will reduce the amount of craving for drugs or alcohol; eat right, have a good amount of sober friends to be with and get enough sleep.

Another tool recovering addicts are given during their rehabilitation is to attend a 12 step program on a daily basis. It is recommended to attend 90 meetings in 90 days, then continue throughout the year. Sticking to this regiment prevents relapse and will also fill in free time, will help with finding those all important sober friends, friends who are going through the same thing and most important, attending the meetings, is the best way for staying sober.

Relapse can happen, but don’t become depressed or despondent, get immediate support from your sober friends, go back to aftercare, and keep attending the 12 step programs. A slip just may strenghten the resolve to stay sober this time around.