It is challenging enough to remain sober when life is working out fine. However, during triggering or stressful times, the challenge swings to an entirely different level. Sober living in those times may be a huge challenge. With commitment, solid support, and good coping skills, it is possible to resist urges and ensure that any relapse that might occur is only temporary.
How Do I Achieve Sober Living?
Here’s a list of three coping skills that will help to maintain sobriety once you discover yourself in challenging times:
Rely on Self-Care Practices
One of the ways addiction recovery therapies get you ready to lead a substance-free life is by supplying you with positive self-care practices. Usually, meditation is taught, since it’s a foundation for emotional and mental stability, in addition to growth. Mindfulness meditation for addiction addresses addiction’s neurocognitive foundations, and helps to bring psychological balance through the use of awareness. Also, it has been shown to reduce relapse. For the best results, experts suggest doing meditation on a daily basis — even if just for a brief time period.
Leave Triggering Environments
It is better to stay away from places where you’ve consumed or used substances, in addition to environments that have other types of triggering cues, altogether. But if you have to put yourself into a triggering environment, be alert to this phenomenon, and be ready to get out of there if cravings begin to overwhelm you. Relaxation and mindfulness practices may significantly help with that. Through such practices, you can breathe through your cravings that are brought about by triggers, then desensitize to the environment that triggers you, and finally, decouple the environment from its association with drugs. Recognize your limits, though — if urges begin to overwhelm you, leave immediately!
Outpatient Therapy
Recovery is a process that takes a long time. Just being sober for a 28-day span doesn’t always constitute a successful recovery. An outpatient therapy program done on a long-term basis will keep you grounded in your resolve, while additionally assisting you in changing into a stronger version of yourself. Plus, some outpatient therapy plans offer training in growth-promoting practices such as mindfulness meditation.
How Long Does it Take to Get Sober?
You can’t predict how long somebody is going to take to sober up after drinking. In addition, there are various definitions of what it actually means to be sober. One individual may behave soberly after multiple drinks and a high blood alcohol content (BAC). Another individual consumes just a small bit of alcohol and seems drunk.
The factors affecting how long it’ll take somebody to sober up include:
- Their overall health
- Whether the person has an AUD (alcohol use disorder) or not
- How frequently they consume alcohol
- Whether you ate something before consuming alcohol
- Sex (usually, females have a higher body fat percentage, meaning their blood alcohol content remains higher longer)
- Weight
- How fast they drank
- How many alcoholic beverages were consumed
Remember, those things don’t change how rapidly your body metabolizes alcohol, apart from the time spent drinking and the number of drinks consumed.
What Programs Fit to Treat Addiction?
If you or a family member are experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, it is important that you get medical care. The probability of death skyrockets if delirium tremens develop.
Detoxing while under the supervision of health professionals ensures an individual’s safety, decreases the likelihood of relapse, as well as increases their comfort. Furthermore, medicine may be given to mitigate symptoms of withdrawal, and staff members will ensure that the patient is well-hydrated and receives adequate nutrition
Pacific Bay Recovery provides evidence-based treatment plans customized to each patient’s unique needs. We offer outpatient detoxification and intensive outpatient format programs. How long is rehab? Well, the typical length of rehabilitation plans is 30, 60, and 90 days to break the cycle of addiction.
Benefits of Being Sober
Here are 5 benefits of being sober:
- In quitting alcohol and drugs, you’ll feel/look healthier and better about yourself.
- You’ll save a lot of money.
- Without relying on substances, you’ll have the ability to build longer-lasting relationships and get closer to friends and family.
- You’ll learn to establish a social life that is outside of alcohol or drugs and make new friends.
- You’ll actually begin living life to its fullest, and recall the beautiful memories along the way.
To learn more information on the benefits of sober living or to begin your journey to recovery, don’t hesitate to search, “drug treatment centers near me” and if you live in the San Diego, CA area, you can contact Pacific Bay Recovery at (619) 350-8220 today.