Every year, we make many New Year’s resolutions to live a healthier life, whether it is being more compassionate with others, eating healthier, exercising, or getting sober. The problem with the new year, new me resolutions is that they often start strong, only to fail in the end. Think about all your canceled gym memberships, the romaine lettuce that went bad in your fridge, the person that cut you off on I-95 that you flipped off, and the time you decided being sober was not for you and went back to drinking or using.
First, it’s not about the date you have, as long as you have a date. If you are using New Year’s Eve as the last hoo-rah, you may not be ready to commit to sobriety, and you are putting yourself at risk for overdose, alcohol poisoning, and death. Then, if you survive New Year’s Eve, and have a few months of sobriety under your belt, and relapse, it suddenly becomes a ruined year. All or nothing thinking is toxic. Sobriety and recovery take work, and it is not always perfect. If you are serious about this attempt at sobriety, why wait until January 1 to decide that you need sobriety? Alcohol addiction treatment is available to you now. You can choose sobriety any day of the year and make it a resolution to work on it daily for the rest of your life. While we can’t help you with your resolution to eat more salad, we can help you with your resolution to get and stay sober.
Getting, and Staying, Sober
You can do many things to help assure that your attempt at sobriety succeeds this new year and beyond. Some things you can do to strengthen your sobriety are deciding on entering an alcohol addiction treatment center program like:
- Partial hospitalization program or PHP
- Intensive outpatient program or IOP
- Outpatient treatment
These programs are designed to meet your specific needs and give you extra accountability and help you navigate early sobriety. Another important decision one makes in early recovery may be entering community housing. Community housing is a sober environment where you can relearn how to live without drugs and alcohol with the help of sober housing aids. It can also be helpful to get out of an environment you were using or drinking in. It’s important to ask for support from friends and family, who play integral parts in the healing process. Families are encouraged to participate in the treatment process since they may need to heal from their addiction.
Outside of treatment, it is pertinent to create a support group at your local 12 step meetings (AA/NA/CA). These support groups can help you maintain long-term sobriety and guide you through the steps of recovery. Creating new hobbies such as exercise or art can help you take your mind off using and teach your brain positive coping skills. It rewires our brains when we constantly use drugs or alcohol, so teaching yourself new things to enjoy could positively impact your attempt at long-term sobriety this new year. Something that will help you as you move from early sobriety onward is giving back to your community by volunteering and making it a goal every day to be the best version of yourself. Doing things for others can help us remember how good it feels to be this person today.
How Midwest Recovery Center’s Alcohol Addiction Treatment Center Can Help You Get and Stay Sober
At Midwest Recovery Center, we believe the individual makes the difference. Our staff understands how you feel, and many of us have been where you are now, desperately looking for a change. We want to share recovery with you. Our treatment team works with you to decide on the best treatment plan for you. No two people are the same, so why should their treatment be? We utilize holistic, multi-disciplinary care, vocational training, legal support, and aftercare planning to help pave the way for your future. Midwest Recovery Center offers premier outpatient treatment to take you from early recovery and beyond.
