What a Whole Year of Recovery Can Do for Someone with an Addiction Problem

I downloaded sobriety apps to connect with a community and started following sobriety accounts on Instagram. I became obsessed with learning about the neuroscience of alcohol, which helped me tremendously to understand what was happening in my brain and to realize I wasn’t alone or weird. Typing that sentence feels absolutely surreal because 365 days ago, the idea of not drinking alcohol for just one week was totally unfathomable, let alone one entire year. On April 12, 2021, I was so in the grips of alcohol use disorder that I truly believed having to remove it from my life was a removal of joy, a removal of happiness, a removal of comfort. As dramatic as this sounds, it felt like a death sentence at the time. This seems like a common sense statement, but some people think they can jump right back into the same life they were living when drinking and stay sober.

Accidentally burn my house down with that pizza in the oven for eight hours when I passed out? And while I had my house, my car, my family, and my job what I didn’t have was a healthy mind, body, or spirit. All of which I desperately needed to have any type of life worth living.

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Yet, once those symptoms pass, you may be faced with a different kind of misery. At times it seems like you are riding an emotional rollercoaster, or you may be suddenly overpowered by feelings you have successfully avoided for many years. Call Eudaimonia Recovery Homes today for more information about our sober living houses and recovery support services. I experienced an enormous amount of grief in the first few months of sobriety.

The fear of a surprise event or unanticipated trigger that derails weeks or months of hard work can be constantly present. This sense of vulnerability can keep one’s brain on high alert and result in fatigue. Well, for one, your odds of staying sober improve dramatically. An eight-year study showed that less than half of those who achieved a year of sobriety relapsed. Here are some positive physical and mental health changes you may go through in your first year of sobriety. You might also experience sober euphoria, also known as the pink cloud.

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I also have learned through treatment and AA that there are things I can do to help me get through difficult times. Design for Recovery is a sober living in West Los Angeles. At Design for Recovery, we offer structure in a safe and trigger-free facility.

• It can be comforting having a set of steps to follow in order to piece your life back together.
• By working your program, you will discover who you are and what you can bring to your relationships, rather than what you can get from them.
• You may become aware of things such as poor diet and physical health.
• Celebrating a loved one’s sobriety can be challenging.

But my advice for you is stay on, buckle up, and ride it. You’ll feel completely different in year two and each year is more beautiful than the last. Many of us who try to get sober have no idea what we’re doing, how long we’re doing it for, or how to go about it. If you’re like me, you thought “getting sober,” meant to stop drinking alcohol and taking drugs. And this is a true statement, but it’s also so much more than that. Getting sober also means dealing with everything that comes along with living without mind or mood-altering substances.

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In the first 30 days of my sobriety, I cried, laughed and felt everything deeply — even my sense of smell was deeper. In your first 30 days, you can expect to slowly come out of the fog created by drugs and alcohol. On top of physical discomfort from alcohol withdrawal, you will experience strong emotions. Many of us turn to alcohol to numb our feelings, and I went for years without really feeling what was going on around me.

You have repaired damaged relationships and you can pretty much go anywhere and do anything without the urge to drink or use drugs. While it might seem like everything is going fine, it’s also important to not let your guard down. You have to remember that sobriety and recovery are lifelong things and have to be worked on every https://ecosoberhouse.com/oxford-house/ day. That’s why it’s important from time to time to step back and acknowledge and appreciate the steps that you have made in bettering yourself and your life. One of the ways you can do this is by celebrating your various sobriety milestones. Some might choose to celebrate with friends, family, or peers in their support group.

But what many people don’t realize is that even after sobriety, addiction can continue to have a negative impact. For heavy drinkers, binge drinkers, or people who rely on alcohol dependence, not drinking alcohol may be enough to improve their health. But regular exercise and a healthy diet are very important to maintain a healthful lifestyle. Many mental health professionals and people with a history of substance abuse suggest the will to stop abusing substances must come from within the person. However, through willingness and commitment, many people complete treatment. And with the help of aftercare services and support from their loved ones, they make it to a year of sobriety.

It can take years of hardships before someone has the courage to begin a treatment program. Any amount of sobriety for someone with a substance use disorder is worthy of applause. When someone with an addiction reaches a year without a drink or drug, it’s a monumental how to celebrate 1 year sober feat. There are plenty of ways to congratulate a loved one on their milestone, including expressing pride, offering help, and affirming their progress. As the months and years go on, it will slowly become easier and easier to manage your sobriety.