Choose to recognize that the choices you make directly impact your experience. Even if things feel like they are beyond your control (a difficult boss, terrible landlord, legal problems, or financial difficulties), you always have the option to take the first step toward improving the situation. There are millions of other people in recovery, all at different stages, and many are having a bad day just like you are. There is a lot of stuff to process as you build your life in recovery every day, and that isn’t always going to be easy. The saying goes that your worst day in sobriety is better than your best day in addiction. Recovery Connection is the ultimate addiction recovery resource portal for information on the latest treatments, centers, and programs.

More Questions about Treatment?

• There are people for which sobriety is a deal-breaker.
• Yes, asking for help was already listed, but it is so important that it is worth repeating.
• Sobriety is kind of like the fast-pass line at Disneyland, except the ride is growing up.
• Whether you’re stating a one-sentence response (“I don’t drink”) or using a small excuse, the only thing to consider is whether you are comfortable, and whether your boundaries are being upheld.
• Reach out to a loved one when you’re feeling down.

Now that I’m sober, this is a bigger deal. Not only because my portion of the check is significantly smaller than anyone else at the table, but also because I refuse to invest in Big Alcohol. So if all of your friends drink alongside you, then there’s no issue, right? Well, there’s a concept in psychology known as “confirmation bias,” and it means that we often look for evidence to support something that we already believe to be true. If you’re like most drinkers, you’ve likely surrounded yourself at some point with a group of people who also drink.

Choose A New Healthy Habit

It is an awkward, vulnerable dance between two awkward, vulnerable humans. If you feel like sobriety sucks, you need more support. You can find the balance in recovery you need. It means continually checking in with yourself, continually reaching out to new people who may have ideas you haven’t tried before, and continually asking questions that will help you improve your life. You have to motivate yourself, schedule it in, and consistently do the things that will help you improve your life in recovery.

Staying Sober When Life Sucks

You can always improve how you being sober sucks fare in sobriety by looking at where you can improve your quality of life. The other people next to you at group therapy sessions and support group meetings all have experiences that can help you. They want to be there for you when you are struggling. If you are hungry, even if that is not your main issue, get something healthy to eat. If you are feeling exhausted, refresh with a quick walk outside or a coffee nap if you can.

I am very happy and grateful to be two years sober, but I wish I’d known then, what I know now. In other words, success is the blissful absence of all of the devastating consequences of Sober living house a previous drug or alcohol habit. Three months ago I hit the benchmark called “Advanced Recovery” and suddenly things began to fall into place like they did not do in the early days of my sobriety. I do not mean to say it takes that long for everyone (I have always been a late bloomer), but for me the two year point marked the end of my resistance and the beginning of my overwhelming gratefulness. So you lost your job and it wasn’t your fault. But complaining about it not being fair, and focusing on the injustice of it all will just make you feel down and make you more likely to fall deeper into the “poor me” trap.

While it can be emotional and heartbreaking to watch some relationships veer off course, all you can do is trust that friendships will disintegrate or grow organically, and whichever direction they take is probably for a reason. Personally, I always thought drunk people were fun, and I didn’t want my own poop relationship with alcohol to stand out. I wanted to blend in nicely with a crowd who understood that sometimes you just want to drink your face off, or one that didn’t think anything was weird about a glass of noon wine. When the smallest things could mesmerize you? From being outside sweaty, running around and playing with bugs in the mud, to laughing at farts (I still do that) and wrestling with your friends.

Some people sober up, but they’re still jerks.

• How you feel today — no matter how boring, stifling, angering, or depressing it may be — will be different tomorrow.
• Why do people, who have been sober for years, behave inappropriately with alarming regularity?
• Anything you can do to improve your overall health and wellness will serve double duty and improve your ability to stay sober.
• When you feel better, your mood is elevated, you’re more likely to ignore the little annoyances, and you’re less likely to feel like a relapse is your only way out of any uncomfortable situations that may arise.
• I know, I know, this website is called “Recovery Connection” and it is designed to encourage those who are suffering the slings and arrows of addiction to get help.

You are not a slave to your emotions or your addiction. You can choose to sit where you are for a moment, assess, and figure out a way forward. Find out the answers to these questions and more with Psychology Today. I share my experience because I do not want others to be blindsided like I was. Sobriety is not all roses and reggae, after all, and those who are in a position to help, will always stress the indisputable fact that being clear-headed is better than being a drunk. I know, I know, this website is called “Recovery Connection” and it is designed to encourage those who are suffering the slings and arrows of addiction to get help.