Finding the Fun in Sobriety

“We have shown you how we have gotten out from under. “Yes, I’m willing. But am I to be consigned to a life where I shall be stupid, boring, and glum, like some righteous people I see? I know I must get along without liquor, but how can I? Have you a sufficient substitute? Yes, there is a substitute and it is vastly more than that. It is a fellowship in alcoholics anonymous. There you will find release from care, boredom, and worry. Your imagination will be fired. Life will mean something at last. The most satisfactory years of your existence lie ahead. Thus we find the fellowship, and so will you. “How is that to come about?” you ask. “Where am I to find these people?” you are going to meet these new friends in your own community. Near you, alcoholics are dying helplessly like people in a sinking ship.-pg. 152 A Vision for You from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous

Many people that have just received alcohol addiction help or have a desire to get sober have the same concerns such as becoming boring, miserable, and unsuccessful at life. It can be hard for many of us to believe that there is a life of joy, happiness, and freedom just around the corner. It is also hard to see how we could possibly get the life back that we destroyed, and have fun again. If we are in a 30 day rehab program, AA or a drug addiction detox we may feel stuck. We may think to ourselves that this is as good as it gets. It’s not. As alcoholics we knew how to party, often times we were the life of the party, and that definitely doesn’t change in sobriety. We get to have a blast and there is something for everyone. If we just work for it we can find the joy and happiness we have been longing for.

Getting Sober and Rediscovering Life

“You will be bound to them with new and wonderful ties, for you will escape disaster together and will commence shoulder to shoulder your common journey. Then you will know what it means to give of yourself that others may survive and rediscover life. You will learn the full meaning of “love thy neighbor as thyself. “It may seem incredible that these men are to become happy, respected, and useful once more. How can they rise out of such misery, bad repute and hopelessness? The practical answer is that since these things have happened among us, they can happen with you. Should you wish them above all else, and be willing to make use of our experience, we are sure they will come. The age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!”- Pg.-153 A Vision For You from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous

There is nothing that compares to the feeling that comes with seeing someone that has asked for alcohol addiction help finally “get it”, watch the fog clear, and the light come on. It is amazing to know what an incredible life in sobriety that  that person has to look forward to and that you get to share that with them to see someone struggle or experience those feelings of helplessness that can come up at times in early sobriety and walk through things like going through a drug addiction detox, AA meetings, 30 day rehab program, or other new experiences and still stay sober is rewarding beyond words. As it says in the big book “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics.” It is imperative that we continue passing on the solution that was so freely given to us because if we stop then not only would we miss out on this amazing opportunity but the fellowship would suffer greatly as well.

Getting Sober and Making Amends

“Just how and when we tell the truth – or keep silent- can often reveal the difference between genuine integrity and none at all. Step nine of AAs program emphatically cautions us against misusing the truth when it states: “made direct amends to such people wherever possible except when to do so would injure them or others.” Because it points up the fact that the truth can be used to injure as well as to heal, this valuable principle certainly has a wide- ranging application to the problem of developing integrity.”  – pg. 261 from The Language Of The Heart.

After we seek alcohol addiction help, start doing the work, and get ready to make amends it is important that we have a clear understanding on what we are doing. It is also important that we do not cause further harm in order to make ourselves feel better. When we go into a drug addiction detox, AA , or a 30 day rehab program we are given the tools needed to not only make a proper amends but also to continue living a healthy and happy sober lifestyle. When we go to make amends it is important that we stick to our side of the street. Stating what the harm was that we caused, and attempting to make it better. With that being said we do not get to make amends that will end up further hurting the person. For example if we gossip about somebody behind their back and we know for a fact it hasn’t gotten back to them we don’t get to go up to them and make amends by sharing the hurtful things we said. Instead, we make amends through changing our actions and move forward while trying to continuously be aware of our actions and how they might affect us, our sobriety, and others.

Recovery – The Basics

In addition to substances, addiction can affect individuals with a dependency to various behaviors, such as shopping, gambling, or even sex. In order to achieve a successful recovery, addicts must first address both factors of addiction’s dual faceted nature. In this entry, we will run through a few common addiction recovery basics.

Rehabilitation

Perhaps the most important aspect in any one recovery is locating a proper recovery program to address the addiction. By making the decision to seek out professional aid, addicts stand a much higher chance of success in the long road to recovery, happiness, and personal fulfillment.

Withdrawal

When an individual is physically dependent to a drug, a withdrawal process will take place once availability is diminished. The severity of the withdrawal process ultimately depends on the use history, type of substance, and the condition of the individual themselves.

Detox

Detoxification refers to the period of time where an individual’s body is learning to cope without the aid of the addictive substance. Detox periods vary, but will commonly last between 3 – 10 days. Patients who are admitted to addiction recovery programs will commonly be offered 24 hour medical supervision to help ensure a safe and healthy transition.

Common withdrawal symptoms can include: 

Nausea

Vomiting

Body Aches

Hallucinations

Depression

Breathing Difficulties 

Meds

In some cases, the withdrawal and detoxification periods can be severe enough that physicians offer addicts medication to help smooth the transition into sobriety. These medications work to calm the individual, while relieving many of the withdrawal symptoms listed above.

Medication is also used to address dual diagnosis mental disorders, as commonly seen in recovery settings. Because many addicts use drugs to self-medicate, it’s not uncommon to find patients with a need for proper diagnosis in the area of mental psychosis.

Therapy

Individual and group therapy is often utilized as a way to help patients work through their recovery. In this way, addicts are better able to address and recognize problem situations and behaviors that may lead them to relapse.

Support Groups

Support groups and 12 step recovery programs serve to benefit the rehabilitation process by way of addressing the continued mental struggles associated with addiction. These organizations offer individuals a safe, non-judgmental arena to share their struggles, triumphs, and stories, while working as a open network to those seeking a sober peace of mind.

Need Help?

If you or someone you know is ready for a change, our Above It All addiction counselors are on hand to take your call. Pick up the phone today, and find out how Above It All can help you on the road towards clarity, happi

1 of 12 – Your First Step Toward Recovery

The foundation of AA is centered around the 12 steps. Step 1 states: “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.” This, along with the other 12 steps is read aloud at each and every AA meeting. Without a solid understanding of the 1st step, the eleven following it are virtually unusable. Just as a house is built from the ground up, so must your recovery be constructed from a solid base.

1 – Begin your introduction by participating in your first AA meeting. 12 step recovery programs encourage new members to introduce themselves before the group while providing information regarding their current sobriety period. If you’ve ever watched a hour of television, you likely know the drill… “Hello. My name is __________, and I’m an alcoholic.” Hi __________! Etc. Quick, simple, easy, done.

2 – Grab yourself an AA book and read through the entire Step 1 chapter. Make this a daily routine for your first 30 days.

3 – Take a moment to immerse yourself in the first word of the text: We. AA is an organization that works to remove alcoholics from the isolation that typically comes with their abuse. Recognize that you are not alone in your recovery, and that in fact, your recovery will only be obtained by way of working with others.

4 – Take a look at the “44 Questions” AA pamphlet to obtain a better perspective on your addiction. Evaluate your behaviors honestly, and admit that you are unable to control your drinking.

5 – If you have yet to join an AA meeting or enter our 12 step addiction recovery program in CA, try taking one drink of alcohol a week for a 4-week period. If you are still unsure whether you are actually an alcoholic, this simple test should pose no issue. Once your month is complete, head down to a local meeting to pick up a white chip. This chip signifies a desire to give AA a try, and maintain sobriety for that day.

6 – Write it all out. Think back and begin penning the story of your life in an honest and sincere manner. This will serve in helping illustrate the role alcohol has been playing in your life. Sometimes it takes more than a mirror to catch a true reflection.

7 – Discuss the first step with other AA members to find out how they have worked through the 1st step. Listen carefully, and apply ideas that make sense in the scope of your recovery.

Maintaining A Sober Social Life

Social events offer people a wonderful way to cut loose, have fun, and interact with others. Unfortunately, many of these events often involve, or even revolve around alcohol consumption. If you, a friend, or date are the sober ones in the crowd, your stance may potentially prove difficult to maintain. Fortunately, our drug rehab counselors have some tips up their sleeve…

Communicate!

Ask your friends for support. Communicate your commitment to maintaining your sobriety, and request they respect your decision. Though you may miss out on some wacky stories, you’ll also avoid placing yourself in an awkward and potentially hazardous situation. Bring the topic up on your own before making plans rather than letting yourself become resentful.

Fun!

Make your own plans and ask others to join in! Take the leader role, and suggest something casual and fun like a play, coffee, or a movie outing. This way, you will avoid being pestered into visiting a location where drinking is the main focus.When a get-together places an emphasis on drinking, attention is ultimately placed on what you can’t have. As such, it can be easy to become moody, withdrawn, and even angry at the party you are associating with. It’s a lose-lose situation, which can easily be avoided with proper planning and forward communication.

Find Tasty Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Throw your own party centered around non-alcoholic beverages. Stock your bar with an assortment of juices, waters, smoothies, etc, and ask your friends to contribute to the pot. If you have friends who still enjoy a drink every now and again (and most of us do), do your best to avoid placing the focus on booze. Offer a cocktail hour that includes karaoke, poker, video games, movies or Pictionary. The options are virtually endless

Be Smart

Avoid placing yourself in situations that you know will be tempting. Meeting your friend for a glass a wine is a far cry from a full-blown backyard kegger. Use your intuition and ask yourself whether you’d be comfortable maintaining a sober mindset throughout the occasion.

Laugh!

If you happen to be caught in an alcohol fixation occasion, such as a wedding or family reunion, you’ll need to warp your thinking. Though drinking may be a large part of the event, there are ways to avoid relapse while taking focus off of your sobriety. Dance, talk, socialize and enjoy! Boredom and insecurity are by far two of the biggest reasons people utilize alcohol in social situations. By taking matters into your own hands, the power to enjoy is your own. Plus… there’s certain to be plenty of drunken entertainment to help validate your decision throughout the evening J

Need Help?

If you’re struggling with alcoholism, our addiction specialists are on-hand to answer and address your concerns. Call our rehab center in Los Angeles, CA today, and get on track towards the healthy, happy and sober lifestyle you deserve!

Seeking Alcohol Addiction Help and Personal Growth

It’s amazing the amount of growth we get to see after receiving alcohol addiction help and getting sober. The difference is night and day. Before we come in we are usually broken, beaten down, and desperate. We have very little sense of self. We didn’t know how to show up for others, ourselves, or life in general. As it says in the big book of alcoholics anonymous “We were having trouble with personal relationships, we couldn’t control our emotional natures, we were a prey to misery and depression, we couldn’t make a living, we had a feeling of uselessness, we were full of fear, we were unhappy, and we couldn’t seem to be of real help to other people.” It also goes on to say “once having lost their self-confidence, their reliance upon things human, their problems pile up on them and become astonishingly difficult to solve.” These two quotes pretty much sum up our entire existence before we get sober. With that being said we have the opportunity to change things around. When we reach out for help whether it is to a drug addiction detox, AA, or a 30 day rehab program we almost immediately begin see results. At first we may not recognize this change or growth but it is there. Many of us may have fear as well as many other emotions cropping up and because were in the middle of it we are unable to see at first how quickly our lives are changing for the good. While others are usually the first to see this change in us eventually we will be able to see it for ourselves. We will be able how we have regained control, repaired broken relationships, and repaired our entire moral structure. We will begin to experience peace, love, happiness, joy, and finally be able to start feeling comfortable in our own skin again.

Trust God, Clean House, Work With Others: A Formula for Sobriety, Part 3

Trust in god, clean house, and work with others.

That is the basic formula for sobriety. Over the next few days we are going to break down each part and see what there is to look forward to after receiving alcohol addiction help starting with trusting in God…

This may seem like a difficult thing to do as many of us might have a skewed concept of a higher power. We may find ourselves having thoughts such as If God did exist why was I alone when I needed him, or her the most?, Why do I have a disease that makes it so I can’t stay sober and need to go to a drug addiction detox? Why didn’t God answer my prayers if he exists? , or I don’t need god when I have a 30 day rehab program or another 12 step program I attend. While these are valid feelings, and thoughts to have the fact is that God answers prayers in many ways and not always by saying yes. We get to come up with our own concept of a higher power. Each one uniquely different and hopefully a source of light and love versus any negative concept we might have had previously. If we do the work we can begin to see hopefully that our higher power has our lives planned out for us, nothing is really an accident, we are taken care of, and nobody knows our path better than our higher power. It says in the big book of alcoholics anonymous that “faith without works is dead. “That means this is a process and we need to continue working not only on our faith but on our ever changing and growing concept of a higher power as well.

Trust God, Clean House, Work With Others: A Formula for Sobriety, Part 2

Cleaning house goes hand in hand with trusting God. Faith is an invaluable asset when it comes to cleaning house…what does that mean? Well prior to receiving alcohol addiction help we most likely caused a large amount of damage as well as acquired a huge amount of resentment towards ourselves and others. When we get to a drug addiction detox, AA, or a 30 day rehab program we get the opportunity to right what was once wrong by “cleaning house”. We do this by taking a thorough inventory of ourselves. We write down on paper the people we feel have harmed or wronged us, what happened, what it affected, and most importantly our part in it. We then get to make a list of people we had harmed and make amends for our behavior. We do this because not only do we want to be rid of the guilt that had plagued many of us before getting sober but also it holds us accountable. As mentioned before we get self esteem by estimable acts. It also states clearly in the big book of alcoholics anonymous that if our actions continue to harm others, we are not remorseful, and continue that behavior then we will surely drink. For us drinking is a death sentence. So cleaning up our side of the street isn’t just about the people we have harmed but it is directly related to us being able to achieve sobriety and the quality of our sobriety as well. When we clean house we are opening ourselves up to long lasting sobriety, peace, love, surrender, and many other amazing possibilities.

Feelings and Balance in Sobriety

When first getting alcohol addiction help and getting sober many feelings might come up for us. We might be flooded by feelings of fear surrounding many things such as entering into a 30 day rehab program, AA, a drug addiction detox, or just the idea of getting sober. We might also experience feelings of loss, sadness, excitement and happiness. The longer we stay sober the more our feelings balance out. However If we are stagnant in our steps and the work we do to stay sober those feelings of fear might return. It is not something that needs to be alarming but instead can serve as a reminder that we need step up and do more work or that perhaps something else needs to be changed. It does not mean we have to take a drink to deal with our feelings. It means we need to be aware of the way we are living our lives and the changes that need to be made in order to get out of those dark places. Many of us believe that sobriety is fragile and something that can be easily lost if we aren’t careful. While it is something that needs to be protected and cherished to a certain extent it is not necessarily fragile. There is a clear cut recipe for success in sobriety and it is available to everyone weather you’re in AA, or a treatment facility. There is a model laid out for us that shows us how we can permanently recover if we are willing to do the work and go to any lengths to achieve sobriety.