From the moment you took your last drink, you knew life going forward wouldn’t be easy, but you’d stay clean from alcohol if you put forth the effort. The good news is, you can continue to think this way, however, you need to have an understanding of what will help you stay sober. Staying away from alcohol will help you gain better control of your life, so now is the time to make sure you’re set up for lifelong sobriety. Here are the three steps you should take.
1. Continue to increase self-discipline
There will be times in your recovery when alcohol won’t be your only issue. In addition to the cravings, you may also wake up one day and lack the willpower to work hard for another day, put up with someone in a relationship, or put in the effort needed to secure a better life for yourself in the future.
What you need now is self-discipline, as being able to keep pushing yourself to do better is essential to staying free of alcohol. For one, you will want to continue racking up a string of successes after quitting alcohol, as your confidence will have a major impact on your ability to stay clean and remain successful. Additionally, choosing a goal and identifying obstacles are also part of staying disciplined.
That’s because you need to know what you’re hoping to accomplish and what will prevent you from getting there. Going forward, you’ll see thinking this way is better than thinking about giving up on yourself. Get into the habit of developing self-discipline, and you’ll see now that you’re free from alcohol or starting today, you’ll have a much better go at staying clean from alcohol for good.
2. Forgive yourself and others
Throughout your period of alcoholism, you may have harmed others by remaining under the influence. You might have said something hurtful to a family member or pushed a friend too far while you were intoxicated and now see yourself facing the consequences. Severed friendships and burned bridges are two of the worst parts of addiction, with many people struggling with alcoholism regretting the good things they had in life prior to falling into addiction.
That said, now is the time to let go and forgive yourself for those mistakes. You’ll find it’s in your best interests to reach out to others you wronged when appropriate or to talk over your wrongdoings with a higher power. Forgive yourself is a process that takes time but equally as important is forgiving others who may have wronged you. One thing you don’t need while working on your recovery is lasting feelings of resentment and anger. Start by working with a counselor to learn how to forgive yourself and others, and you’ll be glad you took the time to do so.
3. Take responsibility for small successes
You may be tempted not to acknowledge the small success in your life considering the significant impact alcoholism had on your life. When you’re pursuing recovery, addiction may make you feel weak, as it seems as if you have little to no control over the direction your life takes. Now that you’re recovering from alcoholism or choosing to make the decision to do so, you should focus now more than ever on the small accomplishments you made in your life.
Setting goals to stay clean for the first time, getting a job, meeting someone special, or relocating to a new area are all examples of achievements you should be proud of, especially when you have lived so long battling a disease that knocked you down repeatedly. One study suggests people absorb more from success than failure. If that’s true, then you’ll likely be more motivated, encouraged, inspired, and optimistic when you take the time to recognize your achievements, especially following a battle with addiction.
Your battle with addiction will cost a lot of energy and willpower. That’s why you need to take responsibility for your successes and free yourself from resentment by learning to forgive yourself and others. Staying clear of alcohol is a possibility, but staying disciplined is essential to staying clean for good. If you’re ready to get on top of your recovery and stay clear from alcohol, visit https://www.infiniterecovery.com/san-antonio-drug-rehab/ to learn how to take your first steps.