5 Tips for Long Term Sobriety
If you have recently committed to living sober, you may be wondering about how to maintain long-term sobriety. While the path of recovery is different for every person, some truths apply to everyone taking this journey. Although we can’t cover every sobriety tip or piece of advice, we have compiled a handy list of 5 tips for long term sobriety.
1) Make A Plan
The most crucial step after getting sober is to create a plan for long term sobriety, which may include entering rehab or seeking addiction treatment and finding meetings to attend that support your recovery. Set your recovery and sobriety goals and write them down. Reference these goals regularly and asses how you are doing. Think of this step as a vision board of successful sobriety. What does that look like for you?
2) Create a Support System
The people you choose to surround yourself with will make a huge difference in how well you maintain your sobriety. This is the time to set healthy boundaries with friends and family who may not support you, possibly even removing them for a time. Finding a sponsor and a community that understands this journey and affirms your choices is the only way to move toward your goals. Sometimes you may find yourself hanging by a thread, and it will be your community that pulls you through.
3) Work the Steps
The programs for addiction recovery such as AA, NA, and HA have been around so long because they are successful. Working the 12 steps is an integral part of recovery and maintaining long-term sobriety. It doesn’t have to be one of those programs specifically, but lasting change comes from working the 12 steps; however you decide to do it. Find a program, do the work, and go back to the steps as often as you need to.
4) Help Others
As you start to live a sober life successfully, one of the best ways to maintain that sobriety is to use what you have learned to help others. Consider becoming a sponsor or part of someone else’s support community in some way. When you are assisting others to achieve sobriety, it reinforces your commitment and provides an opportunity to learn and continue growing.
5) Stay Humble
While relapse is not inevitable, it’s always possible. Stay humble in your recovery process. Recognize that you must continually take each day as it comes. You can be proud of your sobriety milestones and accomplishments (because you are doing the hard work), but never let that tip over into confidence in your own will and ability to stay sober.