Defining sobriety
Although sobriety is often thought of being associated mainly with alcohol, it is a word used more commonly when discussing recovery from addiction. Sobriety means the moderation in or abstinence from consumption of alcoholic liquor or use of drugs. When an individual with an addiction problem enters drug rehabilitation, their main goal is to attain long-term sobriety. Drug-rehabs.org indicates that, “most often, sobriety is used to describe individuals who have achieved a certain amount of stability in their life, a good level of mental health, and are living a balanced life. “ Thus, sobriety is not just drinking or abusing drugs, it’s living successfully in recovery.
The following elements devised with information from alcoholrehab.com are vital in successful sobriety:
- Complete abstinence from all intoxicants.
- Having effective coping strategies for dealing with challenges in life.
- Living an ethical life where other people are not harmed. Avoiding wrongdoing does not have to be associated with any type of religious belief. A great reason for why anybody should behave ethically is that it is good for mental health.
- Repairing old relationships and building new ones. Distance between the individual and people who cannot support recovery is vital. Along with that, being closer with individuals who can support recovery is as important.
- Accepting that some relationships have been damaged beyond repair. There is often plenty of damage caused to personal relationships as a result of addiction. Not everyone will be willing to forgive and forget. If the individual is unwilling to accept the loss of these relationships it will hamper their attempts to find happiness in recovery.
- Service in recovery is a key ingredient for achieving sobriety. It appears that helping others benefits both parties in the transaction – in fact the giver often benefits more than the receiver. Feeling useful is necessary for good self-esteem.
- Finding meaning in recovery is also considered another important factor for success. Often drug and alcohol abusers are focused solely on the substances they abuse. When individuals become sober it now means that they no longer have this focal point that their life revolves around. New meaning can be found through spiritual pursuits, hobbies, relationships, or anything else that gives life a purpose.
- Developing a spiritual life does appear to help many people find success in sobriety in recovery. The need for this does not appear to be universal. Some people do not have much time for anything spiritual yet they still manage to build a good life away from alcohol or drugs.
- Membership in a fellowship is not a vital ingredient of sobriety, but it can help some people. Such fellowships offer companionship and support and usually provide a program for spiritual growth.
Sometimes drug and alcohol abusers find they are able to sustain short periods of sobriety followed by a drug or alcohol relapse. This is why attending a drug rehab program or an alcohol rehab program can help the individual maintain their focus on their sobriety. Often, it is only by getting that kind of help that individuals with severe drug and alcohol abuse/addiction problems are able to achieve long-term lasting sobriety.