In order to enter recovery successfully and really live a sober life, you need to be ready for a few things. One is, you need to absolutely let go of any control of your life at the moment. It has likely been chaotic at least recently and if you could of fixed it yourself you would have. It’s time to let other people, ones who have your best interest in mind, and whatever forces are in the universe to guide you in life. We call this surrender in recovery and it is the most vital part of getting sober. At the same time, it is also the hardest thing to do when getting sober.

In active addiction we are so locked into what our mind tells us to do that we will do things we never imagined possible. The slow down spiral of addiction (or fast sometimes) makes us slaves to the minds and the mind is exactly where our disease of addiction lies. When we promise others and ourselves that we are going to stop, because its getting out of control, our mind is the voice that tells us its okay to get high just one more time and then stop tomorrow. If you have ever dealt with or are currently dealing with addiction you know exactlywhat I am talking about.

So how do we counteract our sick minds from dominating us? We remove it from the equation. The main reason I personally have been able to stay sober for a few years is because in the beginning, I completely stopped listening to my own ideas about everything. I had relapsed too many times on my own ideas and I was so sick and tired of thinking that I knew what to do and that I was right. I went to treatment, did exactly as I was told, met some great people in an alumni program that was there, and when I left treatment I kept listening to others who had been where I had been before. My first year sober was so incredible because I had given up my will and fully accepted guidance in my life. Any other time I tried myself was such a failure compared to that.

It is also important to find someone in recovery who simply has what you want. Usually we spot this not by words but by actions and how someone carries themselves. After we have surrendered completely, we put it into the hands of whatever is out there to show us someone to now be our teacher. I know, it sounded crazy to me too. To let something out there people were calling ‘god’ or a ‘higher power’, something that I couldn’t see, and to trust it to introduce me to someone who can help save my life. Like I said I was all out of options at that time though, I had nothing to lose, so I trusted whatever is out there will introduce me to someone I need to meet and that’s exactly what happened not more than a day later.

Moments like that are what hooks us into recovery. The hardest part is first putting in the necessary work to get us to that first ‘aha!’ moment. Many people never get to it, go back out to addiction and don’t survive. If you are reading this and are just entering recovery, I beg you, leave the thinking up to somebody else for the time being and see how it goes. Worst case it doesn’t work and you can go back to whatever lifestyle you want. My first year sober was the best year of my life, finally living an honest and meaningful life is the greatest feeling you will ever experience. The hard part is getting there, let someone get you there.

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Daniel W is a writer in recovery from New Jersey who likes to share his experience with others to show that absolutely anyone can get sober provided they are ready to take action

Living in a state of constant gratitude can have a profound impact on a person’s emotions, state of mind, and overall outlook on life. Gratitude is an emotion characterized by thankfulness and appreciation of what one has or what one has experienced. In order to feel grateful, a person must acknowledge the blessings that they have in life, which can be a beneficial aspect in pointing individuals in recovery in the right direction.

During times of turmoil and distress, it is easy to become consumed by the struggles you may face in sobriety. Between making amends for past mistakes, dealing with medical issues, facing the consequences of addiction, and possibly experiencing the loss of a loved one, it can be difficult to ruminate on the positive things in life. However, taking a moment during difficult times to identify your blessings and gratitude can help you endure any struggles you may face in sobriety. For more information on drug and alcohol addiction and treatment you can visit https://www.addictions.com/drug-alcohol-addiction/.

The Importance of Gratitude

Maintaining a gracious heart and soul in sobriety is an extremely important aspect of recovery. First and foremost, gratitude helps remind oneself of the positive things in life rather than becoming enveloped in the negatives. When facing great tribulation, try focusing on the friends and family you have who are there to love and support you. Focus on the little things in life that make you happy, whether it be sports, art, nature, or something as simple as laughter. Maintaining gratitude can transform struggles and difficult things into opportunities for strength and growth.

Gratitude is a key to happiness. A person who focuses on the negatives, or the things they don’t have, is bound to live an unsatisfied, unfulfilled life. However, a person who is grateful will have a more positive outlook on life as a whole. Having a negative outlook on life can make you more susceptible to relapse and misery, however, being grateful can help you attain happiness and stay sober.

Fostering a Grateful Heart

Gratitude is more than just a feeling – it involves action. When you are sad, sitting in a dark room alone doesn’t change the way you feel. It only makes it worse. On the other hand, if you reach out to your support group, talk about your feelings, and cope with your emotions in healthy ways, you have taken action to change the way you feel. Gratitude works in the same way.

Keep a Gratitude Journal

There is a variety of ways you can foster a grateful heart in sobriety through your actions. One method is by keeping a gratitude journal. Try keeping a small journal by your bedside table. Each night before going to sleep, make a list of things you are grateful for. These can be small tidbits or grandiose gestures – there is no right or wrong way to make a gratitude list. The next morning when you wake up, begin your day on a positive note by reading over your gratitude list from the night before. This will help remind you of your blessings and start your day off with a positive mindset.

Give Thanks

Another effective way of demonstrating action behind gratitude is by giving thanks. When somebody does something nice for you, be sure to thank them and express how much that person means to you. Regardless of how small a gesture may seem, showing appreciation and giving thanks clearly demonstrates your gratitude towards even the smallest situations in life.

On the contrary, give thanks to troublesome situations as well. Situations are not always what they appear to be and you never know what benefits may come from a negative situation. If you are a spiritual person, remind yourself that God puts you in the exact place you need to be during each moment of every day. Give thanks for the experience you have encountered, and wait to see what you can learn from it.

Help Others

Helping others is not only the foundation stone of recovery, but it is also a way to show appreciation for the sober life you have been given. Think of when you first embarked on your journey of recovery. Remember all of the people that helped you, requiring nothing in return. Maybe a stranger sat and talked with you over a cup of coffee, or maybe somebody gave you advice on a situation you were experiencing. Showing gratitude for the people who have helped you can be done by passing these gestures along to the next sick and suffering alcoholic or addict. Whether helping others is done directly or indirectly, it is bound to promote a sense of self-worth and purpose. Helping others gives you an opportunity to find gratitude in your purpose and in the fact that you have something to give to others.

A Grateful Recovery

Living in a constant state of gratitude in sobriety can provide you with a path to happiness, help you avoid becoming enveloped in negative thinking, and help you maintain sobriety in the long term. Having and practicing gratitude will help you stay connected to your emotions, your support group, and your own personal recovery.

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Cassidy Webb is an avid writer who works with JourneyPure to spread awareness around the disease of addiction. Her passion in life is to help others by sharing her experience, strength, and hope.

By Dave McCall

I was born and raised in a small, rather boring town. I always wanted to be loved and accepted for who I am. It was difficult for me to love and appreciate myself. I always seemed to find love and comfort at the bottom of a bottle. The truth is my love for alcohol prevented me from achieving and acquiring a lot of things. I dropped out of college because drinking was my major. I lost friends, girlfriends and family because alcohol was my one true love. I was a real-life Jekyll and Hyde when it came to being sober versus being drunk.

Liquid Courage

Alcohol made me feel a lot more comfortable in my own skin. The “liquid courage” boosted my confidence and ego. It changed what I thought was a cruel, cold world into my own fun, reckless playground. Alcohol was my medicine. I used it to drown in my own sorrows, mistakes and failures. I thought alcohol was always a solution to every problem rather than just a problem. I always tried to find an excuse to drink– holidays, sporting events, vacations, etc. I was a short-fused firecracker enough as it was sober. My drinking shortened that fuse, if not set it off completely. My family had told me on several occasions I had a drinking problem. I was too ignorant and stubborn as a young teen and young adult. I kept being told alcohol alters moods, brain chemistry and behavior even when sober. Knowing what I know now and feeling the way I feel now, I believe it to be true. I was an angry, irritable person in general. Drinking intensified it. I found myself frequently getting into fights and arguments with my family. The cops were called on a few occasions. I would also find myself getting wasted and initiating senseless fights at parties.

Alcohol: My One True Love

I was never able to maintain a stable love life due to my love for drinking. I was too ignorant to see the correlation between my drinking and failed relationships. Certain events throughout one particular relationship created jealousy, selfishness, arrogance, complacency and pride. I was a belligerent alcoholic. I said and did whatever I wanted without thinking about short or long term consequences. I could not slip out of the insanity of alcoholism. I could not learn from my mistakes. Every time I felt like a relationship was failing, I would resort to drinking rather than attempt to put any effort into changing my ways. I was a true alcoholic. I was selfish. I always put my love for drinking over love for myself, family, friends or lovers.

The Truth Comes Out

As I got older, I came to the sad conclusion that I was no longer drinking to be happy. I was drinking because I was insecure and unhappy with who I was as a person. How can anyone love me if I cannot love myself first? I thought alcohol hid my flaws and character defects. Instead, it only exposed my flaws and weaknesses. I loved alcohol because I thought it helped me love myself. I loved alcohol so much I thought it would be the death of me. Everyone who cared about me could see I was plunging myself into an alcoholic abyss. The truth is, I did not care. Why should I? My drinking had cost me jobs, higher education, family, friends and lovers. Why not pay the price with my own life? Alcohol took half my life away from me. Finally, a trip to rehab helped me understand myself and the curse of alcoholism. Since then, my sobriety clock keeps ticking, however, people such as myself can never get too complacent. We wake up with the disease of alcoholism every day. We must rely on a power greater than ourselves to not pick up a drink again. Sobriety has given me a whole new perspective on life. Sobriety has given me clarity. I can acknowledge and accept the error of my ways. I can forgive myself for the damage I had done to family, friends and lovers. I know it was not the real me. I hope everyone who was unfortunate to cross paths with me during that time knows it too.

Bio
Dave McCall is a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. He writes for websites such as https://www.taylorrecovery.com in hopes of spreading awareness on addiction and alcoholism. He stays active in his recovery community, encouraging others to live and enjoy a sober lifestyle.