The Four Stages of Sobriety What to expect when you quit drinking. by Benya Clark Exploring Sobriety

However, the word is often used in different ways in different contexts. Many 12-step programs suggest that sobriety means total abstinence—never using the substance ever again. These steps, when done with commitment, can result in sustained sobriety and the potential for you to live a healthy, productive, and substance-free life. It is generally the first step in a more comprehensive treatment plan. In fact, getting sober and sustaining sobriety is easier when you have a trusted support system motivating, encouraging, and supporting you along the way.

Over time, however, the body builds a tolerance to alcohol, and a person may have to drink more and more to get the same feeling. Meanwhile, the brain is producing more and more neurotransmitters, making a person further imbalanced. Now that you are sober, you may have discovered that some of your past relationships were not only unhealthy but downright toxic. It’s not just your drinking buddies and drug dealers who can get you into trouble—sometimes those who are closest to you can contribute to a relapse. Some of the immediate changes you will need to make will be obvious—like not hanging around the people that you used with or obtained drugs from. After all, you can’t hang around your drug dealer or old drinking buddies and expect to remain sober for very long.

Addiction Therapy Programs

This article discusses what sobriety means and describes strategies that can support your long-term recovery. It also covers tips on how to deal with the challenges you’ll face on your journey to sobriety. For many, returning to daily life after treatment means returning home to family, which is why family can be the strongest social support system.

• It may help to pick a quit date, or a day when you choose to discontinue use of alcohol or drugs.
• Remember you are facing a difficult challenge during alcohol withdrawal, but you are not alone.

Sobriety is a lifelong journey filled with challenges and obstacles but also incredible rewards. In my experience, these first two weeks or so of sobriety — and the first few days in particular — were by far the hardest part of the entire experience. «I am feeling better than I have in a while, a long while. I still have a few side effects like sleeplessness, anxiety, irritability, and I crave sweets all the time.» After two weeks of total abstinence from alcohol, the most common symptom reported is insomnia, but that could be attributed to other factors, as well. «Symptoms are reducing daily, and I have had the best two night’s sleep in a very long time. Just loving waking up without counting the hours to the next drink.»

Tips to Stay Sober

Staying sober may require several strategies and supports, including seeking professional and peer support. For many, the action stage is both physically and mentally taxing — and individuals at stages of getting sober this stage face a risk of alcohol relapse. The action stage typically lasts from three to six months and sometimes as long as 18 months, but it does not mark the end of the recovery process.

• Even if you don’t have a strong support network right away, this is something you can seek out to help support your goals.
• If you are still actively struggling with your addiction, it may be best to think of short-term goals—things that you feel you can accomplish within a few months’ time.
• As stated above, support can help the individual stick to treatment through the duration of the program.
• This is the period in which delirium tremens is most likely to occur, which requires immediate medical attention.

Applying a timeline to your goals can be helpful in keeping you on target. Once you have attained your first-year anniversary of sobriety, feel free to celebrate this milestone. Rejoice in your sobriety and live in the present, happy and joyful each day in recovery! Or it could be that you’ve developed a physical health problem that you know is probably due to drinking and you want to make positive changes before things get worse. If you’re not experiencing negative health effects right now, it might be a good idea to learn about what could happen if you do keep drinking.

Focus On Your Mental Health

You may also experience sobriety triggers (people, places, and things that trigger the desire to use). Know that it will get easier as you move through treatment and explore why you were using drugs or alcohol in the first place. A better bet is to use this time to develop a detailed action plan and identify strategies that will help them conquer their alcohol addiction.

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«Health Disclaimer». The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider. By Sarah Bence

Sarah Bence, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist and freelance writer. She specializes in a variety of health topics including mental health, dementia, celiac disease, and endometriosis.

Those who sought help from their healthcare providers and were given medications to alleviate their symptoms reported milder, shorter-lived symptoms overall than those who quit on their own. Developing a structured routine can help you stick to your sobriety goals, make healthy decisions, and reduce the likelihood of triggers and relapse. Create a structured daily routine, but plan for days you may experience sickness or chronic illness flare-ups that could require adjusting your routine.

• Breathwork, meditation, and yoga are all some ways you can work on your emotional regulation outside of a healthcare provider’s office.
• When you reach out for help from a professional alcohol and drug rehab program, you begin the first stage of your recovery, treatment initiation.
• For example, you may have developed a co-dependent relationship, or a family member, friend, or employer may have been enabling you without even knowing it.