Recognizing the need to get sober can be a vital step in your life. Sobriety means something more than leaving drugs and alcohol. It is a continuous process that needs a commitment to a substance-free life which becomes difficult sometimes. The most difficult step is the first step as it becomes very intimidating to see the end goal and know about various steps to achieve sobriety.
There is no such quick fix for achieving sobriety as nobody can simply wave a magic hand and make you sober. It is a lifelong voyage with several challenges and hindrances but gives unbelievable rewards. Here is a guide with steps to completely support the pathway and the expedition to addiction recovery.
- Identify the requirement to become sober: The first step for achieving sobriety is identifying and confessing that you have issues with drug or alcohol misuse. This is the most challenging step and denial is one of the common responses. It is very difficult to agree on the fact that you have lost control over substance use. Even though a healthcare provider can diagnose a substance use disorder, certain signs give you an indication that you or somebody you love is struggling with the misuse of drugs or alcohol. An authenticated clinician makes use of certain criteria and many more for determining the probability and severity of substance use disorder and making a treatment plan.
- Reach out: once you admit to the fact that you have an issue with substance misuse, looking for assistance is the next step. Sobriety is not a single mission. Rather achieving sober and sustaining it is easier when you have a reliable support system motivating, inspiring and giving you support along the way. A study on substance abuse indicates that having support from others can enhance the chance of a person getting engaged and completing detoxification and addiction treatment.
- Loved ones: Loving and encouraging family and friends can surely help in supporting your journey to becoming sober. When you reach out to your family and other loved ones, it is vital to select wisely. When your circle has grown to involve individuals who allow or trigger you to drink or misuse substances, they are not the right people you should ask for assistance since they might prohibit you from breaking the addiction cycle. Your pathway to sobriety will most likely involve making some relationships strong and purging others. You might find yourself depending on a trustworthy support system a lot and breaking up ties with those who do not help you in your recovery.
- Seek professional help: Not all have an encouraging and supportive home environment. If your loved ones are not motivating you to seek assistance for your substance misuse, make an appointment with a professional for medical or addiction treatment. These individuals can direct you in the direction of resources you require for recovery, also including the required services and diagnosis of the substance use and any co-occurring mental health disorders. With the assistance of a healthcare professional, you can initiate looking for a treatment regime that meets all of your unique requirements. White knuckle sobriety is achieving sobriety depending on willpower alone. This is an approach when not done in a proper manner and the individual person will skip professional support or therapies resulting in dangerous and fatal consequences.
- Look for the right treatment program: No one-size-fits treatment program for addiction. Therefore it is very important to make sure that the program you need meets all of your requirements. There are several factors to consider which include cost, licensing, amenities, treatments and reviews.
- Research-based treatment: First, look for a treatment program that has a good track record of patients completing treatment and preserving sobriety. This occurs mostly in programs that offer services and therapies depending on research. Proof-based addiction treatment makes use of the existing and best research-dependent evidence to make some informed decisions about rehabilitation care. Facilities employing proof-based treatment for addiction use therapeutic interventions that are dependent on decades of clinical expertise guided by good research, systematic investigation and scientific studies that are effective and create positive outcomes for the patients.
- Addiction degree: What kind of treatment you require relies on various factors which include the addiction severity. For example, if your substance use disorder is mild, an outpatient program is recommended. Outpatient programs vary widely but offer designated treatment hours per week at any treatment facility or center. For issues like severe addiction, healthcare professionals suggest inpatient care, which requires you to live onsite at any hospital or facility for the time of treatment.
- Get through with the withdrawal: For some, withdrawal might be the most difficult part of the rehabilitation. The symptoms in association with the withdrawal from some substances can be highly uncomfortable and dangerous. The urge to use the drug or alcohol to avoid the withdrawal symptoms can sometimes become overwhelming. However, knowing what you should expect will help.
- Select the right therapy: Detox is not the end of the pathway. It is just the beginning. For most people, detox is not enough for maintaining sobriety and it is the first step in an exclusive treatment plan.
Conclusion
Addiction is one of the chronic conditions and relapsing is one of the possibilities. Building connections to resources in months and years post-treatment can assist you in maintaining your commitment to sobriety. All these steps, when done with commitment can lead to sustained sobriety and the potential for you to live a healthy, highly productive and free from substance abuse.