Sobriety vs Recovery
I will give you a hint. It’s probably not what you think. Most get told what sobriety or recovery is from others. What if I told you it’s your choice? This article explores each one and how they impact each other.
Sobriety
Sobriety is not using. Your sobriety is not taking the drink or using the drug. Sobriety is the absence of alcohol and/or drugs in your lifestyle.
Sobriety might be different for each person. It could be complete abstinence from substances. For others, it could be using marijuana instead of meth or heroin. It could be using a substance that is less severe than others.
We often refer to this as a harm reduction approach to sobriety. Others may use medications to aid in their sobriety efforts, such as Methadone, Suboxone, or Vivitrol.
For a lot of us, the stopping part is hard. We can sling together a few days at a time or sometimes a few months, but nothing too lasting. This is because sobriety is the foundation needed to make changes.
It’s the start to living a life of recovery.
Recovery
Recovery is life. We often get caught up in thinking that recovery is certain things we must keep doing every day.
Sure, in the beginning, early recovery is focus on your addiction and how to overcome it. But after that, it just becomes about living life.
Early Recovery
The beginning chapters of your recovery path starts by making some edits and rewrites to your history. It seems daunting constantly discussing your addiction or past and thinking that this is all there is to recovery.
There’s that phrase, you know? The one about needing to know history, so you don’t repeat it. Same goes for your own history. Without knowing the past and overcoming it, you will continue to be triggered and repeat addictive behaviors.
Early Recovery is where you work through issues, gained coping skills, overcome triggers, and start working on goals. But you need sobriety first to get you there.
You need to make that decision you want to be sober (in the sense of what sober is to you) and start using skills instead of alcohol and/or drugs to cope.
Late Recovery
After working through struggles and obstacles, recovery is the rebuilding. It’s about putting things back in your life you dropped or ditched. Recovery is also that time to try new things that your addiction kept you from doing.
Use this time to find new people who are part of your new lifestyle. Find new values or reinvest in the ones you neglected. This is the time to find out who you truly are.
Recovery becomes life. It stops being about the triggers, addictive thoughts, addictive behaviors, the past mistakes, or the substances. It is about the person you want to become, goals, and fresh adventures.
How to get Started
Each path is unique. Finding yours is important. Some can find it on their own through self-journey, some find it in the rooms of recovery, while others need professional help. No one path is wrong. The important this is that it’s your choice.
If you need help to find your path, I am accepting new clients in Oklahoma. Click here to schedule a free consultation.
Disclaimer: This is in no way a replacement for a therapeutic relationship or substance abuse/mental health services. This is for educational purposes only and should be in used only in conjunction in working with a licensed mental health professional. Reading this blog or responding to it does not constitute a provider-patient relationship. If you are looking for a local mental health professional feel free to use the contact tab to request an appointment or search Mental Health Match, Therapy Den, or Psychology Today for local therapists in your area. If this is a mental health or substance abuse emergency and you need immediate assistance, please call 911, call 988, go to your local ER, visit your local detox center, or call 211 if you are in Oklahoma.