Giving up drugs and alcohol is a great start in the journey to sobriety, but it’s only the first step. Recovery is a lifelong journey, not a one-time event. This is why you’ll hear people say that sobriety is a way of life rather than something that happened in the past. The good news is that since recovery is a process, there is much to be enjoyed along the way. Reaching sobriety isn’t your end-all goal. Building a rewarding, fulfilling life that is free from the burdens of addiction is.
Healing Physically And Emotionally
If you’ve spent some time in 12-step meetings, you may have heard terms like “dry drunk,” “dry drunk syndrome” or “sober horse thief.” What these terms mean, essentially, is that a person has given up alcohol but they continue to behave in dysfunctional ways. In other words, just because they are sober doesn’t mean that they are happier, healthier or a better person.
Being physically sober is obviously a great start that must happen to begin the recovery process. But what happens after is where the real progress is made. This why detox almost never works on its own.
An addict needs a structured treatment program where they receive individual therapy, group counseling, life skills workshops, alternative therapy treatments, and continuing care. They need time to understand what led to the addiction, how to cope with stress in a positive manner and how to make healthy choices. If they don’t work on their addictive personality, the risk of relapse is much higher.
Characteristics Of Emotional Sobriety
In order to recover from an addiction, the individual needs to have emotional sobriety as well as physical sobriety. Some of the characteristics of emotional sobriety include:
- Ability to cope without drugs or alcohol
- Less suffering from stress
- No need to escape thoughts and feelings
- Maintains a positive view of recovery
- Can develop meaningful relationships with others
- Inner peace and serenity can be achieved
Sobriety is the beginning of a new and better life. But it’s important to recognize that you will need to heal on an emotional level, not just a physical one. When you begin to change your behaviors and adopt a healthy, positive view of your life and the recovery process, you’ll succeed at finding happiness and contentment.
The River Source provides holistic healing for adults struggling with substance abuse. We focus on healing the mind, body, and spirit, which ultimately allows our patients to discover their new and better life. We are happy to report that our success rates are higher than average.
Call us today to start your worthwhile journey to sobriety…
