There are actually more reasons to stay sober than there are to use drugs or drink alcohol.
After going through addiction treatment, many people find renewed confidence and vigor, and are motivated to pursue a substance free life with everything they have. However, as with anything, even those that have recovered from addiction are not perfect, and fatigue sometimes sets in. They may wonder why they need to do all of the extra work if they have already completed addiction treatment, or assume that they can miss one or two alumni meetings or tasks and not be the worse for wear. Particularly at Thrive Treatment℠, where we place such responsibility on our clients to attend and engage with our alumni program, it’s imperative that you remember just why you’re sober so you continue to grow in your recovery.
If you are ever struggling to focus on your sobriety (and it happens to the best, it’s called being human), there are a few things that can help you pull your thoughts together and get back where you need to be mentally.
The first reason to stay sober is, frankly, because addiction isn’t it great. Plain and simple: being in active addiction kind of stinks. Think back to the person you were when you were using. You were likely a shell of yourself, unable to make many contributions, constantly hiding your addiction or manipulating others for money to fund it. You may have hurt family members, friends, or loved ones, or even done some terrible things that were irreversible. Addiction effectively made you a come off as a monster to the ones that you love, and going from sobriety back to to that dark place is not something anyone would want to do.
Staying sober at this point will undoubtedly save your life because relapse could kill you instantaneously. Your body has gotten rid of the substance it used to crave, drastically lowering your tolerance. Your brain, however, craves the last amount of substances used. Reintroducing a high quantity of substances again, no matter how in control you think your using again could be, could lead to disastrous and even deadly effects. It’s like forgetting to swim, and diving back into the ocean. You are just as likely to drown as you are to swim again, but you’re choosing to swim with hungry sharks, not passive fish. Your sobriety is your new life for a reason, and you don’t want to jeopardize that in the slightest. No substance is good enough to waste months of hard work or even your life itself.
Finally, as a reason to stay sober, consider the fact that your sobriety journey is showing countless others that it is possible to beat addiction. Every day that you live drug or alcohol free is another day to be an advocate for treatment, and to help someone else walk down the same path you did!
If you are suffering from addiction, you don’t have to be. There is help available, and your life is far from over. Call Thrive Treatment℠ at (888)975-8474 to say goodbye to addiction for good!
