If you’re in recovery from alcohol abuse, you may be discovering an entire side of life that you haven’t experienced in a long time. Your health could be improving, and you probably feel your mind getting clearer. Your body is growing accustomed to going through life without the added weight of alcohol to carry it through the day.
Sobriety feels good, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Everything in life that is worth having comes with its share of challenges and demands. The road of recovery is no exception.
Who Gets to Stay In Your Sober Life
How do you protect this sober lifestyle you have gained? How do you make sure you don’t make yourself susceptible to triggers that might bring it all to a halt? Do you remove everything alcohol related from your life? Even the people who still consume it?
There are many thoughts on this topic. Most of them are opinions. Studies show that peer pressure plays a significant role in alcohol misuse. However, what constitutes peer pressure is a very grey area.
The average person we encounter in life, whether it be a coworker, casual acquaintance, or stranger on the street, can easily fall under the “peer” category. If any of these people attempt to influence you to drink, the answer should be an obvious “No, thank you.” Limiting personal interactions with that person in the future would be prudent and easy to accomplish.
The Outliers
Our closest family members and friends are not so easily handled. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, dear friends, and even partners aren’t merely peers. These people have defined a large portion of our lives and have the innate ability to influence us most.
The important thing to remember is that your sobriety is the most crucial aspect of your life. Without our sobriety, we are at significant risk of losing our friends, family, coworkers, and partners who can influence our life. Those relationships can be a significant source of support and inspiration in our journey to recovery. As a result, it may not be prudent – or possible – to cut those people out of our lives entirely.
Defining Roles
For every person you need, or want, to keep in your life, you need to plan on eventually having a conversation. Your sobriety isn’t something to hide or be ashamed of. If you had quit smoking cigarettes or eating unhealthy foods, everyone would pat you on the back.
Giving up alcohol is a healthy, safe choice. If you’re talking to someone who has a hard time understanding that, ask them why it’s important to them if you drink. Describe how vital your sobriety is and ask them to be on your side in the decision. If they can’t agree to that, then perhaps leaving them out of a portion of your life for a while is a good choice. Sobriety can be the best lifelong friend you can have.
Choosing a life of sobriety can be difficult, even if it is the best decision you can make. Every decision we make has consequences. Part of choosing the path of recovery is figuring out who stays and who goes in this new and better life you have chosen for yourself. You don’t have to do it alone, however. The caring professionals at The Guest House can guide you and support you through the process of recovery. Call (855) 483-7800 for more information.