Societal stigmas exist everywhere, propelled by myths and misinformation preventing the average person from understanding and experiencing the truth. Confronting stigma is especially true for those seeking sobriety. As someone living a sober lifestyle, you probably thought the stigma would stop as soon as you entered treatment. However, following treatment, you may meet harsh stigma similar to what you faced before entering a treatment facility. Even years later, you probably still come across stigma, judgment, and inaccuracies about recovery from addiction.
Myths are often presented as facts, which is why they tend to spread so quickly. As someone living a life of sobriety, you can spread what you know to be the truth. Face the stigma head-on, and raise your voice when you come across people spreading myths as facts.
Myth #1: Sobriety Is Not Fun
One of the biggest myths that spreads like wildfire is that sobriety is not fun–that life without drugs and alcohol is monotonous and incredibly dull. However, this preconception is ridiculous. Mainstream media has a lot to do with our ideas of what fun is. Movies and shows glamorize fast cars and big parties.
In living a sober life, you have probably learned a lot about yourself. You probably learned that those big parties where you could not remember much detail in the morning were not that fun. Those activities that you did under the influence might have been dangerous or reckless. As a sober person, speaking your truth when you hear myths such as this is essential.
Change can be hard. It is a learning process to discover what we actually like to do for fun outside of our substance of choice. We probably lost a fair amount of knowledge about ourselves when we were facing an active addiction. What we did for fun might have been fueled by our addiction. We did what our addiction wanted us to do. As a sober person, we can experience activities that we never thought we would enjoy.
Myth #2: There Is Only One Way to Stay Sober
Some people believe that to remain sober, you need to follow a strict set of guidelines. You need to attend specific meetings, talk with particular professionals, and maintain a rigid lifestyle. Just like anything else in life, everyone is unique. How you can handle situations will be completely different from how your best friend may handle situations. What benefits you the most may not benefit someone else at all. That is entirely normal and how it should be. That is why when you journey through treatment, your treatment may have looked different than someone else’s. That does not mean your treatment was better or worse than another’s; it merely means you needed something different from what they did. We all need different things.
Myth #3: Life In Sobriety Is Worry-Free
Many people assume that once a person is free from their addiction and not using any substances, that life gets easy–that there must not be anything to worry about because the addiction is not present anymore. This idea is, of course, far from the truth. Life happens, and we all face challenges. As a person who lives a sober lifestyle, you will still have challenges. You will still have triggers, stressors, and moments where you may want to turn back to your old lifestyle.
Myth #4: You Have to Hit Rock Bottom
The idea that you need to hit “rock bottom” before getting help is a dangerous myth that keeps many people from seeking the help they need. Many people justify their addiction because they are not at what others consider “rock bottom.” Many people are suffering from addiction that are wealthy, have nice homes and cars, and function throughout the day just fine. That does not mean that what they are doing is healthy and positive. When we can acknowledge a problem early, we can start to work through struggles before hitting what most people consider “rock bottom.”
Everyone is facing unique life challenges. There are no two people experiencing situations in the same way. As you live your sober life, it may help to look back at your journey and tell others your truth. You may have never hit what many call “rock bottom,” or maybe you did. The problem with believing that someone has to hit rock bottom is that we all probably have a different idea of what that means. Being supportive of our loved ones who may be in need is necessary. Remind them that you are here for them and ready to help them whenever they need it.
Myths in the mental health field are dangerous. They lead people to assume they understand topics that they do not understand. Myths also lead people to think they know more about what they are experiencing than they really do. If you have gone through addiction and recovery, speak your truth to “squash” the misinformation out there. It is a myth that sobriety is no fun or that there is only one way to be sober. It is also a myth that once you become sober that all of your problems will disappear. It is also a myth that you need to have hit “rock bottom” before you seek help. Here at The Guest House, we know that even once you have journeyed through recovery, you may still need some extra support at times. We are here to help you and support you along the way regardless of where you are in your recovery journey. Call us today to learn more about our different treatment options at (855) 483-7800.