Maybe you are considering seeking help for an alcohol addiction issue, or maybe you already have made treatment arrangements and have some questions.
One of the biggest questions people have when they are going into addiction recovery is centered around what life in alcohol addiction recovery will be like.
People are often surprised by the answer.Whether you attend an inpatient treatment program, an intensive outpatient program (IOP), or both, at a certain point you will be entering back into the ‘real world.’ If you have anxieties around this transition, you are not alone. Even with the support of outpatient groups and options for sober living environments, you are more or less free to begin making your own decisions again. Most treatment programs are designed to provide you with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate early sobriety successfully. The good news is that you will not be entirely on your own. The recovery community is brimming with individuals just like you who are trying to do something different: people who are ready to make a lasting change. It’s vital to surround yourself with people who want the same things you do and have similar goals and commitments.
One of the most common fears is that life will be boring, or that you will become a dullard and a square.
Life in alcohol addiction recovery does not have to be boring, and neither do you. Let’s be honest: even though you may have partied a lot during your drinking days, that doesn’t mean you always had fun. With the potential for DWIs and DUIs, vehicle crashes, physical altercations, sexual assaults, loss of relationships, loss of trust, and the possible loss of all self-confidence, drinking isn’t the best option for many of us.
So, what on earth are you going to do for fun?
Just about anything, actually, only sober and with people who are dedicated to walking the same path. It’s easy to make new friends in recovery, either in treatment or at 12-step meetings. Life in alcohol addiction recovery is much more rewarding than you would expect. Recovery provides the opportunities we never had when we were in our addictions. Be open to new things and be willing to make new discoveries about yourself and the world around you. Life in alcohol addiction recovery can be as amazing as you are willing to allow it.
