Simplicity4114

Hello Sober Recovery Family! It's been quite some time since I've been an active part of this community but I know I need y'all in my life! I just left rehab yesterday and my sober legs are still shaky. Just posting for accountability and some sober connections. I'm headed to the March 2021 Class next but if anyone has words of wisdom or just plain advice on life following rehab.....I'm all ears!

doggonecarl

I assume rehab provided you with the tools to get and remain sober? My advice...use them.

biminiblue

yeah, like carl said.

Your last post prior to this one was in December of 2019...what happened? How did you end up in rehab a year later?

Mizz

HELLO!

One day at a time.
Use this forum often
Fill your life with wholesome healthy activities
JUST SAY NO!
Do not take on too much at once
Easy does it
Keep calm and carry on
Exercise a lot.
Breathe
Breathe
and breathe some more

Gratitude. Be grateful for the little things because they are big things.

Prayer. To anything really. I find it helps me out a lot.

Have a wonderful day!

Simplicity4114

I had a relapse, shame, relapse, shame, and then another, and another until enough was enough and then came rehab. Unfortunately it wasn't a 90 day as it was all out of pocket so my time there was relatively brief. And yes, many meetings, new tools for the tool box but this is a journey that is going to take much longer than the time I had there. I know many of you have much to share so I was just reaching out for accountability, support, and any suggestions that perhaps really helped anyone individually. Thanks all for taking the time to respond

Anna

Welcome back, I think it's important to come up with a daily/weekly plan so that you have some specific things that you do each day. I think it's important to add exercise to your life, to begin to find things to do that bring joy to your life and to spend time with people who like/love you and care about your well-being.

I'm glad you posted and you know that you can always find support here.

Steely

Full support here Simplicity.

Your fully sober legs will return. Day at a time.

Welcome back.

ScottFromWI

Welcome back Simplicity, you will certainly find some good company here at SR as you likely remember from the past.

My only advice would be to be true to yourself in establishing what is really important as it comes to being sober. Sounds like you've invested a lot of time, money and effort to get back on the sober side of things - protect that investment just as you would anything that has value.

least

Welcome back! I would suggest practicing gratitude every day. Each day find something to be thankful for. Do that when you wake up and when you go to bed, and any time during the day when you find something to be grateful for. I guarantee it will strengthen your sobriety and will make you happier also. Here's an article about the rewards of practicing gratitude.

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/o...pier.html?_r=0

Dee74

Welcome back Simplicity


For me it comes down to being willing to do whatever it takes not to drink again - that might mean anything from small to sweeping lifestyle changes, it means finding a lot of support building that network and continuing to use it regularly...it certainly means building a sober life you love - but it basically boils down to deciding not to drink again and being ok with that

Make this time be the last time

D

Hevyn

It's great to have you back with us, Simplicity. You have no doubt learned something from this. Sometimes we need to prove to ourselves once again that it brings nothing but misery. This time will be different.

DriGuy

I think rehab is but a start. You don't graduate from rehab because you are well or cured. You graduate when you finish the course. I've never been to rehab, so I'm hardly an expert, but now the real work starts, the part about staying sober without experimenting to see just how much of an alcoholic you really were, or were not. To me, rehab is a way to dry out, but where you are now is the part where you learn how to be sober. You've got some tools from rehab. This is where you learn to use them, and you learn by using them. This is the real test. Well, it's not a test. You never actually take the test. This is the study group and you study and practice, and it doesn't end.

Zebra1275

Completely follow the outpatient recommendations from your Rehab. Don't over think them and conclude that there are some recommendations that you don't need to follow. That kind of thinking is probably what caused you to end up in rehab in the first place.

advbike

I try to keep it simple - it all has to revolve (for now) about not picking up the first drink. If you do not pick up that first drink, the rest of the pieces will slowly fall into place. So in order to do that and be successful, you have to do whatever it takes to avoid that first drink and recognize that any thoughts of drinking are coming from your AV.

Avoid ALL people and places that present opportunities to drink.

Get all booze out of the house - explain to spouse/SO the need to do this for some period of time.

Try to avoid the sorts of triggers that set you off - stress, frustration (a big one for me), toxic family members, activities that previously involved drinking (sports, camping, travel, etc) and dining out (another big one for me). There simply is no need to "test ourselves" early on.

Daily participation in some type of recovery practice such as posting here on SR, or meetings (AA, SMART, Women/Men for Sobriety..). I do this in the morning and it really helps me to get centered for the day ahead. Then I check in later.

Then in the meantime, create a healthy new lifestyle - healthy foods, exercise daily, appreciation of nature, and a daily gratitude practice. I find it best to exercise around the same time I used to start drinking (5pm) and I NEVER want to drink when I have worked out.

These are the activities and priorities that have personally worked for me.

Simplicity4114

This pretty much sums up EXACTLY how I feel! I feel I've dried out. Can't even really say that I "graduated" from rehab....more like ran out of money to stay. The real work is in everyday life (owning my choices, no lying or making excuses for myself, & battling this addiction-which I realize will get easier with time, but never go away). Thanks to everyone for the welcome back and all of the great suggestions that you've incorporated into your journey!
Restarted classes (a lot to catch up on there). A nice distraction but also a lot of stress. Luckily they are working with me to ease back into things. Have a great day all!

D122y

I am 100% positive we just get better and better as long as we stay clean.

I am a golfer, playing for about 15 years. I started out terrible at golf and drank the whole time.

I changed my lifestyle to non drinker about 6 years ago. My golf game didn't really improve, but I didn't practice like I used to.

Today, I went out to hit some balls because we are playing Monday, I didn't want to be totally rusty.

I started hitting the balls. Quickly I realized that my "eye hand" coordination was better then I have ever had it since I started playing golf. I felt like I could hit the ball squarely, shaping the shot left or right, with almost no effort. This was better then it has ever been since I was a little kid.

It was a miracle.

I never expected this.

So, things get better and better. Nearly 6 years of super clean time.

I don't think my brain healed as much as it rewired and now I can hit the daylights out of a golfball. It is an amazing feeling.

Something to look forward to folks (in your own way).

Thanks.