The First Step Is Deciding to Get Sober

 

The decision to finally get help is a choice that each person needs to make for themselves. And it's often a process to get there. It may be a slow development to finally be able to decide, "Okay, it's time to get sober."

But even at this point, there might be obstacles that get in the way. Whether a person is able to break through those obstacles sometimes depends upon how badly they want sobriety. When it comes down to it, when an individual knows that he or she needs assistance, getting treatment and committing oneself to sobriety is the only thing that is going to end an addiction.

Because there will be many obstacles that a person faces, including:

·         stigma

·         denial

·         fear of legal consequences

·         shame

·         desire to keep using

·         not being able to afford treatment

·         not having the time to participate in treatment

And this list provides only a few examples of the many obstacles that can stand in the way of treatment. Yet, when a person recognizes that they want to get sober - not so much for sobriety's sake, but for a number of other reasons - they might do whatever it takes. They might eventually seek treatment because they realize that they themselves don't have the inner strength to end their substance use. When this happens, the desire for addiction treatment outweighs the stigma, denial, fear, and shame. They might recognize they desperately need treatment so they find a way to do it. 

Some of the reasons why a person might finally make the decision to get sober include:

·         for their marriage

·         for their children

·         to keep their career

·         to feel good about themselves again

·         to repair family relationships

·         to finally reach their dreams

These are all reasons that might propel a person's decision to get sober. And if they can overcome the obstacles listed above, they might find treatment supportive. In fact, once an individual realizes that he or she is not alone in the drug treatment process, that usually instill hope in them. And with hope, a person often feels strengthened in their decision to get sober. For a person to stay sober, that inner strength will be needed. Slowly, a person goes from making a decision to get sober to deciding to stay sober no matter what. And even if a person relapses, he or she commits to sobriety again. They commit to moving upward and onward, despite the steps backward. 

In this way, the decision to get sober is not a one-time event. It's an ongoing process of staying sober each day of their recovery. Like the AA phrase suggests, a person decides to get sober, "One Day at a Time". And with each passing day, their decision for sobriety feels so natural that they would never go back to a life of addiction. 

However, this experience is not as easy as it sounds, and some people might need support in making their decision to get sober. If you are struggling with an addiction and you want to get sober but find that you can't, contact a mental health provider for help.