subject: Crawling Off the Bar Stool and Into Recovery Pt. 2 [print this page] Author: Kasan Groupe Author: Kasan Groupe
If your drinking habits have begun to wreak havoc on your relationships, career and health then it's time for a change. Admitting that you have a problem and committing to a change can be the hardest step of quitting. Once you've rid your home of alcohol, the hard part begins, staying sober. You will need to revise your coping skills and be prepared to lose some friends and to turn down alcohol frequently. 9. Have a strong resolve and start working on your coping skills. There will be several instances during your recovery that others will tempt you with a drink and you'll want to say yes. But resolve to just say "no thanks." You don't even have to dive into some lengthy explanation as to why you don't want a drink. 10. Stop going to the places where you used to drink. These places will only remind you of drinking and push you to have just one, which will inevitably turn into several. Unfortunately, you will lose some friends in this process and its okay to be sad, but just remember why you're doing this. You want to improve your health and your happiness. 11. Take it easy on yourself. Sobering up will bring about some embarrassing and regretful memories from your past. It's important to remember these times in your life, but also to let them go. You're no longer that person and you must come to terms with it. 12. Imagining what your life will be like sober can be very uplifting, but also facilitate unrealistic thoughts and feelings. It's okay to do this as motivation, but remember to take the process one day at a time. There will be good days and bad days. On particularly bad days, remember that misery is fleeting. You may be unhappy and craving a drink right now, but things might be completely different tomorrow morning. Crawling off that bar stool and starting on the road to recovery will be a difficult process. Just remember to forgive yourself and to seek emotional peace. If you are feeling overwhelmed, or you have a small social circle of allies, you may want to join a group to help you through the process.About the Author:
