Post by Sam on Dec 5, 2015 19:38:43 GMT -5
From my experience early recovery is the hardest part of recovery after the decision to stop drinking, but what is early recovery? For me it's the first 6 months, and that is not very accurate, because the first few minutes, hours and days to one week to one month to 6 months is not the same, and that's all early recovery. The point here is early recovery, however you want to define it, is crucial to a long term recovery.
Here is why, while making the decision to stop drinking must be the hardest thing an alcoholic makes, it is what comes after early on that is the real challenge and where most relapse. The transition from an active out of control drinker to abstain from drinking sends the body and mind into shock, a shock that can easily be dealt with by going back to drinking to ease the pain and to deal with another pain that I am accustomed to that is sort of a comfort zone. An alcoholic is used to drinking every day or binge drinking or whatever, it's auto pilot drinking because that is the way it is and always has been for God knows how long. Try to break that and problems will sure follow.
The challenge of early recovery is to find and learn how to replace alcohol with a healthy alternative to dealing with daily life and to break the habit of drinking everyday all day, to break the dependence on alcohol whenever I need to escape a moment in time. It is hard and must be taken one day at a time, even a few minutes at the time. It is very helpful to understand that it will get better with time, this too shall pass, and to do whatever is necessary not to drink, distraction works well also.
I say this from my own experience, I relapsed mostly in the past because I did not know how to handle early recovery. A feeling of uneasiness, boredom, headaches, unorganized thoughts, a long time habit and emptiness inside drove me back to the bottle where I found instant relief, it did not matter the consequences at that moment, I wanted out of my feelings and I wanted it now, alcohol provided this relief, so back to it I went.
There is no way around going through early recovery, being prepared and understanding what to expect helps a great deal, it is like going for a medical surgery, the more you research it and speak to people that did it, the more mentally you are prepared to dealing with it. Early recovery is the first few steps to recovery, knowing what it is and what to expect is key to overcoming the challenge of staying sober and not relapsing.
Sam
Here is why, while making the decision to stop drinking must be the hardest thing an alcoholic makes, it is what comes after early on that is the real challenge and where most relapse. The transition from an active out of control drinker to abstain from drinking sends the body and mind into shock, a shock that can easily be dealt with by going back to drinking to ease the pain and to deal with another pain that I am accustomed to that is sort of a comfort zone. An alcoholic is used to drinking every day or binge drinking or whatever, it's auto pilot drinking because that is the way it is and always has been for God knows how long. Try to break that and problems will sure follow.
The challenge of early recovery is to find and learn how to replace alcohol with a healthy alternative to dealing with daily life and to break the habit of drinking everyday all day, to break the dependence on alcohol whenever I need to escape a moment in time. It is hard and must be taken one day at a time, even a few minutes at the time. It is very helpful to understand that it will get better with time, this too shall pass, and to do whatever is necessary not to drink, distraction works well also.
I say this from my own experience, I relapsed mostly in the past because I did not know how to handle early recovery. A feeling of uneasiness, boredom, headaches, unorganized thoughts, a long time habit and emptiness inside drove me back to the bottle where I found instant relief, it did not matter the consequences at that moment, I wanted out of my feelings and I wanted it now, alcohol provided this relief, so back to it I went.
There is no way around going through early recovery, being prepared and understanding what to expect helps a great deal, it is like going for a medical surgery, the more you research it and speak to people that did it, the more mentally you are prepared to dealing with it. Early recovery is the first few steps to recovery, knowing what it is and what to expect is key to overcoming the challenge of staying sober and not relapsing.
Sam
that is also your weakness.
