In my experience, sober living requires some hard work, but it is TOTALLY worth it!
In the eternal words of Mr. Ozzy Osbourne, “Being sober on a bus is, like, totally different than being drunk on a bus.”
Um…thanks Ozzy. That was…profound. Yes, being sober on a bus IS different than being drunk on a bus just as…
- Going to work sober is totally different than going to work drunk.
- Playing golf sober is totally different than playing golf drunk.
- Having sex sober is totally different than having sex drunk.
Sober Living Is Completely Different Than Drunk Living!
Life is naturally complicated. We, especially alcoholics/addicts it seems, work really hard to make things way more difficult than they need to be. Sometimes we need a reminder, even a very obvious one, that we don’t really have to fight everyone and everything.
Indeed, sober living is vastly different than drunk living!
- I can interact with my coworkers in a meaningful way and probably not get fired.
- I can enjoy my recreation time and not have to apologize for my behavior.
- I can behave appropriately in the bedroom and actually remember it the next day.
When I decided to seek treatment for alcoholism, I thought that drinking was my problem (my only problem) and that once I put the booze down, my life would snap back into shape. I guess I expected rainbows, butterflies, and puppy dogs.
I didn’t get that…not exactly.
Now, my life did improve immensely when I quit drinking. First, my body felt better as the poison worked its way out. Second, my mind felt better and I was able to think more clearly. Finally, my spirit improved as I understood my place in the universe.
But, as time passed, I actually began to feel worse. Feelings of hopelessness crept back into my mind. I lost perspective on my spirituality. I began to feel like an outsider again and lashed out at people around me. I wanted to die but was too full of fear to kill myself!
It turns out that sober living is not just about abstinence! Putting down the drug is just the price of entrance. The real work begins when we get inside.
Why was I feeling worse? I was not doing the work!
The work of sober living is where we find the true reward. Doing the work allows us to put aside regret and fear. It allows us to offer something to the world rather than just to take up space.
Generally speaking, achieving sobriety and living sober comes from three distinct ‘steps’…
- Trusting in something larger than ourselves.
- Dealing with the messes we made in the past.
- Helping other people.
You CAN find sober living if you can find a way to do these three simple things. Is it hard to believe in something larger than ourselves? For some of uf it is. Nobody wants to face their past mistakes. Helping others doesn’t compute with self-centered, emotionally stunted addicts.
Yes, this work is hard…but it is oh so worth the effort!
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