I started my journey to sobriety in the first week of July. It was the beginning of summer. I had not had a sober summer in 14+ years. I always thought I had it in me to control my addiction.
As addicts, we think we have gotten it all figured out. I would make plans to take my daughter over to our family’s house to go swimming or out to a BBQ. Who was I kidding? Those plans rarely ever happened unless I got my fix beforehand. I would tell myself, “Only a little today,” just enough to allow myself to function normally. I would leave family functions to pick up and would end up in the bathroom of my aunt’s home getting high. I would have made plans to meet friends at the beach, but I was busy at home, sick in bed from withdrawals. It all came crashing down at a party for the Fourth of July. I had to get sober, and I had to stay sober. But why? Who wants to be sober during the summer months?
I did. I remember thinking to myself, repeatedly, how am I going to have fun in the summer without a drink in hand? Go to the beach without being high? No way. My entire summer is going to be boring. I knew I hit rock bottom. I had to make the decision to get sober and stay sober. And so, I did. I was open and honest with family and friends. I planned accordingly. I checked myself into treatment and gained the necessary tools I needed to stay sober. I did not stop chasing my recovery, the same way I hadn’t stopped chasing the high.
Here are ten sobriety tips and tricks that help me sustain my recovery, especially in the summer months:
- Avoid toxic situations, friends, and relationships.
- Bring sober friends to social gatherings.
- Be Open and Honest About Your Challenges
- Identify your triggers.
- Be prepared. Have a plan to leave if you feel your recovery is at risk.
- Set Boundaries and limits.
- Hit a meeting. Whether it be a 12-step meeting or a SMART recovery meeting, everyone is there for the same reason. And that is to stay sober.
- Move a muscle, change a thought. Any time I felt triggered, I would go for a walk. I took many walks the first few months of my sobriety. Sometimes I would make it a block. Other times, it was a mile or two. Whatever it took to change my train of thought.
- Pick up the phone. Make that phone call to your support network. I always had three people on speed dial.
- Be Kind to Yourself. Recovery is a process. Keep going.
Maintaining connections is vital to your recovery. Think back to the things you loved to do. For me it was attending a concert. My entire summers would revolve around concert planning. Now, I get to enjoy them AND remember them. Remind yourself to take it one day at a time. Sometimes it may even be one minute at a time.
Once you make it through your first summer sober, they will just keep getting better. On the fourth of July, I will be celebrating 3 years sober. I hope to enjoy many more sober summers in the future.