Navigating Your Way Through Unexpected Circumstances while Recovering from Alcohol Addiction
By Adrienne Kaliszak
There are many triggers that can arise while in alcohol recovery, especially during that first year. The better prepared you are for these triggers the easier it will be to navigate your way through even the toughest circumstances.
During my first year of recovery from alcohol there were plenty of triggering situations and moments that occurred, some I was prepared for, but others were quite unexpected.
During my second month of recovery our dog of just 8 years old passed away, then 2 weeks later I was involved in a car accident.
Both of those things were completely out of my control and totally unexpected.
I could have taken the easy way out to deal with those difficult and heart wrenching situations. I could have gotten quite drunk, so I didn’t have to think about it for a little while, so I didn’t have to deal with it.
I didn’t though. I dealt with those moments by feeling my emotions, talking about how I felt with others, and taking care of what had to be done.
It was hard, incredibly hard.
I credit God, the sober community I am involved with, and my own resiliency, for helping me through that time.
When my dog passed away, I was absolutely devastated, and heart broken. I shared how I felt and what was going on with me with my family and my sober tribe.
Talking and sharing helped me deal with the difficult feelings and circumstances and made me feel less alone with it all.
When the car accident happened 2 weeks later, I thought I would lose it. But I didn’t and I didn’t drink. Again, God and my family as well as my sober group helped.
Talking and sharing your feelings rather than drowning them and suppressing them with alcohol really does work. It sucks feeling hard feelings, but we are meant to feel, that’s how we process the situation and cope.
Having a support system in place while recovering from alcohol is crucial. It is so much more difficult when you don’t have anyone you can go to when it gets too difficult.
You also need to have a toolbox filled with coping strategies you can use when times get tough.
My greatest tool in my toolbox is reaching out to someone when I feel I can’t handle a situation on my own.
Reaching out saved my quit on more than one occasion.
There was a time I wouldn’t reach out when I had the desire to drink. Part of my reason for that was because I didn’t want to be talked out of drinking.
It was easier to keep my thoughts and intentions to myself rather than do the work and overcome that temptation.
Once I started reaching out and actually listened to the advice given to me, I was able to overcome the temptation.
It is also so important you’re able to root yourself on, because sometimes others may not be available when you’re going through a challenging time.
Being able to be your biggest cheerleader and having a plan of action on how you can cope with a tough situation is so important.
Some tools may be prayer, journaling, arts and crafts, sports, getting out in nature, going for a walk, visiting with family and friends.
Other tools can be listening to motivating podcasts or YouTube tutorials as well as reading uplifting and encouraging devotionals.
If you’re looking for some more ideas on what you can do to help you get through a difficult situation and uplift your mood check out this article titled 100 Things to do Instead of Drinking.
You may not achieve sobriety on your first shot, that’s OK, it takes most people multiple attempts before they get a quit that lasts. Look at each attempt you have as a learning experience and see what nugget of information you learned about yourself during your last attempt and use it to strengthen you in your next go at stopping alcohol.
Just don’t give up on yourself. Keep at it and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Blessings always,
Adrienne xo
'Your windshield is bigger than your rearview for a reason; the mirror is there to help you glance back at where you’ve been, but if you focus too much on it, you’re going to crash.
We are ALL affected by our past and we are ALL reminded of it now and again, but we cannot live in it unless we want to repeat it over and over again. We need to learn from it, take lessons from it, know what’s good (and not good) for us, and adjust accordingly. Mistakes are only mistakes until we learn from them and then they become lessons.'
Love this from the Your Tango blog, it sums up the need for a forward focused growth mindset in sobriety and life in general.
#keepmovingforward #positivequotes #positivity #yourtango #growthmindset #growthquotes #motivationalquotes #motivation #soberquotes #sobrietyquotes #lookforwardnotback #leavethepastbehind #movingforward #quotestagram #selfhelpquotes #positivemindset
Having an amazing time in #Japan and managed to head south out of Tokyo for a few days today to Kamakura by the ocean.
The drinking culture here is totally different to the UK, but all the bars are full, not many AF options either, but I wouldn’t want to visit such an amazing place and spoil it by boozing.
#tokyo #kamakura #tokyonight #tokyoneon #kamakuratemple #japaneseshrine #buddhisttemple #japantravel #tokyotrip #ramen #japaneseculture #japanlife
Wow! Rock Bottom & Rising has won the GOLD medal at the @nautilusbookawards for the best Addiction Recovery Memoir.
The book has 21 incredible stories by real people who have quit alcohol and turned their lives around, it is a truly inspirational read.
So this award is for everyone who contributed to the book, congratulations and thank you!
#bestbooks #nautilusbookaward #nautilusbookawards #nautilusbookawardwinner #sheldonpress #hatchettebookgroup #hodderandstoughton #addictionbooks #adictionmemoir #alcoholbooks #sobrietybooks #soberbooks
Woohoo! Just seen one of my books on the shelf @theworksstores #anxiety #anxietybook #theworks #bookshop #selfhelpbook #bookstore
Just finished recording a piece with @itvnews about the growing number of people quitting alcohol and the sobriety movement as a whole.
It airs next week, so look out for my shiny head on your TV screens.
#itv #sobriety #itvnews #sobermovement #sobercoach #tvinterview #newsstory #alcoholfree #soberlife #sobrietyrules
These two inspiring books from leading sobriety coach Simon Chapple are out today!
Read more...Repost @sheldon.press
Featuring contributions from some of the most well-known personalities in the Sober Space, Rock Bottom and Rising brings us real, raw, relatable stories from individuals who’ve found joy in an alcohol-free life.
The perfect companion to Rock Bottom – The Sober Life Journal captures the essence of journaling and provides space to grow and develop as you embark on a sober life. With hundreds of writing prompts, pages for reflection, focus, inspiration and guided exercises, this beautiful new journal supports your intention to create something lasting and meaningful to accompany you on your journey to an alcohol-free life.
Ideal for anyone contemplating a sober life come the new year, or from #dryjanuary.
Find out more in our bio.
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#RockBottomandRising #SoberLife #Sober #SobrietyCoach #Sobriety #StopDrinking #Freefromalcohol #AlcoholFree #SoberBook #SimonChapple #BeSober #Howtogosober #quittingalcohol #teetotaller #teetotal #alcoholism #aa #cutdown #alcoholic #thisnakedmind #addiction #problemdrinking #soberjourney
Watch the best videos from my YouTube Stop Drinking Channel
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Read on for more of the very best quit alcohol books.
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