Your first year sober is an exciting time. You are learning how to live sober for the first time, which comes with many emotions. You are given resources to help you on this new journey, as well as support systems when needed. However, there are some things you should avoid in your first year sober that can keep you from your goals or even allow for relapse.
Do Not Isolate Yourself
When first leaving treatment it is common for one to feel anxious to jump back into their previous life. Feelings of regret, shame, and guilt can take over and lead to wanting to isolate themselves from family and friends. Sadly, this is when depression and loneliness begin to settle in. Thus, leading to bad decisions to cope with these emotions.
Relationships
It is best to avoid entering into new relationships during your first year sober. Your first year sober should be focusing on you and growing on your sober journey. Relationships can easily distract from sober living, and sober living is what you should be focused on first. It is okay to go out and meet new people, but keep your sobriety as a number one priority.
When people jump into a relationship it is hard to understand if the relationship is pure or to fill the void of dependency. It can be hard on your partner to manage a partner that is so freshly sober. This can create resentment and lead to fights and anger and unwanted or potentially dangerous emotions.
Avoid Triggers/High-Risk Situations
At first, it may be difficult to know what triggers you. It is common for those in the early stages of sobriety to think they can handle certain sober cues. However, they can actually be subconscious triggers that affect you later on.
It is important to be aware of high-risk situations that you should avoid your first year sober. Especially in your first year of leaving treatment, steering clear of places or people you use to abuse substances with is key to your sobriety. These situations could lead to relapse and ruin all the progress you have made in recovery.
Over Confidence
Finishing treatment is exciting and gives many people newfound confidence to conquer their new journey. However, this confidence can actually create some trouble when overly compensated. Thus, leading to poor decision making and surrounding yourself with triggers.
Overconfident people tend to take more risks unknowingly even though they are sober. Most likely they are not aware of their surroundings or the people around them because of this false sense of confidence. This resulting in a spiral behavior, which is what got them in recovery.
Reach Out for Help
If you are looking for a treatment center in Palm Beach, Florida, Harm Reduction Center is here to help. We are here to support you through each step towards sobriety. We believe your first year sober should focus on sober living and achieving goals. We provide several types of support services for those who are newly sober, as well as continuing care.
We know it is not easy and staying on track is a constant battle. However, at Harm Reduction Center we are here to empower you through every up and down on this journey.
