How To Get Sober!

If your family or loved ones are on your case about how much your drinking or you feel in your heart that your drinking too much, then this question of how to get sober is most probably on your mind.

I’m going to explain to you throughout this blog about how to get sober and stay sober, or at least cut right down on your drinking.

If you want a short, quick, fix, answer then this blog is not for you.

Getting sober takes effort and work. The first thing you need to do is admit that you want to get sober for you.

It’s not a question of how to get sober for your family or anyone else. It must be because you really want it for yourself. Once you get it, then everyone else around you will feel the benefits of you being sober.

Millions of people drink too much alcohol and some drink way too much to the point of having a serious problem with it.

If you feel you have control over your drinking, then you can easily cut down.

If you drink every day, then drink every other day. You would’ve already cut down your alcohol consumption by 50 percent. Then start cutting out days until you bring your consumption to healthy levels. This is only recommended for people who have control over their drinking. If this does not work, then you may need extra help.

Do you question whether you have a problem or not? If so, then let me show you a way to find out by answering these questions below.

Are your family or loved ones concerned about your drinking?

Are you hiding to anyone about how much you drink?

Go to a bar, tell yourself you’re going to have two drinks and then go home. Can you do it?

Are you under performing at work or not keeping up with your commitments?

If you answered yes to the questions above, then you have a problem with alcohol. Like I said earlier, the first obstacle to get through is admitting that you have a problem and then you can do something about it.

Let me give you some medical advice first. Abruptly stopping heavy drinking can be very dangerous. When you discontinue alcohol suddenly, your brain goes into hyperexcitability mode. Your brain has adapted to the presence of alcohol and when you stop, your brain chemicals jump all over the place trying to return to normal. This is what causes withdrawal symptoms. Have you ever had a heavy night out and woken up the next day a little shaky?

Even after a very heavy night out you will feel a degree of withdrawal symptoms. Real heavy continuous drinking becomes more dangerous though and the symptoms are worse. If you drink every day and you’ve become reliant on alcohol, then you will need medical advice on how best to sober up. It will take medication and a detox. You can confide in your GP and he can refer you to someone like us at The Calm sober house or you can contact us directly, knowing that we keep anything you tell us strictly confidential.

How Long Does It Take To Get Sober & Stay Sober?

If you are serious about getting sober and staying sober, then I suggest you get some support.  The question of how long to get sober and stay sober is what I am going to answer for you now.

You really need to talk to an expert so they can look at the seriousness of your drinking. I have personally helped thousands of people get through this and shown them how to stay sober.

I am going to answer this question from a perspective of someone who has a problem with alcohol, but you can also take advice from this if your problem is not too big.

Getting sober physically does not take long. You may need medication to get you through the acute detox phase and with the right help and support it often goes smoothly.

Once the acute physical phase is over you step over into the post-acute phase. This is when psychological problems will surface. These symptoms can include: Poor memory, poor concentration, insomnia, irritability, anxiety, depression, lack of motivation and short- tempered.

This is when you are at most risk of relapse. You can easily give in and go back to drinking, thinking that it’s just too difficult. This is where the support comes into play as you’re going to need help getting through this. People often go to rehabs and sober houses, so they are in a safe place, away from triggers and temptation.

The psychological symptoms will ease over the course of a couple of months as your body starts to readjust to no alcohol.

Recovery from alcohol is a process you must go through, so knowing exactly how long it takes is a little difficult to pin down, but it’s not going to happen overnight.

You will then start moving into the maintenance of staying sober. You have been through the early stages and now it can get easier or very difficult. Staying sober long-term is when you need to put a programme of action into place.

Lots of people can get through the early stages of being sober, but unfortunately with many it does not last. The reality of staying sober long-term seems to kick in and the bubble of sobriety bursts.

You will have to change many things in your life to stay stopped. Alcohol is accepted by society and you are going to face triggers everywhere. Having someone on the end of the phone to talk to when times get tough is invaluable. You can look for a sponsor at AA meetings or a counsellor or good friends that support your sobriety.

You need to find someone who can take you through the steps to sobriety.

Alcoholism

Have you ever known an alcoholic? Do you notice that even if they know should not be drinking, they still do? They seem to be able to stop for a little while but then despite all the consequences and knowing they should not drink they go back to it.

An alcoholic can’t stop drinking on their own and they’re often full of denial, thinking that they can drink like a normal person.

Alcoholism is a serious condition that needs treatment. We are talking about a different level of drinker. It’s dangerous for an alcoholic to stop drinking because of the serious physical withdrawal symptoms. If you believe you or someone you know is an alcoholic, then please do seek help before it’s too late. The Calm sober house in Thailand is always open to talking to anybody who needs it.

Alcohol Recovery Program

Alcoholics Anonymous has been around for years. I strongly suggest that you go to some meetings in your area to investigate the programme they have. They also have a fellowship of recovering alcoholics that can help.

Going to rehab can certainly help and going to a sober house afterwards can be crucial to maintaining long-term sobriety. Rehabs and sober houses will show you many coping skills whilst giving you the opportunity to learn about addiction through counselling and group therapy.

Getting sober and staying sober is best done with guidance from people who have done it.

The experts can show you skills and techniques on how to stay sober long-term. You will need a programme that helps you get though cravings and triggers.