Reality check: life in sobriety is awesome!
It’s no secret that many of the folks on the Kembali team are in recovery, so we know firsthand how scary it can be to ditch old ways and begin anew. We also know how rewarding it can be, and how big and wonderful and awesome our lives can be once we make the decision to get sober and stick with a program of abstinence from drugs, alcohol, or other process addictions. Yeah, it’s usually not that easy in the beginning, but we promise that with time it gets a lot easier. And guess what? It’s actually a pretty epic ride once you give it some time, provided you’re committed to doing the work.
And with that, we thought we’d take a moment to clear up a few common (and negative) misconceptions about life in recovery, and share the very shiny flip side of the coin:
Misconception: Sober people are boring to be around, particularly at weddings, birthday parties, and other social gatherings.
Reality: Au contraire, friends! Folks in sobriety are often the life of the party. Of course, this is a bit of generalization, but we’ve found it to frequently be true. It can take time to adjust to socializing sober if we’re not used to it, but people who struggle with addiction tend to be a colorful, creative, dynamic, lively bunch. Once we strip the drugs, booze, or object(s) of addiction from our lives, we start to uncover those weird, wild, and wonderful personalities of ours’ sans substance. This means that not only are we cheap dates, but we can show up fully and authentically without feeling like we need to race to the bar for some liquid courage. Or sneak away to a hidden corner of the room to get in a quick bump of powder before approaching a group of strangers. There’s a lot of freedom in that. Not to mention the fact that we’re usually the only ones not slurring our words at the end of the night, which can feel super-duper liberating. We’re not suggesting that you start putting yourself in uncomfortable situations in early recovery, particularly if you’re going to be triggered. But over time, we can almost guarantee you’ll start to feel comfortable in your own skin if you continue to remain diligent in your recovery program.
Misconception: No one is going to want to spend time with me anymore – they’ll think I’m a square.
Reality: This couldn’t be further from the truth! And no, we’re not talking about your drinking and using buddies. Some of your old party pals might not feel comfortable around you anymore, but this is usually because they have their own problematic behavior to look at. Your sobriety might just be too much for them to deal with, and that’s ok. On the flip side, you might inspire some of them to explore this whole recovery thing with you if, indeed, they have a problem in the first place. Keep in mind that you don’t want to force recovery down anyone’s throat, but when you lead by example, you might be surprised at how others are inspired by the new you. And your true friends will support you no matter what. If they don’t, they’re probably not true friends. Sure, recovery is a little awkward at first, but over time, experience has shown us that people are usually more than happy to spend time with our sober selves. And, in fact, we tend to form much more intimate bonds with people once we sober up. Many of our existing relationships improve, and those that aren’t serving us start to fade away. We promise, this is the real deal. And being in recovery is where it’s at!
Misconception: I won’t feel comfortable in my own skin!
Reality: Ok, so yes, sometimes this happens to us in the early days. As mentioned, you’ll no longer have the security blanket of that liquid courage, or [insert drug or object of addiction] you once had at parties, gatherings, or wherever. But who wants to be tethered to their addictions? Really — think about it. Most addicts we know are rebellious souls who love their independence, and when we get right down to it, chemical dependency, or any dependency, is the exact opposite of independence. Getting comfortable with ourselves in recovery can take some time and some work, but guess what? Once we sift through all of those protective layers we’ve been hiding under, we tend to find that a true, independent, free spirit of a human lives inside. And suddenly, we’re not dependent on anything to feel good! Living sober can provide us with the best feeling of freedom imaginable, and so many sober addicts we know start living lives that are absolutely beyond their wildest dreams. Yeah, we know, it sounds super fluffy and cliché, but it’s true. Take away the liquid courage and the nasty hangovers, and there’s really no stopping us once we put your minds to whatever it is that we want to accomplish. It’s a pretty sweet deal.
Smashing misconceptions:
And there you have it – smashing those misconceptions, one by one. Of course, we’ve really only just scratched the surface in regard to why sobriety totally rules, but we could write a book, so we’ll stop here and let you soak this all up for yourself.
Kembali Recovery Center is here to Help
If you think you might be struggling with addiction, or if someone you love is struggling, Kembali Recovery Center is here to help. We’re also here to answer any questions you may have about addiction and recovery. Contact us today to find out what we’re all about, and what our four-week program in Bali, Indonesia, entails. One first step could lead you on a path to a whole new life.