Does staying sober get easier? Does your motivation to want to do anything ever come back? I’ve been sober from drinking for 9 months and I just relapsed on drugs today and I had 6 days…….6 days and I could have kept going but I was going thru my dresser and found some old pills and I just wasnt strong enough to just throw them the f**k away and not look back. But since I’ve quit drinking I’ve just gone into this depression thats worse than I’ve ever had……before I would just work through it and drink or do drugs. But now I dont want to go to work, I dont want to get out of bed……it is literally everything I can to get out of bed in the morning and get my kids to school and im dragging my feet the whole time. It just sucks cause everyone I know always talks about how much better you’ll be and feel once you’re sober, how much healthier you will be, Yada Yada. But I dont feel it, I feel worse now than when I was drinking and drugging
It takes time. Were you totally sober for 9 months (no drugs)? Sobriety alone isn’t the fix all for everything, sobriety gives you the opportunity to fix the issues that you’re attempting to escape with drugs and alcohol. When you put that work in you’re in recovery.
Life is still gonna be life, bad things will happen, but at least active addiction won’t be causing them. Best wishes to you.
Sometimes using alcohol / drugs is a mask for underlying depression / life issues. Sobriety gives you more time and energy and clarity, but you also need to face issues in your life, and that can be very tough. It takes work, as much work as staying sober. But in the same way you can get into a negative spiral of feeling bad, using, feeling worse, using, etc, you can get into an upward spiral of small improvements linking to feeling better to making more improvements.
Things to do to help in this process include therapy, self-help books, online courses, medication (following Dr advice) etc. And remembering that good mental health is a life-long practice.
I share similar sentiments with you on being depressed at times while being sober and some days are harder than others. For me personally, remembering all of the strife, sickness, and aimlessness that addiction brought me helps me to stay the course and keeps me grateful for all that I have while being sober. Sometimes I start with the basics- wake up, no hang over, no need to go on an apology tour or try to remember the night, no unnecessary money spent etc. Journaling has really helped me in my journey, and I find that writing down the thoughts gives them less power and helps to release them. I allow myself to experience the sadness but I don’t allow myself to live there. I’m wishing you all of the best and I believe in you 
Being sober (without any substances at all) made it possible for me to work on my issues and mental health. Through therapy, through self help, through peer support, through changing my life in many little and bigger ways. Slow tedious hard work and slow progress. One day at a time. But it works. I’m still making progress over 6 years in. And never going back because I’m not forgetting how depressing my life was when I took that way out. All I did was surviving then. Barely. Never again. Wishing you all success. Hugs.
Same. 5 months and I have no motivation to do anything.
Sobriety is not easy but so worth it.
I remember feeling that way at different points. Sometimes it takes all you have to stay sober but as long as you do that you’ll be good 
. Keep marching forward ODAAT 
No, i still smoked weed thinking i would be able to keep it under control. I finally realized after a few months that I just traded my drinking in for smoking. Im going to AA but im still struggling to find the motivation to actually get out of the house and to the meeting
Thank you for those last 4 words!!! And I’ll have to give Journaling a try, I never thought of that.
I just have a few questions, my friend:
- are you going to recovery meetings or do you have a therapist or counselor or supportive family/friends?
- working the 12 steps w/a sponsor?
- are you praying/meditating?
- are you eating healthfully?
- Sleeping enough?
- Getting a half gallon of water a day?
- Daily exercise?
- hobbies?
Hope you start feeling better @Hotrodhands
Drinking and drugging are often a symptom, not the cause; stopping the self medication will expose what you were medicating all along. Getting proper treatment for your mental health will be the key in how you feel long term; sobriety isn’t the fix, but it allows you to be fixed, it is necessary. Congrats on your journey, let’s get after it.
Mad good shere
It’s a symptom not the cause
That’s amazing and accurate
Like others have mentioned already, the reasons for our drinking/drugging reveal themselves once we stop self medicating with substances. So alot of “stuff” comes up and in early recovery, many of us dont have healthy coping skills to manage all that “stuff”. When i first quit, it wasnt fun 
The emotions were very hightened, i was also extremely lethargic, sometimes extremely anxious, other times depressed, it was a rollercoaster of emotions. Over time, i started learning new coping skills to manage what I was feeling as well as managing cravings to use. This forum was crucial for that. It truly does get better. The sooner u find healthier coping skills for those emotions/cravings, the sooner ull begin to feel better 
But about not getting out of bed… I found in early recovery, i used sleep to “escape” since i couldnt use drugs. I wonder if u can relate to this? Maybe taking baby steps to help pull urself out of it would help? Focusing on 1 step at a time. For example:
- Put feet on floor and get out of bed
- Shower
- Get dressed
- Brush teeth/hair
- Eat breakfast
- Go for a 15min walk
- Attend an online 12 step meeting
- Check in on this forum
Usually i find that once i start going, that momentum builds up and before u know it, im accomplishing some small tasks Hope this helps! Ur not alone
At one point in early recovery for myself, just staying sober was good enough for me. Then I started doing what I need to do to stay sober. The building a life. I’m still trying to build a life but I’m sober so I’m ok. I’ll get it.
That did help!!! Thank you very much 
Thats like where I was too, I thought I was good causeI was sober. But in reality im not good. Thank you for your words
What was your drug of choice
Mine was pot and alcohol but I did it all
Also what I did to be good with myself was set the bar right
Set the bar at a level you can get
First get sober - sounds reasonable
Then maybe start getting up early and participating in maybe AA or some sort of group. You get so online AA zoom meetings. Just look them up
Then get a job
Then license
Then car
Maintain each and every goal
When I got to where I was at first I started to get scared of the hight
Like each goal helps the next and it’s like a latter
It even felt wobbly for a second
As time went on I realized I just need to maintain the goal I’m at and I’ll be ok
It all starts with my sobriety
I did them all also. But alcohol, pills and 