A lot of us get sober with the idea that everything is going to change instantly. Sometimes we tell ourselves that our drinking or our drug use was the only thing creating problems in our lives. But when we get around to treating our addictions, we find that isn’t the case at all.
If you’re a drunk or a drug addict, when you sober up there are going to be a ton of positive changes in your life almost immediately. Our bodies start to heal, our brains begin to defog, and people that once ran in the other direction when they saw us coming start showing up in our lives again. And that kind of profound change is wonderful, but we have to be careful not to set unrealistic expectations for our long term sobriety.
Like everything in life, sobriety ebbs and flows. You’ll have good days and you’ll have bad days. You’ll have good months and you’ll have bad months. You’ll have good years and you’ll have bad years. But, it’s during those hard days, months, and years that it’s important to remember where you started. A bad day in your addiction looks very different from a bad day in your sobriety. This is something we should remind ourselves of often.
Sometimes sobriety feels like a superpower. We are able to tap into parts of ourselves that were once lost, and sometimes we find strength we didn’t even know we had. Because so much more is available to us in our sober lives, we have to be aware that not everything that shows up for us is going to be pleasant. Being realistic in sobriety is important. It helps you manage the highs and lows that come along with life.
Remember that, before you are anything else, you are human. You are allowed to have uncomfortable feelings, bad days, and low moments. If you’re not feeling your best, it doesn’t mean that you are doing your sobriety wrong. Everyone’s life has valleys and peaks.