Getting sober and staying sober doesn’t mean all of your problems in life will be solved. It could even bring about new problems, but everyone is unique. Everyone is different.
Getting sober solves a big problem, perhaps your biggest problem, but life will still hand you problems.
The good news is that sobriety will allow you to take on those problems as they come up and also give you the ability to solve those problems with a clear and thoughtful perspective.
Instead of drinking to escape those problems or postpone any resolution, you will find the fortitude and resources to tackle them right away.
Sobriety not only reminds you that you have nowhere to run and hide from your problems but also that there is no point in running and hiding or trying to escape from having to deal with them.
It is a very liberating feeling.
There is no substitute for the confidence you will gain from taking on life’s problems head-on as they arise. Soon after dealing with life this way, you will – or at least I did – realize that I was checking off these issues without even thinking of having a drink, let alone craving alcohol.
I may still be struggling to resolve some problems, but I’m not running and hiding from them. Some problems don’t get fixed overnight.
I remind myself that people everywhere have far worse problems than I do.
Remember the old adage that says if we could all throw all of our problems into one big pile and then pull out a whole new set of problems, we’d be lucky to get our old ones back?
If you’re struggling to stay sober, hang in there, it does get easier. Build on any confidence you gain from any amount of sobriety and resolve. It takes time.
If you do relapse with alcohol, remember, it’s not the end of the world. It doesn’t have to wreck your road to sobriety. Pick yourself up, forgive yourself for being Human, and carry on.
If we never stumble and fall, we will never learn how to pick ourselves up.
You have already cleared the biggest hurdle, realizing that you have a problem and that you want to fix it.
Don’t give up!