How to Live Sober

Drug and alcohol addiction is a long-standing problem in society due to the pressures and expectations that surround people every day. Some turn to drugs as an escape from reality and their responsibilities; they feel drugs offer them a window to a new world. Alcohol tends to be used for the same purposes, but it tends to be described as a pain killer, a way to numb the emotions that plague those who are trying to find an alternate path through life. Whatever the case, both roads lead to the same dead end that forces these people to re-evaluate their perceptions of life.

Instructions

• 1

  Analyze the hold the addiction has on you. If you cannot go a single day without succumbing to your addiction, and if the pain becomes too much to bear, it's time to seek help. You cannot deal with this problem yourself, and there is no shame in admitting it. If anything, it takes a strong, confident individual to admit when he needs a helping hand.

• 2

  Listen to loved ones. You may have tried to do things your own way or tried to live life by your own rules, but it has gotten you nowhere. The people who are still by your side are the ones who really matter, and they are possibly the only ones who truly care. They simply want to help; do not scorn their advice.

• 3

  Avoid negative influences. Start re-evaluating certain friendships and past loves. Analyze the reasons why you became good friends in the first place, and begin making a list to determine how much of a factor drugs and alcohol played within those relationships. If the addiction was the sole bond between you and the other person, cut her loose and move on with your life. A new beginning requires an ending.

• 4

  Join a rehab center. Becoming a new person requires sacrifice and pain. The idea of submitting to a rehab center is never a joyous one, but it must be done if there is to be any hope of defeating the addiction and creating a new life. The employees there have nothing but your best interests at heart, and they know what must be done in order to accomplish your newfound goals.

• 5

  Find a sponsor. Finding a sponsor is one of the final crucial moments in the battle with addiction. Attend meetings, and do your best to find a suitable sponsor. Afterwards, call the sponsor and ask him what hours he might be available so that you always have a shoulder to lean on when the going gets rough.