Redefining fun after a life of drug and alcohol addiction can be daunting, and the camaraderie of sober living or halfway houses can very much help.
The first year of sobriety is challenging in many ways and one of the things you can do is to remove yourself from the reminders of drug addiction and surround yourself with healthy people who are active in the recovery community. This is actually a primary reason for spending ample time (several months or more) living in some type of sober living or transitional recovery housing environment, also commonly referred to as a halfway or 3/4 house..
There are a few reasons having fun in sobriety is important, and even necessary.
IT’S DISTRACTING! In early recovery, if people are not distracted it means they are either thinking about drinking/drugging or feeling sorry for themselves, neither of which is productive. By forcing yourself to get up, go out and have fun sober, you are able to forget about everything else, even if it’s for a short period of time. As time goes on, it gets easier to become immersed in what you are doing for enjoyment. Eventually, you will realize you no longer wish you were drinking or drugging while doing it.
IT’S CLARIFYING! People compromise personal morals and values when they are having “fun” while drinking and using drugs. In sobriety, you are fully aware of the choices you make and you learn to know yourself well enough how to make choices that align with your person.
IT’S FUN YOU WILL REMEMBER! You had fun while drinking and drugging, or at least you think you did if you can even remember. When you go out in sobriety, your memories will remain intact. You will know what happened, where you went, who you were with and if you had fun. The truth is, you will have a lot more fun when sober than when drinking/drugging or going through withdrawal.
IT ALLOWS YOU TO BOND WITH PEOPLE – EVEN WITH OTHER SOBER PEOPLE! Consider going out of your comfort zone – go to a recovery event by yourself! You won’t know anyone going into it, but I guarantee it will turn out incredibly. Having fun with other people in this world is one of the healthiest and most important parts of life, especially in sobriety. It’s truly freeing when you realize there is light in your life again.
IT TEACHES YOU THAT YOU DON’T NEED DRUGS AND ALCOHOL TO HAVE A GOOD TIME! You may not think life would ever be fun while sober because you are so convinced that drugs equals fun. Situations are really what you make of them. In sobriety, you may find yourself spending late nights drinking soda and having more fun than the drunk guy falling off the bar stool. Drugs and alcohol have the potential to make things fun, sure. But it also has the potential to spiral emotions out of control, which is the opposite of fun.
To learn more about living in sobriety, please contact LYFE Recovery at 888-590-9691.
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