Drugs and alcohol seem to be everywhere. Hollywood and the media often portray drug and alcohol use as normal and fun. The truth is that addiction costs you more than you ever intended to pay, and keeps you in bondage longer than you ever thought possible. Recovery is the only way out.

When you first get sober, your cravings may feel intense. In time, the intensity of cravings decreases, but you must give yourself time. You have to allow yourself to grow in recovery. Saying no may seem cut and dry. When you are in early recovery, saying no might seem next to impossible. Rest assured, saying no gets easier with time.

Practice saying no. Seriously, practice makes perfect. Consider looking in the mirror and watching yourself say no. Experience how it feels to say no. The more you practice, the easier saying no becomes.  

Replace old behaviors with new hobbies. Drug and alcohol use gave you something to do. When you remove using form your life, you need to fill the time with positive activities. Perhaps there were things that you always wanted to try. Perhaps skydiving or learning a new language is on your bucket list. In recovery, you get to try the things you only dreamed about when you were using.

Educate yourself by going to meetings, talking with recovering people, and find a mentor or sponsor. Recovery works best when you include the support of others. Go to meetings to learn about other people’s experiences. Learn from your sober allies. Make friends, because you can’t do this recovery meeting alone. Lastly, find a sponsor or mentor. Having someone to be held accountable to helps you learn how to say no.

Play the tape to the end. If you feel tempted to use, think the thought out to the end. Is using again really harmless? No. Returning to active addiction will lead to broken family ties, jail, institutions, despair, and even death. When you think of the big picture, saying no doesn’t seem as difficult.

At The Kimberly Center, we care about your recovery. Recovery doesn’t make you exempt from life, but sobriety can help you manage life better. Call us now at 855-4-KCENTER to learn more about how treatment can help you learn new skills and build the strength to be able to say no. Say yes to life, call us today.