Every Day Crises Of Early Sobriety: Why We All Need A Little Help From A Friend
Stop drinking. Move on. Early sobriety shouldn’t be any more complicated than that- until you are the one living it. After years of alcohol abuse, learning to live sober is nothing less than an adventure. Every single day in the first six months to a year of sobriety is a day of change. We are challenged to confront our thoughts and behaviors then take the daring step to change them. These daily confrontations are gifts and opportunities. However, when you are brand new to your feelings and experiences, as people in early sobriety are, these feel more like crises than challenges. Anything from deciding what to eat for one meal of the day to dealing with a sudden surge of stress can feel like a crisis.
Men and women who are in early sobriety are experiencing their feelings as if they are brand new. Their brains, which have been changed by the disease of alcoholism, are not used to discomfort of any kind. Alcoholism alters brain chemistry to prefer and seek out feelings of pleasure. Any kind of stressor of discomfort triggers a need for pleasure, which is obtained through drugs and alcohol. The brain becomes reliant on high amounts of pleasure production for daily functioning. In early sobriety, when all that pleasure production is back down to normal levels, individuals can feel overwhelmed by ‘stressful’ stimulus. Since the brain is no longer familiar with how to handle stress in any capacity without immediate pleasure, the brain interprets seemingly everything as a full blown crisis.
Early sobriety is a time of make or break for professionals. Not all professionals can take time from their jobs to seek full time treatment. Some professionals need extra support as they transition back into work after months of treatment. A therapeutic recovery companion can be the perfect solution for a professional navigating the stressful course of early sobriety.
Therapeutic recovery companion’s are experienced in recovery themselves and specifically trained to stay level headed during those every day crises. They know, better than anyone, that things do get better, and that crises become less significant overtime. Offering a realistic, relatable perspective, hearing from a therapeutic recovery companion is significantly different than hearing from someone not personally experienced with recovery. Picking up the phone and calling someone in a moment of crisis can be extremely difficult when the brain struggles to properly function. With a therapeutic recovery companion by their side, individuals don’t have to worry about searching for the support they need. It’s right there.
Let the O’Connor Professional Group take the guesswork out of putting a treatment plan together. Our combined personal and professional experience empowers us to empower you with a private consultation and customized plan of action for getting the help you need. Call us today for information: 617 910-3940
