When we make the choice to get sober, we’re being tested and challenged in all kinds of ways, mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. The process of choosing sobriety will demand certain things of us. When we accept the challenge and rise to meet it, we discover gifts and skills we didn’t know we possessed.
In order to recover, we’ll need humility. Sobriety demands that we swallow our pride and accept that we are fallible. When we make the choice to get sober, we have often reached rock bottom and feel we’ve hit a wall, the limit to what we can sustain. We’ve grown so accustomed to pretending that everything is fine, to hiding how severe our problems have become, that we’ve managed to fool even ourselves. We’ve been lying to ourselves for so long we aren’t sure what the truth is anymore. Sobriety demands that we be humble enough to know our limitations, that we accept that we can’t possibly continue down the same path if we’re to be happy or healthy.
With humility comes an acceptance of our vulnerability. Choosing sobriety means coming to terms with our humanity, along with all of the mistakes we’ve made, all of our shortcomings, wrongdoings and regrets. We’ll need to accept that we have been hurting, we have been causing ourselves and others pain, we’ve been suffering. We often like to pretend we have everything under control. Feeling out of control and powerless scares us. Coming to terms with our vulnerability, and accepting our weaknesses in order to get better, is an important part of sobriety.
We tend to reject support in any form because we see needing help as a sign of weakness. Part of choosing sobriety is allowing ourselves to receive the help and support we need. Sobriety asks that we be both humble and accepting of our vulnerability in order to allow ourselves to be helped. The recovery process itself is demanding. We’ll need courage, strength and resilience. We’ll need to be patient with ourselves. We’ll have to pick ourselves up when we fall and commit to our sobriety, over and over again, for the rest of our lives. The choice to get sober is often fraught with indecision, confusion, ambivalence and fear. Once we do make the choice, it’s usually the best choice of our lives, and it opens us up to living fulfilling, satisfying, rewarding lives.
At Riverside Recovery, we witness firsthand the successes of our clients every day. The full-time care, supportive structure and safe environment of our treatment programs ensure that you’ll get the attention, support and care you need. Call Riverside today for more information: (800) 871-5440.