When an Alcoholic Gets Sober

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What should we expect when the person in our lives, the alcoholic, starts to get sober? If you have never attended an AA meeting this is a good place to learn what types of changes to anticipate.

The person who has been battling with drinking for a while generally has a habitual routine. For one person they may start drinking alcohol first thing in the morning for another, perhaps, they have their cocktails in the evening. Most real alcoholics will drink themselves all the way to sleep.

Here’s the thing, someone who is addicted must hit bottom and realize that they cannot stop drinking without help. As soon as they start working the “first step,” which says they are powerless over alcohol, it becomes apparent that attending support group meetings is very important to their sobriety.

Anticipate These Changes When They Get Sober:

When an alcoholic stops drinking, expect that they will start attending a lot of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

It’s possible that if they have a gift such as being an artist, musician, craftsman, sportsman or being an animal lover they will start pouring time into the passions they once had in life.

Most people will start interacting with other alcoholics on the phone and also get involved in service work in the recovery program that they are committed to.

There are many books designed to help them stay sober “one day at a time.” On such book is the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. As part of their daily recovery they will spend time reading about how to stay away from drinking alcohol on a daily basis.

Some people find that going to the gym helps them to stay away from drinking alcohol.

When an alcoholic gets sober you can expect that they will not go to the same places they used to anymore. If they do, eventually they will stop all together because those places are where the temptations to get drunk are lurking to grab them again.

Oftentimes, exercising becomes a passionate thing that they do. Long walks, a workout at the gym or even bicycle rides may become the daily routine. You see there’s a void of time and that must be filled. They cannot do the things that used to fulfill the void.

Some will find a deep relationship- with God and get involved in church activities.

Anticipate that they for sure will not be hanging out with the same people that they used to. If they do the visits will only be short lived. Anyone who is staying away from a drink or a drug to keep clean and sober learns how to stay out of harms way quickly.

If your friend, relative or loved one who is sober is in a home where others drink, they may ask that they other people have some respect for their sobriety and not keep beer, wine or liquor in the home.

Lots of changes will happen when an alcoholic starts getting sober. For the most part they will be positive, but some suffer from being a lot more irritable and sometimes angry. You may have to learn how to deal with an arrogant or angry alcoholic. They are having to learn how to deal with life without any medication. So, it’s understandable that they may just be a little bit on edge sometimes. Eventually, negative behaviors will begin to disappear as time goes on.