Maintaining Sobriety

A few of my patients pick up a drink after 6 months sobriety and it’s generally through complacency. You have to work just as hard over the next 6 months to solidify your recovery. The ones who relapse before they achieve one year sobriety usually are the cocky ones who ease up on their program. If you continue to work hard at your recovery during the second six months, you tremendously improve your chances of long term sobriety.

Don’t make major decisions during the first year of recovery as they are often regretted in the second year. With your mind still muddy, you are more likely to act on impulse now than on careful consideration. Even if you are capable of giving adequate thought to a life change, doing so would take time and energy from your number one priority: recovery.

You may be eager to start afresh in a different town or job but achieving sobriety is no small task. It takes round-the-clock energy and focus.  Not only is this not a good time to change jobs, it’s also not the time to make any other major changes in your life – getting married, getting divorced, starting a new relationship, buying a new car or getting engrossed in a new hobby. And it’s definitely not the time for the monumental distractions of having a baby.

Be on the lookout for any of the following feelings and attitudes which can sometimes be as destructive to sobriety as booze. If you notice one or more of these silent symptoms of pending relapse, do something about it before it drags you back to hell.

• Fear: A little fear is not only normal but healthy. The basis of our defects is a self-centre fear: fear of not getting what we want and fear of losing something we have and we are in a continual state of mental disturbance and frustration. This is the time to get in touch with your counsellor.
• Anger: This is another common emotional problem that troubles practically everyone but dangerous for the alcoholic to linger longer than necessary. Anger arises essentially because we say to ourselves the same thing that the self-pitier does: “”It is terrible and awful when I do not get everything I want.” And another irrational thought is added: “People are bad and wicked and should be severely blamed and punished for frustrating me.” This combination leads to bitterness, resentment, hatred, aggression and, of course, anger.
• Guilt: While guilt that leads you to make amends is useful, guilt that hampers you from getting better is deadly. To overcome guilt, inferiority and self-blame, it is important to perform two separate mental tasks. The first is to separate your behaviour from yourself; the second is to forgive yourself for having done badly. Guilt is another way of teaching us lessons.
• Unrealistic Expectations: Dreams and hopes are what keep us going and expecting the impossible can leave us chronically dissatisfied.
• Resentments: Clinging to anger against others for past of present hurts doesn’t harm those you feel have trespassed against you, but it can hurt you and your recovery. Don’t walk where it’s slippery!
• Low Self-Esteem:  If you don’t feel good about yourself. If you don’t feel you deserve the joy of recovery, you are sure to “punish” yourself and slip back into alcoholism.
• Self-Pity: The minute you pity yourself more than just a little bit, you enormously worsen your life. Self-pity is futile. It incapacitates you. It drains you of the energy to challenge the injustices of this world and it gets people to leave you alone so that you can nurse your miseries by yourself.
• Procrastination: If you don’t deal with problems promptly, they will grow such hard shells that you may decide you need alcohol to dissolve them.
• Dishonesty: Lying to yourself and to others usually becomes a habit in alcoholism. You lie about how much you drink, when, where, why; about where you have been and with whom; about why you haven’t met responsibilities; about your feelings and values. Dishonesty may be protective in active alcoholism but it’s downright harmful in recovery.

As well as 100% vigilance, you need to take care of your nutrition and dietary supplements.

We recommend Tyrosine Mood Food, necessary for the manufacture of dopamine and noradrenaline, which are required for concentration, alertness, memory and a happy, stable mood. Tyrosine is required for the manufacture of adrenalin in the adrenal glands and most alcoholics suffer with adrenal exhaustion.  The state of your liver has a big impact on your state of mind so that those with a fatty liver may find themselves irritable and moody with a poor memory and difficulty keeping up with life’s demands. Depression and poor sleep may be associated with a fatty liver and these things resolve when we improve the liver function.

We recommend Livatone Plus, a more powerful formula that can support liver function when there are more serious liver problems due to alcoholism.

L-Glutamine is an amino acid and has been shown to improve brain function in alcoholics, resulting in improved sleep, decreased anxiety and a reduced craving for alcohol.

Vegetable juice has been successfully used to clear out fatty livers too. Juicing, along with the above supplements, B-vitamins and Vitamin C, may be a real long-term help with cirrhosis of the liver. We have a great juice book that’s easy to follow and has recipes to help rejuvenate your liver – Raw Juices Can Save Your Life

Magnesium Ultra Potent can be taken before bed to assist with a deep and restful sleep. It also helps to reduce stress, very beneficial to a recovering alcoholic.  Magnesium is also known as the “great relaxer”.

My book, Help for Depression and Anxiety is an excellent read for recovering alcoholics.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.