5 Things No One Tells You about Your 2nd Year of Sobriety

In your first year of sobriety, everything is so new and exciting. Every single month is a huge milestone and then you get 1 year sober, which is a huge accomplishment! After you achieve one year of sobriety, there are a lot of things that people don’t tell you about that 2^nd year that I find very important to share with you. So here are 5 things that no one tells you about your 2^nd year of sobriety.

5 Things No One Tells You about Your 2^nd Year of Sobriety: It’s an Emotional Year

They say that the 1^st year is about physical health, the 2^nd year is emotional and the 3^rd year is spiritual. In that first year it really is a lot about physical health and awareness; in the second year it is definitely a year of emotional growth. For me, right after my 1^st year it was like I jumped on a crazy rollercoaster ride with my emotions. I had started feeling things in the 1^st year but it was like life really showed up in the 2^nd year. It was difficult having all these emotions and not really knowing what to do with them and just having to learn to feel them. I highly recommend sticking close to your sponsor through the emotional ups and downs of year 2 of recovery.

5 Things No One Tells You about Your 2^nd Year of Sobriety: In Some Ways, It’s Harder Than the 1^st Year

It is crazy to think anything can be harder than that first year of sobriety; but in some cases it gets a lot harder in the 2^nd year. You no longer have that excuse of saying that you are newly sober, you have a little bit of time and experience now and need to really deal with life on life’s terms. Now is the time to really start reaching out to others and helping your fellow alcoholic or addict.

5 Things No One Tells You about Your 2^nd Year of Sobriety: You Get Bored & Stagnant

Yes, sobriety is amazing and I wouldn’t trade this life for anything; but sometimes you can start to get bored and stagnant in your life. When you feel yourself getting bored it is always great to switch up your meetings and venture out and try new things. In my second year of recovery, I literally changed my meetings entirely. In sobriety, we are constantly growing and changing and you can’t continue to do that if you aren’t continuing to make changes a long with it.

5 Things No One Tells You about Your 2^nd Year of Sobriety: You Also Get Very Busy

I know it doesn’t make much sense to have getting bored and being busy right next to each other, but it is possible to actually have both of these things happen! In your 2^nd year, you have a lot more responsibilities such as work, maybe paying off debt, going to meetings, working with sponsees and your sponsor and more. It will amaze you how fast that 2^nd year flies by once you look back on it. You are constantly busy but also getting yourself into somewhat of a routine. For me it has turned into work, meetings, sponsorship and family. Just make sure you find a way to balance all of it out the best you can.

5 Things No One Tells You about Your 2^nd Year of Sobriety: You Stop Being Drawn to the Drama

When I first got sober, gossiping and drama and going to meetings to see my friends was what it was all about. In the 2^nd year, it certainly changed for me. You end up genuinely going to meetings because you want to be there for your recovery. It is no longer appealing to gossip about others and worry about the drama going on with other people. You start to see that some meetings are just cliquey and a social gathering and start going to meetings that focus on the actual meeting itself. In my 2^nd year I found it very important to start attending more women meetings. I was at a point where I would go to meetings and unintentionally be just checking out guys. I started to see that I was better off going to all-women meetings if I wanted to truly focus on me and my program. Realistically, if you really want recovery and are willing to do whatever it takes to stay sober, you should have no problem surviving the 2^nd year of sobriety. It may be tough, but it is absolutely worth it. If you or a loved one are struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll free 1-800-951-6135.