Getting Sober: Expectation vs. Reality

When we decided to get sober, a lot of has some expectations of what it would be like once we were sober – and we were wrong. This is for anyone who got sober and had expectations for getting sober that didn’t turn out quite how you planned.

Getting Sober: Expectation vs. Reality

Expectation – Life will be boring.

Reality – Life is actually much more enjoyable and you remember everything.

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Expectation – Going to meetings all the time is going to suck.

Reality – You actually enjoy going to meetings and being involved in the recovery scene.

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Expectation – I can’t go out anymore or hang out with my normie friends.

Reality – You can go out and hang out with normies, you just need to be spiritually fit.

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Expectation – Nothing in my life is going to change, I just won’t be drinking and drugging anymore.

Reality – Your life changes completely and nothing is the same anymore, in a good way.

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Expectation – I’m always going to crave alcohol and drugs.

Reality – The obsession to drink and use drugs will be lifted.

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Expectation – All of my problems will disappear.

Reality – Your problems are still there, you will just learn a new way to deal with them.

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Expectation – I might be able to drink and use drugs again one day normally.

Reality – You can never use drugs and alcohol like a normal person, and that’s okay.

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Expectation – My family and friends will trust me again immediately.

Reality – Just like it took time for them to not trust you, it will take just as much time (maybe even longer) to earn their trust back.

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There are so many more things that are going to be different than what you expected once you get sober. I honestly thought that life was going to be so easy when I got sober, turns out it isn’t – but it’s definitely a life worth living today. All of your problems don’t go away; they actually become more apparent once the alcohol and drugs are gone. The difference is you learn to cope and deal with everything differently today and not drink or get high.

Sobriety isn’t boring, either. It’s nice having a good time and actually remembering it today. I only thought I was having a good time in my active addiction, I was really just under the influence all the time – that’s it. Luckily for me, the obsession to drink and use was lifted rather quickly but sometimes it take a little while but if you’re patient, it will be lifted. Going to meetings is not something I have to do today, it’s something I get to do. Thanks to my recovery, I am able to show up today and participate in my journey in sobriety.

You can go wherever you want and do whatever you want today, as long as you are spiritually fit and in the right place mentally! Life does get better and your family and friends will trust you again. The difference between the gifts of recovery and the benefits we had when using and drinking is that recovery requires patience. We are all about instant gratification, and that’s not how life is. If you or a loved one are struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll free 1-800-951-6135.