How to Have Fun in Sobriety: Addiction Recovery Resources

Photo by Javier Allegue Barros

Originally Posted On: https://futuresrecoveryhealthcare.com/blog/addiction-recovery-resources/

Recovery and sobriety are becoming more and more common today. Individuals from a multitude of age groups, genders, ethnicities, socio-economic levels, educational and family backgrounds, and occupations are living happy, fulfilling, and productive lives in recovery. And for many—having the time of their lives.

Addiction and alcoholism are running rampant in our society today. However, recovery from both of these types of addiction, substance use disorders, and alcohol use disorders is happening more each day. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), about one-third of adults in the United States who were once dependent on alcohol are now fully in recovery.

That’s a lot of people living in recovery. The 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported there were 14.4 million adults in the United States with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) with another approximate 1.1 million seeking treatment each year. And those numbers are just in the United States.

The fact is there are millions of people not just living in recovery but having the best times of their lives being sober. You can too. If you are in recovery but struggling to have fun rest assured there are lots of ways to reclaim your life and find joy, adventure, and fun.

If you are currently struggling with an active addiction to drugs or alcohol you too can reclaim your life. It starts with the first step—seeking help. While this may seem simple to many, anyone who’s lived with addiction knows this can often be the most difficult step to take.

Finding the right treatment facility with a compassionate, experienced team can make all the difference. Futures Recovery Healthcare knows there’s more than one path to recovery. Offering three main programs; Core, Orenda, and The Experiential Program with specific areas of focus and support like co-occurring disorders, wellness and nutrition, detox, alumni groups, and more, Futures aims to help anyone who wants to recover from addiction to make it happen.

It’s no secret that life in active addiction, whether to alcohol or drugs, is different than life in recovery. The fears associated with these differences can keep many from seeking the help they so desperately need. However, many others have been fearful and uncertain but have decided to face these fears. The results? For most, it’s a life worth living again filled with much of what they had only dared to dream about.

Many people have either drank alcohol or used the substance of their choice for many long years. Drinking alcohol or using some sort of substance has become something they associate with everything they do. From activities like happy hour with colleagues from the office and a night on the town to socialize to sporting events and concerts so many simply can’t comprehend life without alcohol or drugs.

If you find yourself in this situation, knowing something needs to change but not knowing how your life will look, it’s important to know you’re not alone. There are treatment centers who have addiction recovery resources and have helped hundreds of others gain the skills, hobbies, and habits to not just function in recovery, but actually come to love their lives—some for the first time ever.

Life is about change. Whether we like it or not, things are always evolving and changing. Many have been taught to fear change. However, change can be a very good thing. The change from active addiction to life in recovery is one of those good changes. When you approach the transition with excitement, optimism, and hope you too will find life in recovery so much better than life in active addiction.

Recovery offers restored relationships, peace of mind, the good feeling that comes when you give back to others, and so much more. As life goes on, it’s all about evolving, growing, and seeking. Staying stagnant offers a life of the same over and over. With growth comes adventure, dreams coming true, and more.

One of the most common things an individual hears in the beginning stages of recovery is that they have to change people, places, and things in order to maintain long-lasting recovery. This can definitely be true.

So knowing this, it’s important to have a plan and put new people, places, and things into your life that support your recovery and know where to find addiction recovery resources.

Some people in recovery have had lifelong friends with people who may not support their recovery. Establishing new friendships with those who are also sober and have common interests is key to long-term recovery. Oftentimes, this begins with where you get treatment.

Addiction treatment centers are everywhere today. Choosing one that will best meet your individual needs is a crucial first step in recovery. One component to look for when choosing an addiction treatment center is alumni groups. Alumni groups are composed of former patients who received treatment at that facility. At Futures, the alumni groups are very active and provide helpful addiction recovery resources. Meeting monthly and engaging in a community outing monthly as well, the alumni interaction at Futures is a significant factor in long-lasting recovery.

One of the unique aspects of Futures’ alumni groups is the ‘coining in’ ceremony. For those patients who have completed their course of treatment at Futures, rather than just ‘walking out the door’ they are welcomed into the strong alumni family of Futures and aftercare programs.

Each letter of ‘coin’ represents something significant in recovery:

C-Courage

O-Open Arms

I-Investment

N-New Life

In addition to alumni groups and ‘coining in’, Futures has the Days of Ascent program. During this two-day event, Futures alumni are ‘paired’ with current Futures patients. This mentorship helps not only the person who is residing at Futures undergoing treatment but also the alumni to both stay sober. The current patients get to see first-hand what life in sobriety looks like as well as begin to build connections with others in sobriety outside of treatment.

Returning alumni get to share their stories with others and help them on their road to recovery. Futures’ staff, alumni, and current patients all find this day one of hope and inspiration. These are just a few ways Futures supports the ongoing recovery of their alumni.

And while connecting with programs, new interests, and others who are also sober during treatment is vitally important, forming new connections once an individual leaves treatment is vital to long-lasting recovery. In fact, research shows that long term support and long term recovery go hand in hand.

When it comes to support in the community,  the twelve-step programs are the most commonly attended and easy to find. Twelve-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) have been around since the 1930s and 1950s respectively.

All major cities and even most major towns in the United States have regular AA or NA meetings. In fact, according to AA, there are more than 118,000 groups worldwide and AA meetings can be found in 180 countries across the globe. With meetings for agnostics, women only, men only, LGBTQs, young people, and more, there’s a meeting where everyone will find a connection with another like-minded person in sobriety. These meetings and many of the ‘old-timers’ in the meetings can provide excellent addiction recovery resources for newcomers.

Many of these twelve-step groups have activities such as cookouts, holiday parties, seasonal trips like camping and skiing, weekly dinners, and much more. Connecting with a support group once you leave treatment is a great way to start making new friends and doing new, fun, sober activities.

Addiction to chaos and drama sometimes becomes a part of a person’s life who once battled an alcohol use disorder or substance use disorder. Putting down the substance is one part of the addiction to overcome but often replacing chaos and drama with healthy activities is the next step.

For those who have become accustomed to a fast-paced life or one filled with high drama, engaging in creativity and adventure can provide a needed outlet. Depending on the length and severity of a person’s addiction, remembering what they liked to do may be hard to do. In fact, many times those in recovery find they discover things they like to do that they never did before.

Engaging in activity-based programs while in treatment can bolster one’s journey in recovery. There are certain treatment centers that offer activities to help patients not only find new hobbies and interests but also work as a team, gain confidence, and learn to face fears. Living in recovery is all about getting out of your comfort zone, finding a treatment program that encourages this and supports this can be a salvation for many.

Futures Experiential Program is one such program. Emphasizing experiential and adventure-based programming to help clients get out of their comfort zones, clients engage in fishing adventures, paddle boarding, scuba diving, wave running, and more. Not only do clients build confidence and find new activities they enjoy, but they also learn their own responses to stress, how to better cope with stressful situations, and identify personal issues during these interpersonal interactions that can be addressed quickly in therapy.

Whether you go to a treatment center where you can learn new hobbies and skills or not, you can still discover the life you were meant to live when you break free from addiction to alcohol or another substance. Life in recovery can be vibrant, bright, peaceful, and fun!

If you or someone you love is ready to reclaim your life Futures Recovery Healthcare is here for you. Contact us confidentially online or by phone at 561-475-1804 to learn more or take the first step towards recovery. Remember, you aren’t alone, there is help and there is hope.