My Core Strategies to Stay Alcohol-Free
After six and a half years sober, this is what keeps me going.
This essay originally appeared in the Exploring Sobriety newsletter.
It’s been over six and a half years since I quit drinking, and my approach to sobriety has changed quite a bit over that time.
During my first year sober, my biggest challenges were:
- Getting through cravings.
- Learning to control my mood.
- Improving my mental health.
The strategies that I used to stay sober during that year were designed to directly address these problems. I counted my days sober to provide self-encouragement. I “played the tape” to visualize my way through cravings. I worked with a therapist to improve my mood. Each of these tools was focused on resisting cravings and developing a positive mindset.
However, after so many years without drinking, my old problems have — more or less — disappeared. The cravings are gone altogether. My mood isn’t always perfect, but it no longer fluctuates so wildly from day to day. My mental health is in the best state of my entire adult life.
As I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, there’s always a chance that my old challenges will return, and if they do…
