So identify other activities you like and multiply them. Whether we are exercising or spending time with friends, “we need another outlet to fill the void left by alcohol,” said Dr. Murphy said.
Find your people.
You are more likely to successfully remember alcohol if you have support. “Tell as many of your friends and family members as possible that you can feel safe about this,” said Dr. Murphy said.
It also helps to connect with others who share your goal. Personal support meetings have become difficult to access in the pandemic, but help has increased online. Free sobriety support communities with virtual meetings include Alcoholics, SMART Recovery, SheRecovers, In the Rooms, Eight Step Recovery, Refuge Recovery, Recovery Dharma and LifeRing. No good lighting or charisma is required or expected; connect from your phone while walking in a park or sitting in your car.
“I’m going to two meetings a day now,” said Braunwyn Windham-Burke, a reality TV star whose sobriety journey currently takes place on season 15 of “The Real Housewives of Orange County.” “It’s so easy because it’s in my bedroom.”
One of the Tempest members, Valentine Darling, 32, of Olympia, Wash., Also finds virtual meetings more LGBTQ-friendly. “I feel safe sitting next to my houseplants, so I’m more fully present and I’m more genuine too: I wear dresses and express my gender without worrying that anyone will follow me home.”
Many organizations have meetings specifically for people of color, certain age groups or even occupations. Ben’s Friends is a sobriety group for restaurant workers. “We speak a common language in restaurants,” said co-founder Steve Palmer. “You find that,” OK, he’s a line cook. She’s a bartender. These are my people. ‘”
Understand what recovery means to you.
If your month of sobriety was relatively easy to achieve, consider it a recovery. But if you are struggling to keep up with your plan, you may need more than group meetings. You may have AUD, which is a disease, not a moral defect, and it needs treatment like any disease. The most effective form of recovery usually involves long-term behavioral therapies and community support as well as medication, if needed.