Every year Americans make New Year’s resolutions to live healthier lives, whether by being more compassionate with others, eating better, getting more exercise, or getting sober. The problem with the new year, new me resolutions is that they often start strong, only to fail in the end. Think about all your canceled gym memberships, the romaine lettuce that went bad in your fridge, the person that cut you off on I-95 that you flipped off, and the time you decided being sober was not for you and went back to drinking or using.
If you intend to get sober in the new year, you need an approach to sobriety that is healthy, sustainable, and effective. An individual therapy program can help you build the skills to keep your New Year’s resolution and live a more stable life. At Atlanta Center for Mental Health, our individual therapy programs will help you identify and combat unhealthy habits and build positive habits for a healthy approach to living sober. To learn how Atlanta Center for Mental Health can help you, call 833.625.0458.
Keeping to Your New Year’s Resolution
First, some people fixate on New Year as the best time to make a life change or decide to be sober. This can lead to an unhealthy approach to sobriety. If you are using New Year’s Eve as the last hoo-rah, you may not be ready to commit to sobriety, and you are putting yourself at risk for overdose, alcohol poisoning, and death. Then following New Year’s Eve, if you relapse, it can become easy to justify continuing to use drugs or alcohol.
All or nothing thinking is toxic. Sobriety and recovery take work, and it is not always perfect. If you are serious about this attempt at sober living, why wait until January 1 to decide that you need sobriety? You can choose sobriety any day of the year and make it a resolution to work on it daily for the rest of your life. While we can’t help you with your resolution to eat more salad, we can help you with your resolution to get and stay sober.
If you are ready to decide to be sober in the new year, Atlanta Center for Mental Health can offer support and advice. Some tips for staying sober as you enter the New Year include:
- Seek out resources
- Find a support group
- Evaluate your environment and cut out toxic influences
- Set achievable goals along the way
- Don’t let setbacks derail your progress
- Connect with a mental health professional
Getting and Living Sober
The first step at getting and living sober is entering medical detox. Atlanta Center for Mental Health helps you safely and comfortably detox from drugs and alcohol. Medical detox is where you begin your journey into recovery. You can also do many things to help ensure that your attempt at sobriety succeeds this new year and beyond.
You may decide to seek professional treatment, whether through an inpatient or outpatient program. An individual therapy program could give you extra accountability and help you navigate early sobriety. Another important decision in early recovery may be to enter community housing. Community housing is a sober environment where you can relearn how to live without drugs and alcohol with the help of sober housing aids. It can also be helpful to get out of an environment in which you were using or drinking. It’s also essential to ask for support from friends and family, who play integral parts in the healing process. Families are encouraged to participate in the treatment process since they, too, are affected by addiction.
Outside of treatment, it is important to find a support group. These support groups can help you maintain long-term sobriety and guide you through the steps of recovery. Discovering new hobbies such as exercise or art can help you take your mind off using and teach your brain positive coping skills. It rewires our brains when we constantly use drugs or alcohol, so teaching yourself new things to enjoy could positively impact your attempt at long-term sobriety this new year. Something that will help you as you move from early sobriety onward is giving back to your community by volunteering and making it a goal every day to be the best version of yourself. Doing things for others can encourage you and galvanize your own journey towards recovery.
Deciding to be Sober? Learn More About Treatment Options at Atlanta Center for Mental Health
At Atlanta Center for Mental Health, we believe the individual makes the difference. Our staff understands how you feel, and many other people have been where you are now, desperately looking for a change. We want to share recovery with you. Our staff will work with you to create an individualized treatment plan in our therapy program. No two people are the same, so why should their treatment be?
We utilize a variety of resources in your recovery, including:
- Holistic, multidisciplinary care
- Evidence-based treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
- Vocational training
- Legal support
- Aftercare planning
Our treatment center offers inpatient care for primary mental health diagnoses and medical detox from drugs and alcohol. You do not have to live in pain and sorrow in the new year. Get help now by calling Atlanta Center for Mental Health at 833.625.0458 or filling out our online contact form.
