There are so many “simple” tools that I can do in order to live a drug/alcohol free life. I’ve taken the time to list a few. Over time I will add more.
1. Read the Bible for wisdom.
2. Pray to open my line of communication with God.
3. Strive at all times to be a servant.
4. I have a routine that I rarely deviate from. Each day I perform things that strengthen my mind, body and spirit.
5. I get in touch with my sponsor on a daily basis.
6. I reach out to people in the “program” often. Even if its just a text message to say hello.
7. If I am in a bad mood I have informed those close to me what I use as solutions. Pray, Bible, go to the gym.
8. Whenever I am stressed, feeling alone or dwelling on the negative I ask for help/prayer.
9. I never go down an aisle at the grocery store that has alcohol.
10. If I am doing a 12 Step call, I never go alone.
11. When visiting an establishment that has a “bar”, I always have a friend who knows my story.
12. If thoughts of my past concerning partying pop up, I refocus on the fact that I will die if I relapse.
13. I remember that I always have a choice. No one can force me to drink or do drugs.
14. I surround myself with people who know what my dreams are and they remind me of it when I get distracted.
15. Movies like: Blow, Dazed & Confused, Scarface, etc. are no longer watched.
16. If I watch a show like Intervention, if the addiction deals with cocaine, alcohol, ecstasy or marijuana…I turn the channel.
17. Unless it is a movie premiere, special event or its a late night gym visit…I am always home before midnight.
18. I found “hobbies” that I enjoy. Crossfit, martial arts, gym, writing this blog, watching movies, reading books, etc.
19. If I ever feel uncomfortable in a situation (people drunk at a dinner, seeing an old drug associate at an event)…I leave.
20. I never forget that my recovery is a gift from God. I dont take anything for granted and give all the glory to Him.
Please feel free to add to the list.
Tweets...
David
Don’t reply to or seek out old girlfriends on Facebook.
May 19, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Ivy
1. Don’t Drink or Use NO MATTER WHAT. Get involved with others, be a part of, and surround yourself with sobriety.
2. Service, service, service-help someone who is worse off than you are, find commitments, be held accountable… find those who have what you want, and stick with them like glue.
May 19, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Ryan Scheibel
In my journey of sobriety i have learned so much, and learning something new everyday! God is transforming me into the man i have always wanted to be. I like the quote “when the student is ready, then the teacher will appear”. I came to the point in my life where i was desperate for something bigger than drugs and alcohol because all i could see was death staring me in the eyes with that path. I went to rehab and found God and AA which was the “Bigger” that i was looking for and the basic footprints on how to live my life under life terms! Here are a few tools for my sobriety:
If we become addicted to any substance or behavior, the addiction begins to rule our lives-the addiction comes first, ahead of God or Just about anything else. And whenever we relegate God to a secondary position in our hearts and minds, we always suffer.
B.I.B.L.E = Basic. Instruction. Before. Leaving. Earth
Commandment # 1 Says that God is #1
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 KJV
I try to have a One-to-one relationship with the Creator.
I have 3 trustworthy men in my life that i talk to daily that i can tell them anything and all my thoughts, and who will watch my back, and hold me accountable! One of those men is my awesome sponcer Which i have worked all 12 steps with him and continue to do so. These 3 guys are my most faithful allies and advisors. The key is “TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST & TRUTHFUL WITH THESE MEN” Don’t hold nothing back!
Prayer works amazing! I try to pray daily and as often as i can! instead of turning things over in our minds, let us turn them over to God in prayer. Instead of worrying about our decisions, let’s trust God to help us make them. Let us pray constantly about things great and small. God is listening, and He wants to hear from us Now.
The Creator has promised that with His help, you can resist every single temptation that confronts you. When it comes to fighting Satan, you are never alone. God is always with you, and if you do your part He will do His part. The first step on the way to victory is to recognize the enemy.
God is bigger than your problems. Whatever worries press upon you today, put them in Gods hands and leave them there. – Billy Graham
Also i have a group of friends that i see throughout the week that have the same goals and wants in there life that i want. You are who you spend time with. Your friends are a reflection of yourself! If you want to be a winner, then do what the winners do.
I have a church that i call home that i go to every Sunday! I have learned that Church is a place to fill yourself up and to give yourself away. It’s a place where you become a part of something much bigger than yourself.
It’s about serving God by going out into the world and serving others. Sharing the good news of God and AA. Giving back to what was given to you! Everyday of your life, God is tugging you in a particular direction, the direction He wants you to go! And most of the time we tend to go our way instead of His way.
WHATEVER YOUR CHALLENGE, WHATEVER YOUR TROUBLE, GOD CAN HANDLE IT
May 19, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Justin B.
Tool: a means by which something is done or obtained
Have you ever tried to repair something, or do something without the proper tool. Like assemble anything from IKEA with just a hammer, a screwdriver, and maybe a pair of pliers? I have, it didn’t work so well. For me this analogy applies to my “sober” life. If I don’t use the right tools, from the right toolbox, I’m doomed. It is going to be difficult or, down right impossible to stay sober for any extended period of time.
Inventory of Justin’s Sobriety Toolbox:
TOP SHELF:
-Bible (for wisdom and strength)
-Prayer (for guidance, comfort0
-Daily Devotions
-Honesty
Second Shelf:
-Sponsor
-Meetings
-Contact with Friends in recovery
-Servanthood
-Openness
-Willingess
-STAYING CONNECTED
-Prayer (Constant communication with God my Creator)
Drawers:
-Daily Goals (reviewing throughout the day)
-Workout Body and Mind
-Prayer
Now as I write this, I can honestly say I do not always use my tools. I still struggle on a daily basis to even reach in there. Thats when I have to be completely honest with myself and be reminded that when I try to live my life by my will I fail myself and God’s plan for my life. Selfishness always leads me back to darkness, despair,and more often than not DRUNK.
This is our fight, our battle…
David,who wrote Psalm 23 marched into a fight with Goliath, exclaiming “The battle is the Lord’s (1 Samuel 17:47). In all his battles, he led his armies witnessing God taking control over all his victories. David says “I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4). David knew a little about being fearless.
I think about David and his fearlessness daily. It came from knowing that he was never alone. “The battle is the Lord’s”, and “for you are with me” I gain courage on a daily basis when I think of David. No matter what we are facing, a difficult situation, or aspect of our lives, God is with us. There is nothing we cannot do without the power of God by our sides.
So whenever I am in need, all I really need to do is reach for my toolbox, and look on the Top Shelf. There I find God. As long as I search for him, I will find him. He is all I need, and he is always with me.
May 20, 2010 at 5:48 am
Frank B
Make a contribution. Early in my sobriety I felt that my life had no direction or meaning. I had to find a place to contribute…to give of myself. Some do it through commitments at meetings, some through sponsoring others, others find that place at their work or their church. I have found that place at my church and it is now a very important part of my life. When we spend our lives living only for ourselves we tend to fall back into the old lifestyle of always seeking to please ourselves…to do whatever makes us happy at the moment. We end up with no other point to our life except to feed our own desires and this can lead us back to our old habits. By getting involved we others we free ourselves from the need to be a slave to our own desires.
May 20, 2010 at 6:50 am
Tweets that mention 20 Practical Tools For My Sobriety | Sanitize Your Soul -- Topsy.com
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May 20, 2010 at 11:51 am
Karen
Jon, very well said. I have noticed that my friends in recovery all have found what works best for them. Everyone is a little different. Mine varies a little from yours, but not much… we have the same idea. I too know the importance of having a set daily/weekly routine when you are in recovery from drugs and/or alcohol and the importance of not veering away from it.
I know when I get a crazy thought, either a lie my head is telling me, or an idea to go use, I tell someone immediately, ask God to remove it and revert my attention to someone in need of help. This NEVER fails.
1. Prayer and God’s word: I get on my knees to pray to my Creator. I realized that my will sucks and the God’s will has proven to work better than mine, so I try to give Him my day before I even have any opportunity to mess it up. Surrender all throughout the day. I pray all of the time. For myself and for loved ones, even strangers I see in need. It is crucial to read God’s word to get a better understanding of Him and my purpose. God says, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7 I need to trust God and believe that what I pray for will come true.
2. Stretch: This relaxes my body before I can get all tense in fear or worry.
3. Eat: When I was using and drinking I had very poor eating habits. I can see now how it effects my moods in a negative way.
4. Go to the gym: Exercise is so healthy for you body, mind and soul. It gets your endorphins going and releases other feel goods into your brain. When you look good, you feel so good about yourself. Esteem-able acts give you self-esteem. Also, if you are new to recovery, exercise helps tremendously for detoxing.
5. Eat again: I found what works best for me is to make sure I eat, so my body and mind don’t have a chance to get into negative thinking as a result of not eating.
6. Meetings: I need meetings more than I like to admit. They help me remember the importance of my recovery and gratitude. It is so easy for addicts and alcoholics to forget everything good that we have learned in recovery if we are not constantly reminded. Also it is a great place to give back what I have be given and God will bless me more for that.
7. Church: Also another support group that I need and absolutely love. It is healthy to be reminded of God’s love. I grew up learning of a punishing and condemning God and need so badly to be reminded that God is crazy about me and only wants what is best for me. Also it is a great place to give back what I have be given and God will bless me more for that.
8. Take care of me: Either a nice bubble bath with a face mask, candles, music, and relaxation or to get my nails done or to do them myself. Pamper myself, I go tanning and if I was rich I would go get massages. Go take care of your personal needs and pamper yourself. We didn’t know how to love ourselves and now we have the opportunity to learn and it feels so good. In this world it is so hard to love someone that doesn’t love themselves. They are always striving for more and more and more! I was that women once and it doesn’t work!
9. Helping others in need: Giving back what we have so freely been given is one of the most healing acts of love we can do. I believe that God arranged it so beautifully, that if we help someone grow closer to Him and His will, we are blessed for it. Win win. It is perfectly orchestrated isn’t it?
10. Friends: People in your life who love and understand you will save your life. For me they have stopped me from making stupid decisions and been there for me when I seriously needed them. A key factor in recovery and life in general.
11. Have fun and smile: I can’t take my life so seriously, I am not that big of a deal and it isn’t ALL about me! I thought life would be miserable sober. I went snowboarding for the first time, not smoking pot or drinking, and it took some getting used to. But now, I don’t even think about it anymore. Life at first will be very different without your self medicating. It gets better and better and I have gotten to the point where I am so grateful that I don’t have to use or drink to do anything in my life today. I wouldn’t have stuck around this long if this thing was boring. It works if you work it!
12. Be clean and organized: It will make you feel good about yourself when you remember to pay bills and clean your laundry. And you’ll get more guys/girls that way.
13. Stay away: If it will make me fantasize about drugs and alcohol, I don’t go. Stay away, call somebody, do whatever it takes to not go to those places. That is MY responsibility. If I go, I know I’m askin for it.
I’m sure there’s more, but I gotta get on with my day
The Bible and the Big Book are my guides. In fact the are very similar if you think about it. God has a great plan that seemed strict at first, but now it all make sense to me and he really has my best interest at heart and I love Him for that
He wants what’s best for me, what a great guy…to say the least 
May 21, 2010 at 8:46 am
Jon
Thanks to everyone who left comments. What you all shared was way deeper than anything I expected.
May 24, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Sal
IBID (Thx!)
June 2, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Alcoholism
Timeless info. I can’t tell you how often we discuss topics like this in group. If drunks are seekers why are they so lost. And if they are just hiding, why do they always get found.
October 24, 2010 at 5:47 am
Alcoholic
We just discussed this last night in group. Everytime someone relapses, which is all to frequently, we have to go over what happened and devise tactics to defeat it next time. Sometimes that means re-visiting the basics and sometimes it gets a lot more complicated. Anyway, thanks for sharing.
October 24, 2010 at 7:38 am
Jon
Its been well over 3.5 years since my last drink or drug. For those that new to the program or just starting over again. Dont ever give up. This illness is one that can be defeated. It may not seem that way at the moment but trust me….you can do this. If you have any prayer request, email me at sanitizeyoursoulministries@gmail.com Have a blessed day!
November 3, 2010 at 7:03 am
Alcoholic
I’ve met a number of drug addicts in my group. Pyschological trauma seems to be the one thing that ties us all together. I haven’t met an addict yet who hadn’t had something bad happen to them.
October 24, 2010 at 8:18 am