How to Get Sober Fast: The Best Path to Sobriety

So you’ve decided that drinking and/or using drugs has taken over your life and it’s time to get sober. Perhaps you’ve googled ‘how to get sober fast’ or ‘addiction treatment’ many times to no avail. Whether it’s repetitive and chronic drug use or an occasional drink, you can no longer deal with the consequences of not being sober. 

Getting sober isn’t always as easy as it sounds, but there are plenty of methods and addiction treatment programs out there that can help you make it to sobriety. Reading this article will give you insight into different sobriety methods and their effectiveness in helping those who practice them achieve sobriety.

Address the Core Issue

If you are relapsing and trying to get sober again, that’s a good sign; it shows that you are serious about getting clean and that you are not just giving up. In order to truly recover, you will need to address the reason you started drinking in the first place. If you went through a rough time in your life and drank to cope, you will need to look at other ways to deal with your stress. If you become dependent on alcohol and are trying to figure out how to break that cycle, you will need to look at how you were using it. There are plenty of resources available for you to find out what you can do to address these issues and get back on the right track.

Find Someone Who Can Support You When You Are Unwell

As mentioned above, in your journey to recovery and sobriety, you will need to address whatever issues are leading you to drink. The first step is to find someone who can help you address the reason you started drinking in the first place. You may have developed an unhealthy habit that you will need to seek professional help for. 

When you are getting sober, it’s important to find someone who can support you even in difficult times. This is because when you are first getting clean, it can be incredibly difficult and even painful. Fortunately, you will make it through this, especially with the right help, but it can be an incredibly difficult and confusing process, making one’s support system all the more important. 

Someone who is supportive during these times can help you get through the rough patches in your sobriety. There are a number of ways to find people who can support you when you are unwell. One option is to ask your sober friends who you can trust. If you don’t have any, try looking into a sober support group. You might also try speaking to a counselor or psychologist, or ask your doctor.

Get a Professional Sober Coach

Another great way to find people who can support you when you are unwell is to get a professional to be your sober coach. This could be a professional counselor, psychologist, or medication specialist. If you are having a particularly difficult time, it can be really helpful to have a professional guide you through your recovery. Many different professional coaching agencies, addiction treatment programs, outside recovery organizations, peer groups, and rehab centers offer support for people who are new to getting sober. Some of these professional coaching agencies are specifically designed for people who are getting sober for the first time, which can be really helpful. In order for a professional coach to be able to support you when you are unwell, you will need to tell be honest about your underlying struggles before you are well. Therefore, you should tell your coach about any difficulties you have had or are having when you are getting sober before they become a bigger problem. Your coach will be there to help you overcome these issues.

Avoid Drugs and Alcohol Completely

If you are trying to quit or reduce your use of drugs and/or alcohol, it is very unlikely that you will ever succeed long-term at a completely sober lifestyle if you still use substances throughout the process of becoming sober. These substances are extremely addictive and for people struggling with addiction, consuming them while trying to become sober makes it extremely difficult to completely abstain in the future.

If you have attempted sobriety and have relapsed, you will need to address the issue at hand and make sure that you consume no intoxicating substances while sober. A large number of detox programs and 12-step programs concentrate primarily on the substance itself when trying to treat addiction, rather than targeting the underlying influences of substance use themselves. What many people neglect to mention about sobriety is that you will need to address the reason you started drinking or using drugs, not just the substance itself.

Change Your Lifestyle / Break Old Habits

Even if you are extremely dedicated to getting sober, the process of changing prominent aspects of your lifestyle to do so can be incredibly daunting. You can’t instantly become sober and stop using without first making some adjustments to your regular habits and lifestyle choices.

While it may feel like you have little power over the substance you’re addicted to, you have more autonomy than you might think. One beginning step in finding this autonomy and acting on it is changing your habits so that you find yourself with less opportunity to use.

When you’re trying to change habits, it’s important to be mindful of your triggers. For example, if you tend to drink alone, and your new goals are to stay sober with friends, avoiding drinking when you’re alone is a good habit to develop. Avoiding these situations, however, is easier said than done. This is because we often don’t see ourselves through the eyes of another person. That’s why it’s helpful to be mindful of your triggers. This way, you can avoid drinking at certain times or in certain situations. Avoiding triggers can be difficult, but it does have to be a priority for sobriety to stick.

Detox

When you stop taking certain drugs, your body is forced to eliminate them from your system. This process, called “detoxification,” is why people may experience withdrawal symptoms when they suddenly stop using certain substances such as opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol or cocaine. There are many types of detox programs, including the following:

• Overnight detoxes– These are typically done at a detox facility or medical clinic. You will be administered medications (such as benzodiazepines or opioid blockers) so you can sleep through the discomfort of withdrawal. 
• Home detoxes– If you can handle a detox while staying at home with your family, you will have the best possible experience. Many programs allow you to customize your experience by incorporating nutrition counseling, stress management, herbal therapy, acupuncture, and other healing modalities.  
• Medical detoxes– If you have a serious health condition that is related to drug use, you may want to give a medical detox a try. Medical detox programs are typically less intense and include medications to manage your condition.  
• Short-term detoxes– If you are experiencing an acute drug or alcohol crisis and need to get through it as quickly as possible, a short-term program may be best for you. While these programs can be extremely beneficial, they are often not as nutrient-rich as other types of detox and can leave you vulnerable to relapse.

Addiction Treatment Programs

There are a number of other types of addiction treatment that can help you overcome your addiction. Residential inpatient rehabilitation programs are a type of intensive treatment. The purpose of this type of treatment is to help patients get clean and sober as quickly as possible. There are also outpatient treatment options that you can opt for in addition to inpatient treatment. You can also choose outpatient treatment if you want to avoid an inpatient stay or prefer a less intensive treatment experience.

How to Get Sober Fast

When thinking about getting clean, one of the most commonly asked questions is ‘how long does it take to get sober?’. While recovery is a lifelong process, the following information provides estimates of how long the average addiction detox programs take:

• Alcohol: 30 to 90 days + aftercare support
• Opioids: around one to two weeks, optional one year of medication-assisted treatment
• Cocaine: 5 days on average, with many months of follow up aftercare
• Benzodiazepines: around 20 days (without additional aftercare) 

It’s important to note that everyone’s recovery process is different, and do not be discouraged if your detox process doesn’t take the exact estimated length of time listed above. 

Bottom Line

Support is important in any relationship, but it is especially important in a relationship when one person is in recovery for alcohol or drug addiction and trying to remain sober. The key is to find people who will support you when you are uncomfortable or in pain, whether they be your family, friends, coworkers, therapists or professionals, or even strangers. It is important to remember that support is a two way street; you also have to be willing to give support. While it might be difficult to ask for help when you are getting sober, it is important to remember that recovery is not easy, and it is okay to ask for, and receive, help when you need it.

Trust the Experts

Addiction and mental health disorders can affect anyone. If you or a loved one are currently wondering how to get sober fast, help is available! We encourage you to reach out to the professionals at Oasis Recovery to learn more about our personalized treatment programs and mental health services. Oasis Recovery was founded from firsthand experience of addiction and recovery, with a mission of providing a space where people can heal from addiction in a compassionate, creative, open-minded, and heart-centered environment. We believe recovery is always possible. Our experts work with you to design a treatment plan that fits your needs. Common treatment programs include:

• Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP)
• Full-time Addiction Treatment on campus
• Aftercare Services

Contact us today for more information about how our programs and services can help you get your life back on track. You no longer have to struggle with this on your own. We are here to help.