Staying Sober Under These New Conditions

Are you struggling with staying sober during the time of COVID-19?

Addiction is a disease of isolation. The addict’s mind separates itself from anything positive or good. One of the major reasons that addicts use is to shut off the voices in their heads that tell them they are losers or failures. The addict has suffered trauma, that causes the voices to be intensified. COVID-19 and the stay-at-home orders that have been put in place have isolated the addicts from the tools that they were taught to stay sober.

Challenges of Staying Sober During COVID

The addict was taught tools to apply in their lives, such as fellowshipping with other addicts in recovery. The addict was taught the importance of helping other addicts who are struggling with staying sober. The addict was taught to apply daily disciplines to create structure and balance in their life. Due to COVID-19 and the stay-at-home order, these tools have either been taken away or have been rocked out of place.

The addict has been placed back in the same place that they were when they first got clean and sober. It is like they are brand new again. The normal person can adjust to what changes occur in their lives. The addict is not always good with change. The addict tends to respond from emotion. COVID-19 has created fear and the addict is responding from that place with no drugs to use and needing to learn to apply the tools differently.

COVID-19 has taken away the ability for addicts to meet in person in their regular recovery community meetings. COVID-19 has taken away the ability of addicts to be of service to other addicts in the way of in-person meetings. COVID-19 has taken away the ability to apply a daily way of living that helps the addict strive for a Spiritual way of living. The addict is left in a place of OH MY GOD what do I do?

We know that it is a dangerous place for the addict to be left with their thoughts and feelings, with everything being “taken” away from them. Yes, COVID-19 has taken away things from the addicts that they are used to. We know that this is only a perception of what is going on. Things have changed, but let’s begin to shift the perspective to a new way of living to learn and grow.

12-Step Communities Support Recovery

The 12-step community swiftly adapted by establishing Zoom meetings for its members to maintain connectivity, crucial for those striving towards staying sober. Meetings are available around the clock, providing opportunities for addicts to connect and engage, ranging from intimate settings to larger gatherings with hundreds of participants. Weekend conferences, traditionally held in person, have transitioned to the virtual realm, offering avenues for sharing and seeking help, with the added benefit of accessing meetings globally. Embrace this virtual adventure to find your supportive community and maintain sobriety amidst COVID-19 challenges.

Within the 12-step community, the emphasis lies on meeting new people and sharing experience, strength, and hope, crucial for those focused on staying sober. The current restrictions have limited the opportunity for addicts to help others as they have been taught. Despite these challenges, platforms like Facebook recovery groups and Zoom meetings offer avenues for addicts to seek and offer support, share experiences, and build connections in their journey of staying sober. Engaging in these virtual forums, volunteering for various roles, and actively participating in the recovery community are vital steps for individuals navigating the path to staying sober during these unprecedented times.

Addicts thrive on the fellowship and it creates a bond that they have lacked in life. Zoom meetings open up 30 minutes early and generally stay open for one another to connect. Meetings offer phone lists for the fellowship to stay connected. We challenge you to grab a phone list and call 7 addicts you have never met day every day for 5 days, asking about their lives. Take a risk and get to know someone you don’t know. It is suggested that women stick with women and men stick with men.

COVID-19 may have taken away your way of knowing how to stay clean and sober. The addict can look at it from a place of fear or the addict can change its perspective and look at it from a place of solution. We have provided some solutions to beat the isolation that the addict’s mind has created. The main problem of the addict centers in their mind. COVID-19 may have created changes but the question is, what are you going to do to create positive change in your life?