Not So Easy Street By: Greg F.

10 Ways to Beat the Urge in Recovery

By Greg F.

We’ve seen many recovered addicts get sober for a few weeks or a few months. If they got sober for a few months, they made some things right.  Maybe they made amends to family and friends. They found a job, bought a car, got an apartment, adopted a dog. Then, they picked up the drugs or alcohol, again.

When a sober addict “goes back out,” the guilt and shame of using returns. The promises they made to family and friends, bosses, and creditors are broken. This is the deadly cycle of our disease.

Here are 10 ways to beat the urge to pick up a drink or drug (in the face of anything that life can possibly throw at you):

1. Remember the phrase “One Day at a Time.” –– Here’s a reminder that there are only 24 hours in a day. If you can make it through this one day sober, tomorrow will be better.
2. Call your sponsor. –– If you don’t know the answer to why you’re feeling like relapsing right now, your sponsor or favorite sober friend does. Reach out and get honest, fast.
3. Make a gratitude list. –– Grab a pen and paper and write a list of things you are grateful for in the midst of a crisis, and watch your perspective shift.
4. Attend a 12-step meeting. –– Go, and share if need be. Or just go and listen. Maybe you’ll make a friend and the problem you’re having will fade into nothing.
5. Commit estimable acts. –– Struggling with low self-esteem? Then, the solution is to commit estimable acts. Knowing that you helped without gaining recognition is key.
6. Pray and meditate. –– Feeling overwhelmed? Ask your Higher Power for help. “Help” and “Thanks” are the two basic prayers. Next, relax and leave it in God’s hands.
7.  Exercise — It doesn’t have to be rigorous. During a tough time, a walk around the neighborhood could be powerful for helping you reset and finding the answer within.
8.  Do something you love. –– Throw yourself into whatever interests you. If you always wanted to learn the piano or read War and Peace, then recovery is your chance.
9.  Sweets — Too much sugar isn’t healthy, but sweets are a great alternative during activities like a concert or a card game, which used to involve drugs and alcohol.
10.  Simply don’t drink or use. –– When all else fails, not picking it up will keep you sober. Remember, “This too shall pass,” is one of the wisest phrases ever uttered.

An old recovery joke:

Q: You know how to make old addict?

A: Don’t use and don’t die.

“It is a spiritual axiom that every time we are disturbed, no matter what the cause, there is something wrong with us.”

— Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 90

Greg F. recently celebrated eight years free from drugs and alcohol. He has contributed to The Grove social media accounts in the past and served as a writing intern for The Grove in the fall of 2024, working toward a master’s degree in English from Southeastern Louisiana University. He is the author of two self-published books and a big fan of Gretsch Guitars.