Building a Sober Lifestyle

"It always seems impossible Until it is done."

Nelson Mandela

There is a big difference between quitting and building a sober lifestyle. Quitting is 10% of your change and building a sober lifestyle is the other 90%.

How do I know when it is time to quit?

Most people I have worked with who have an alcohol addiction also have a very strong desire to see themselves as a social drinker. Social drinking is one drink daily for women and two drinks daily for men (CDC). How do you know when it is time to quit? It can be when loved ones are expressing concern or when you are explaining away risky experiences. NIAAA defines heavy drinking as consuming 4-6 drinks a day or 14 drinks per week for men and more than 3 drinks a day or more than 7 drinks a week for women. Only 10% of Americans dealing with addiction receive professional help. You don’t need to try to deal with this on your own. If addiction has gotten the best of you, there is hope. We ask that you not delay. We are here to assess your situation, help you learn how to successfully manage the cravings, and to find more healthy ways of coping.

As human beings our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world..as in being able to remake ourselves.

Mahatma Ganhdhi

Some of the additional concerns leading people to Arbor Family Counseling:

How do I build a sober lifestyle?

Building a sober lifestyle is similar to building any other type of healthy lifestyle. Arbor counselors can help you to develop your own sobriety plan which is just as difficult as it is exciting. When an addiction has taken over the pleasure centers in your brain, you are left with an initial sobriety that feels dull and unexciting.

Arbor Family Counseling’s therapists provide the necessary education, support and encouragement to help you in your effort to establish a sobriety-centered lifestyle for yourself that is fulfilling and rewarding. We will help you align once again with your values, your vision of yourself and your life goals.

A sober lifestyle often involves reconnecting with the supportive people, healthy food, and exercise habits you have engaged with before the addiction took over. New routines will carry you forward into a different lifestyle, changing your brain and strengthening new ways of feeling joy and peace.

Ready to begin your journey into recovery?

Relapse Prevention

How often have you heard this myth?

“People who relapse don’t really want recovery badly enough.”

It’s important to remember that it is simply that: a myth. Less than 20% of people receiving treatment for alcohol remain alcohol-free for one year. If you are one of the many people who have relapsed in spite of treatment and/or recovery efforts, you probably have plenty of pain in your life.

For people sober for 2 years, 60% will remain alcohol free. There is hope, and help is available.

With relapse prevention therapy, you can identify your warning signs that lead to relapse, and learn to manage these signs while you are still in recovery.

Different issues people come in for Relapse Prevention therapy include:

Alcohol
Overspending
Other Drugs
Pornography
Gambling
Other obsessive-compulsive behaviors

Arbor Family Counseling has therapists trained specifically in relapse prevention, designed to help you improve your ability to effectively-manage the thoughts, feelings, urges, behaviors, and relationships contributing to relapse. This further reduces the chance of relapse going forward.

For Individuals

We welcome you into a partnership meant to assist in telling your story, learning your voice, making peace, and finding inner strengths to use in the healing process. We know it takes courage to call us, and we promise to meet you with compassion and encouragement.

For Couples

Life is in balance when our relationships are “working.” While perfection in a relationship is unrealistic, joy emerges when couples learn how to address concerns without blame or escalation. When you feel your partner trying, an intimate reconnection is easier to achieve.

For Families

Families encounter many challenges and changes once kids arrive, and those changes continue as they grow! Arbor professionals work with your family to strengthen communication, problem-solving, and bring enjoyment and peace back into your lives.