Why the New Year May Be the Best Time to Get Sober

Making the commitment to get sober is often one of the most difficult steps in the sobriety journey. There is never a perfect time to get sober, but the end of one year and the beginning of another is a great opportunity to make some changes in your life.

If you’ve been teetering on the edge of a decision for a while now, the start of 2018 may be a great time for you to finally get sober. Whether you’ve tried several times before or this is your first attempt at sobriety, here are five reasons why now might be a great time to enroll in a detox program and begin your sobriety journey.

1. A new year is a new beginning.

In American culture, we view the start of the new year as a time to make life changes, to reflect on the past year, and to celebrate a new season in life. As such, the start of a new year is a new beginning, and it is a great time to make major changes to our behaviors, habits, and attitudes about life.

2. You may be more motivated.

The holiday season and the new year is also a time when many people feel more hopeful and optimistic about life. This may be especially true for you if you are internally motivated to pursue a life of sobriety. In substance abuse treatment, motivation is extremely important, and it plays a large role in treatment outcomes. Researchers define motivation as something that is dynamic and fluid, rather than a static person attribute, and it can fluctuate over time.¹ Taking action when you are most motivated is very important and may be the beginning of a life-changing journey for you.

3. The beginning of a new year is a great time to renew the mind, body, and spirit.

As we enter into a new year, you may find yourself wanting to renew your mind, body, and spirit so you can make 2018 the best year yet. Drug and alcohol addiction takes a toll on the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of an individual and in order to achieve personal wellness, it may be necessary to remove those things from your life completely. Giving up drugs and alcohol isn’t something you can just do on a whim. It will take time, persistence, dedication, and a willingness to change. Medically assisted drug detox programs can help you begin the healing process as you work to achieve a stable and sober state, both physically and mentally.

4. You may have some time off from work or school.

Most people get some time off from work and school during the holiday season. This may provide more opportunities to research different options for addiction treatment. You might even have family members around who are willing to help you find a detox center. Additionally, Hill Country Detox has immediate openings for drug detox, so you may find that this is a convenient time to commit to detox without having to navigate around a full schedule.

5. The holidays and new year encourage self-reflection.

As 2017 comes to an end, you’ll be faced with plenty of opportunities to reflect on the past year. How do you feel about the way you have lived? If you could change anything about your life, what would it be? Are you happy with your life? Asking yourself questions like these may force you to face some uncomfortable truths about yourself. Self-reflection like this can be very healthy and may serve as additional motivation to get sober and change your life.

Taking the First Step: Drug and Alcohol Detox

Many people make New Year’s resolutions but very few of them actually follow through and achieve them. In fact, according to U.S. News, approximately 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail by the second week of February.² While this may be a grim statistic, it doesn’t have to be your reality.

Sticking to a New Year’s resolution to get sober will require hard work, but it is not impossible. The fact that the recovery process will not be easy further emphasizes the importance of taking the first step. Drug and alcohol detox is an essential part of full recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. In order to fully grasp the principles of the 12-step program and adopt healthy behaviors and attitudes, you must first achieve a state of stability and sobriety.

Once you are sober, your thoughts will become more clear and your body will begin to repair itself from the damage it suffered as a result of drug and alcohol addiction. This will provide a great start for a fulfilling life in recovery.

If you or a loved one is ready to take the first step and enroll in a medically supervised drug detox program, please call our detox center today. The admissions team at Hill Country Detox is available to speak with you now.

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