What happens when you’re 90 days sober?

90 Days Sober, Now What?

What do you do after you hit 90 days sober?

The answer really depends on where you are in your sobriety and if you went to drug treatment. Having 90 days sober is no simple feat, whether you are getting out of an alcoholic inpatient or white-knuckling it in meetings.

By this time, emotions have returned. You’ve either started experiencing serenity or you are far from it. Here is an example of what experiencing the promises is, according to the Big Book.

“We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.”

Or, you are going to be restless, irritable, and discontent, which means you will feel miserable and squirrelly in your mind.

If You Have 90 Days Sober You Might Be in One of the Following Situations

  • You have gone to a 90-day treatment program and just gotten out.
  • You didn’t go to treatment but have tried going to 90 meetings in 90 days.
  • You have gone to residential treatment for 30 to 60 days combined with an outpatient program.
  • You recently got out of jail.
  • You have been white-knuckling it and feel off.

For someone young in sobriety, all of these situations are dangerous, especially if you leave treatment and stop following your relapse prevention plan.

The problem with staying sober is that addiction and alcoholism are chronic diseases and their symptoms will come back if you do not treat them, especially if you’re a chronic relapser.

Often, just going to a meeting and doing nothing else is not the best way to treat your addiction, and some have argued that it’s not treating the disease aspect at all.

You must continue to treat your alcoholism or addiction. If you don’t you are headed for trouble.

What Can You Do When You Make It 90 Days Sober?

Work the Steps

One solution that has helped millions is to do the steps outlined in the first 164 pages of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous with a sponsor.

Finding someone you can work the steps with is crucial, but you shouldn’t do it with just anyone. Finding a sponsor should be dependent on their knowledge of the book and whether they worked the steps.

Find a Transitional Living Community

True sobriety can be challenging, especially if you are going it alone.

Transitional communities help you stay in an accountable environment where you can continue to treat your addiction.

Work on Your Mental Health

Often addicts and alcoholics have underlying mental health issues. Some recovered addicts and alcoholics need to be on antidepressants or just need to see a counselor.

Mental health and addiction can be so intertwined, it’s hard to separate the two. Mental health issues can fuel addiction and vice versa. It’s critical to stay on top of your mental health.

Can’t Stay Stopped After 90 Days?

If you are someone who cannot stay sober no matter what, you might need to go to a place that specializes in chronic relapses, like Burning Tree Ranch.

Our long-term treatment facility helps you transition back into normal life over a longer period of time. There is a certain type of chronic relapser where 30 and 90-day treatment just does not work.

About Renewal Lodge

Renewal Lodge helps alcoholics and addicts live a sober life. Renewal Lodge is part of Burning Tree Programs. If you need help getting treatment, we have several options for people just like you who need help.

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Dear Renewal Lodge Visitors,

My name is John Bruna, co-founder of the Mindfulness in Recovery® Institute, and more importantly, a grateful member of the recovery community. I am incredibly fortunate to have found my recovery in 1984. Of course, I did not achieve continuous recovery through willpower or my own efforts, but through the guidance and caring support of countless others that selflessly taught me how to live through the 12 Steps.

My journey of recovery brought this once homeless, shame-based, traumatized, insecure young man to a life far beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I discovered self-worth, the joy of helping others, the gifts of parenting and grandparenting, and most importantly the ability to live a meaningful and purposeful life with integrity.

One of the greatest gifts of recovery is that I have the opportunity to give back and help others discover their self-worth, dignity, and the skills to fully live lives that they find truly meaningful. This is the inspiration for developing the skills of Mindfulness in Recovery® (MIR) to meet the needs of new generations struggling with alcohol and other substance use disorders. MIR is a set of evidence-based skills designed to help people fully integrate their tools of recovery in ways that are personalized, practical, and in alignment with their deepest values.

While we train counselors and therapists throughout the United States and abroad, I personally have chosen to work directly with the amazing team and clients at Renewal Lodge to develop the model MIR 12-step program for the nation. I choose Renewal Lodge because of the vision of its mission and the dedication of its team. Renewal Lodge is an extremely rare environment in which the staff embodies the very mindfulness and 12-step practices and skills they offer their clients. The results have been beyond my expectations. It is an honor to be here and I treasure my personal time with every client I meet.

With Gratitude,

John Bruna
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John Bruna
Director of Mindfulness
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