Achieving sobriety marks a major milestone worthy of celebration. However, this triumph is often followed by natural apprehension for the future and uncertainty about the path ahead. You may be wondering: “How difficult is it maintaining long-term sobriety? Do I have all the tools I need for my recovery journey?”
These questions can lead to doubts about your abilities to continue on your sobriety path. While your feelings and concerns are valid, these tips for supporting long-term sobriety can help you challenge these thoughts.
Here are 10 tips that you can follow to help you stay sober and achieve long-term success.
1. Develop Healthy Coping Strategies
Healthy coping strategies for stress are important to your sobriety journey. Although you may have developed coping skills during your addiction treatment plan, it’s always good to have a refresher. The coping strategies that once served you well may naturally shift in their effectiveness over time, while approaches you previously overlooked might emerge as surprisingly valuable tools in your evolving recovery journey.
Coping strategies are meant to adapt as you and your circumstances change. For example, you may have adopted coping strategies for loneliness during detox, but now you need new coping mechanisms for your high-functioning anxiety. The flexibility this offers is great, but understanding that you should reassess your coping skills every so often will be beneficial to your sobriety journey.
A few examples of some great coping skills include:
- Yoga or meditation.
- Trying new hobbies.
- Engaging in self care.
- Connecting with sober friends and family more.
- Starting on a new home project, or organizing things within your home.
- Learning a new skill like cooking, building, pottery, etc.
- Regularly journaling.
- Attending therapy sessions, or increasing the frequency you see a therapist.
- Joining support groups for alcoholism.
Coping skills are not one size fits all–they naturally grow with you as you progress on your journey–so keep trying out new strategies and see what sticks.
2. Be Honest With Yourself and Your Loved Ones
Cravings can make staying sober difficult, so it’s critical to be honest with yourself and your loved ones. Knowing when to reach out for support and understanding how to be transparent when you’re struggling is an act of courage and can support relapse prevention before it’s too late.
When you first notice subtle signs that you might be slipping back into old habits, sharing this awareness with trusted supporters enables them to recognize concerning changes in your behavior that you might miss. It also empowers them to offer timely, compassionate intervention before challenges escalate, while creating space for them to initiate meaningful conversations about your struggles, invite you to social gatherings, or build on healthy relationships.
When you’re honest with yourself and your loved ones, it gives everyone the opportunity to make better decisions and be more aware of your emotional state.
3. Stay Connected To Your Support Network
When you’re in a recovery program, you typically make connections with other patients in the treatment center through group addiction therapy. It’s important to stay connected with them, as they not only understand what you’re going through, but they can be your strongest support network.
There are many support groups for addiction, such as narcotics anonymous for those experiencing drug abuse, or alcoholics anonymous (AA) for those who’ve struggled with alcohol addiction. It’s recommended that you continue to attend these meetings throughout recovery. Staying connected to people in your sober network and having access to a nonjudgmental space to share your struggles can provide a level of comfort that’s difficult to find elsewhere 1 .
4. Develop a Plan for Potential Triggers and Risky Situations
It’s vital to prepare for any situations that can potentially trigger your urge to pick up drug or alcohol use again 2 . To prepare for these moments, reach out to your support network for advice, recognize your progress, and focus on taking care of yourself by attending sober activities.
Additionally, preparing a plan for when you’re in risky situations is imperative. We can’t always control the situations we find ourselves in, but you can reduce the risk of relapse by attending sober events, avoiding bars, or making sure the place you’re going has nonalcoholic drink options. Knowing in advance if there will be alcohol served at an event can help you prepare for temptations and cravings–or it may simply mean you have to cancel or reschedule your plans to protect your sobriety.
5. Prepare Your Story
Preparing a natural response to the question “Why don’t you drink?” serves as both a personal boundary-setting practice and a psychological anchor during potentially triggering social situations. When you’re asked about your sobriety, it can be daunting to share your story.
You might feel vulnerable, apprehensive, or maybe you’re just not in the right headspace to dive into past trauma. These feelings are completely normal, but you should prepare an answer for when people inevitably inquire. When you’re figuring out your go-to answer, assess how much you want to share and how you want to share it to help you navigate these interactions.
6. Stick To a Schedule
Establishing a schedule and setting expectations for the week can seem trivial, but it’s one of the most beneficial tools you can use to support your sobriety journey. When it’s difficult to squander your time and you aren’t bored, you’ll have more energy to focus on other activities.
Overtime, these activities become a natural part of your sober schedule, helping you seamlessly transition to a new normal. In addition, sticking to an organized schedule can help occupy your time so you don’t fall off track.
7. Maintain Proper Diet and Exercise
A common strategy for maintaining long-term sobriety and improving overall mental health is proper diet and exercise. Physical activity burns energy, increases your heart rate, and naturally releases dopamine–all of which helps you feel fulfilled and rewarded.
No matter where you are in your recovery journey, exercise and eating healthy is a great way to improve mental and physical wellness, boost your mood, and improve your quality of sleep 3 . By implementing exercise and intuitive eating as part of your daily routine, you’ll create a healthy distraction and outlet for stress.
8. Seek Therapy
Some people may assume that you don’t need therapy once you’ve been discharged from an addiction treatment program, or if your sobriety journey is going well. However, therapy can be beneficial regardless of the state of your mental health, whether it’s in person or online psychiatry.
If you’ve stopped therapy but are finding yourself struggling with negative thought patterns, life transitions, sticking with your schedule, or struggling with your new sober lifestyle, it might be time to return to therapeutic support 4 . Finding the right therapist means they can work on any regressions you may be experiencing and create a successful path for recovery.
9. Consider Medication for Addiction
If you have a substance use disorder (SUD), medication for addiction might be required to achieve sobriety safely and effectively. There’s no shame in it, and there are types of psychiatrists that specialize in addiction medicine who can tailor individualized treatment plans that work in tandem with ongoing therapy to address your needs.
For example, Acamprosate is an alcoholism medication used to rebalance brain chemistry, which may have changed due to alcohol use disorder (AUD). Disulfiram encourages sobriety by causing uncomfortable side effects–like vomiting, headache and chest pain–if any alcohol is consumed. Naltrexone can also help by decreasing alcohol cravings, and can be used for other types of drug abuse as well.
These medications can be potential options to support sobriety, but it’s critical that your psychiatrist agrees that it would be beneficial to your treatment plan and won’t put your health at risk. It’s also important to take these prescriptions under medical supervision so they can manage your medications.
10. Celebrate Milestones
No matter how insignificant they might seem to you, celebrating sobriety milestones can help you recognize your progress–overcoming alcoholism is courageous and hard work. By acknowledging your growth, you remind yourself why you are on this journey, encourage yourself to keep going, and manage feelings of sobriety fatigue.
How Neuro Wellness Spa Can Help You Stay Sober
Neuro Wellness Spa offers in-person and online talk therapy and psychiatry sessions specifically designed to target aspects of your recovery journey where you may need additional support. Our structured approach includes 13 focused sessions that address particular challenges you’re facing in maintaining sobriety, providing you with tailored strategies and compassionate guidance during this important phase of your healing process.
Whether you need help gaining the courage to attend sobriety meetings, keeping yourself accountable for a newly-established schedule, finding sober events to attend, or learning new coping skills–our care team is here to help.
If you feel like you’re having trouble staying sober, call Neuro Wellness Spa today. We can connect you with a therapist to help you reach your goals and maintain sobriety.
References
- “7 Tips for Staying Sober | the Village Family Service Center.” The Village Family Service Center, 2 Sept. 2021, www.thevillagefamily.org/blog/7-tips-staying-sober/
- Gateway Foundation. “Staying Sober during the Summer.” Gateway Foundation, 31 May 2022, www.gatewayfoundation.org/blog/sober-during-summer/
- “Blocked Page.” Canadiancentreforaddictions.org, 2025, canadiancentreforaddictions.org/5-tips-for-maintaining-long-term-sobriety/
- Henry, Grant. “Stay Sober This Holiday Season: Tips for a Joyful Festivity.” Canvas Health, 10 Dec. 2024, www.canvashealth.org/staying-sober-during-the-holidays-8-tips-for-a-joyful-and-substance-free-season/