Stuck at Day 0? Here’s How to Stay Sober and Avoid a Relapse
Key takeaways:
Relapse, or the continued use of alcohol and other drugs, can leave you feeling stuck at day 0 or trapped in addiction.
Seeking abstinence, or not using any substances at all, is a great goal that can be easily hindered by triggers, cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and relapse.
For some people, complete abstinence may be too challenging, so employing a harm reduction strategy might be a better option.
The goal of ending substance use and shifting toward recovery is wonderful, but the process is difficult. The first hours and days of recovery from alcohol and other drugs are so challenging and uncomfortable that many people will restart use, rather than experience the distress of sobriety. This solution only delays the discomfort as another day 0 is waiting for the next time you quit.
What is day 0?
Recovery from alcohol and other drugs is often measured in days of sobriety or days of abstinence. Someone at day 14 will have completed 2 weeks without consuming any substances. Being at day 0 implies that it has been less than 24 hours since the last substance use, or that someone is actively using drugs.
Day 0 might mean that you are interested and invested in recovery and hoping to shift your behaviors toward recovery. Day 0 could also signal a relapse, which is a period of restarted substance abuse after a period of recovery. In this case, someone at day 0 has to restart their daily count due to a recent relapse.
Why do people get stuck at day zero?
You may get stuck at day 0 because alcohol and other drugs have the ability to disrupt normal thinking and behavior patterns. Psychological addiction and physical dependence can make it challenging to quit.
Addiction is the state of being obsessively focused on getting and using drugs, despite the likely harms. Dependence occurs when the body becomes so used to drugs in the system, it needs substances to feel well and function. Without substances in the body, you could feel physically ill or mentally unwell.
Triggers can spark thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of substance use, and you will be more likely to be stuck at day 0 if you are exposed to more triggers. Some issues that interfere with the goals of recovery include:
Old habits
Current routines
Uncomfortable feelings
Certain people whom you have used with
Inability to use healthy coping skills
Social pressure
Withdrawal symptoms
Alone, any of these triggers could spark use, and when several occur at the same time, it can be more difficult to stay sober.
How can I extend my sober streak?
By utilizing techniques aimed at recovery, you can reduce the risk of relapse and prolong your period of recovery. To move forward from day 0, try some of these helpful coping skills listed below.
Get honest with yourself and your loved ones
Before you can pass day 0, you need to be honest and open with yourself. Take some time to acknowledge the negative impact of substance use in your life in order to generate the needed motivation and drive to make changes.
Telling your friends and family about your struggles with substances is complicated but essential. The people who fully support you will praise your decision and want to help you in the recovery process in any way possible.
Uncover the underlying factors of substance use
The most common reasons people take drugs are to:
Feel good
Self-medicate a physical or mental health condition
Perform better in a task
Address a curiosity
Avoid discomfort of withdrawal symptoms
Why do you use?
Think back to your thoughts and feelings associated with addiction and how consuming substances makes you feel. Identifying and addressing the factors that influence your substance misuse will offer needed information about your recovery.
Build a relapse prevention plan
A relapse prevention plan is a fantastic tool anyone can use to avoid future substance use. Relapse prevention plans include important information about your triggers, cravings, and support system. These plans serve as blueprints to manage tough times in recovery.
For best results, the process of building your prevention plan should include your:
Friends
Family
Sponsor
Therapist
With more insights and opinions, your plan can help keep you safe and committed to recovery. For more information on how to build a relapse prevention plan of your own, check out this article.
Attend a support group
Support groups offer a wonderful opportunity for people at all stages of recovery to come together and gain the fellowship and guidance of others. You can use these informal group meetings to learn more about addiction and extend your network of supportive people.
Plenty of in-person support groups exist, with more and more online and virtual support groups also becoming available. Support groups are not professional addiction services because they lack a trained mental health facilitator, but they provide a great benefit from the experience of peers in recovery.
Focus on your physical health
Sometimes, the best way to manage your mental health is to shift attention to your physical health. What you eat, how well you sleep, and how much you exercise can play a vital role in your addiction recovery. You can reduce stress and control urges to use alcohol and other drugs by:
Eating balanced meals
Making sure you get enough sleep
Getting a healthy amount of exercise
Meet with a professional counselor
If you have worked to build your coping skills and make healthy lifestyle changes but relapse and substance use continues, it may be time to reach out to a mental health professional. Therapists — like psychologists, social workers, and counselors — can offer proper assessments to understand your issue and create a treatment plan to achieve your goals.
People who get professional treatment for longer periods of time have longer periods of recovery, so therapy can help promote sobriety. For best results, make sure your treatment focuses on your entire life, not only your addiction.
Seek medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
Depending on the substances you are hoping to avoid, MAT could be the best option. For opioids, alcohol, and nicotine, as well as other substances, medications can help to reduce the uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms and eliminate future cravings.
Medication can also help by addressing underlying mental health conditions that affect substance use. Addiction professionals will evaluate your needs and recommend options.
Are certain substances harder to maintain sobriety with?
Due to the powerful withdrawal symptoms they produce, it is harder to maintain sobriety from certain substances. Withdrawal comes with physical and mental symptoms that appear in the hours or days after the last use.
Some substances that create powerful withdrawal include:
Alcohol
Marijuana
Opioids, like prescription pain medications and heroin
Sedative medications
Stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine
The challenge of sobriety is greatly impacted by other factors, too, such as:
How long you’ve used substances
How much you used (size of the dose)
How often you used
Someone using large amounts of alcohol daily for years will likely have more trouble getting sober than someone who has only consumed alcohol for a short period.
Is total abstinence the best approach for me?
Many people will do well to strive for complete abstinence. But, depending on the things that cause you stress, the people in your support network, and your needs, harm reduction could be a better choice. Harm reduction takes a practical approach to substance abuse. It focuses on helping you use less and more safely when you do, rather than eliminating use altogether.
If you are considering a harm reduction approach, being honest and realistic with yourself and your loved ones is necessary. Just like abstinence, harm reduction has its own set of risks and benefits, so consult with a professional for guidance and direction.
The bottom line
Before people can get to day 100 or 1,000 of recovery, they have to make it past day 0. Often the most menacing day, day 0 requires a concerted effort and numerous coping skills to overcome. The process is taxing, but the outcome is unquestionably positive.
Why trust our experts?
References
KidsHealth. (n.d.). Dealing with addiction.
Laudet, A. B., et al. (2007).Pathways to long-term recovery: A preliminary investigation. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.
Leslie, K. M., et al. (2008). Harm reduction: An approach to reducing risky behaviours in adolescents. Paediatrics & Child Health.
Melemis, S. M. (2015). Relapse prevention and the five rules of recovery. The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). Commonly used drugs charts.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). Drugs, brains, and behavior: The science of addiction.
Szalavitz, M., et al. (2021). Drug dependence is not addiction–and it matters. Annals of Medicine.
If you or someone you know struggles with substance use, help is available. Call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 to learn about resources in your area.
