Holding yourself accountable and staying sober

Whether you enjoy the occasional glass of wine after work, become dependent upon certain drugs, or are battling a full-blown addiction, once a woman discovers she’s expecting, it’s in the best interest for her and her unborn child to remain sober. Your body needs to be in tip-top shape to properly carry a pregnancy to term. Consuming drugs and/or alcohol in small or large amounts will deteriorate your health and increase the risk of your baby developing birth defects and other diseases.

Quitting your drug or alcohol habit isn’t easy. Though you may know the potential risks for you and your unborn child, overcoming the “urge” to use can be difficult. If you’ve been struggling to remain sober throughout your pregnancy, these tips should help get you on a better path. 

Check into rehab

If your drug or alcohol use has risen to the level of dependency or addiction, the best way to get sober is to check into a rehab program. Whether you go to an inpatient or an outpatient program in another state, these treatment centers have a plethora of medical and therapeutic services to help detox. Once your system has been flushed, you will then be provided with therapy and other tools to help you navigate life more effectively.

Seek accountability partners

Holding yourself accountable for your substance abuse issues may mean asking others to help hold you accountable. Talk with someone you trust to pitch in. By letting them know your problems, triggers, and goals, they can check in with you regularly to ensure that you’re staying on the straight and narrow. Sometimes, the mere idea of knowing that someone else is going to be tracking your progress can be the motivation you need to remain sober.

Reduce stressors

Though there are a lot of reasons that people struggle with substance abuse stress is at the top of the list. Keeping in mind that pregnancy puts a lot of physical and emotional stress on you, adding a hectic lifestyle to the mix will only drive you to want to use more. Another cause of stress in adults is watching your senior parents age. If they’re staying at an assisted living facility that offers proactive healthcare solutions, you can trust that they are monitoring your aging parents. 

Find constructive things to do with your time

An idle mind and too much downtime can also be culprits for causing you to abuse substances during your pregnancy. To remedy this issue, it is best to find constructive ways to occupy your time. There’s a lot of things to do to prepare for your baby’s arrival, so you shouldn’t have a hard time finding things to do. Whether you plan your doctor’s visits, decorate the nursery, exercise, or sign up for prenatal birthing classes, it all keeps your mind on the bigger picture - the birth of your baby.

When drugs and alcohol are an intricate part of your life (for recreational, medical, or other purposes), it can be difficult to quit and remain sober. Be that as it may, if you want to have a healthy pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby, it is imperative to stop. The above-mentioned tips can be used to make this process easier.

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