Maintaining Sobriety During Covid-19

It has been a couple of months since my last update.  I now have 281 days of continuous sobriety.  That's just slightly over 9 months.  I know that a lot of us have struggled to remain sober and work a strong program during Covid-19 because the lockdown kept us out of our Alano Clubs and other meeting places.  This forced us to isolate, as well as adding unwanted stress to our lives.  Conversely, I have been doing very well in my sobriety since this all began (around late March), and I thought I might share what I've been doing and why I believe I have been so successful.

The day that our club voted to close it's doors because of the Governor's orders, the first thing that I did was reach out to a member of my home group that I felt a connection with and I asked her to be my sponsor.  This is something that I probably should have done much sooner, but I had been dragging my feet, fearing rejection.  This was a great first step for me, and I've talked with her every single day since the shutdown.  I certainly don't recommend rushing to get a sponsor, because it's very important to find someone that you click with, but that's also not an excuse to procrastinate. I know that I wouldn't have been this successful without finding her in all of this.  Isolation is really bad for our addictions, and having somebody to talk with about the experience of being an addict during Covid has been an absolute lifesaver.  

Fortunately for me, my local Alano Club didn't miss a beat and took our meetings online via Zoom the day after we closed our doors.  I've been attending Zoom meetings almost daily.  At first I was hesitant about joining an online meeting, because I dislike using things like FaceTime, but once I got over my initial discomfort, I grew to love them.  Because I can log on from the comfort of my own home, I'm able to attend far more meetings than I was previously.  Also, because of the format, people are able to log on without video, so they can listen from work or while they are driving.  This made our meetings far more accessible.  I also volunteered to chair meetings for a week at different times, and that commitment helped to offer some stability to my schedule.

Another important step for me was reaching out to people that I didn't see at our online meetings.  Some people weren't comfortable with the online format, so they broke into smaller groups having meetings in people's backyards, parking lots, and parks.  Others just needed a little nudge to give Zoom a chance.  Helping other people stay connected was wonderful for my sobriety, because whether or not we ended up in a meeting together, I started conversations that have lasted throughout this experience, and I am now significantly closer to several members of the program.  I also reached out to friends of mine from rehab and from online AA forums, and was able to invite them to visit my home group online.  On top of reaching out to others, I began to read and post articles about addiction and strategies to stay connected through Covid.  This led a number of people in my life who I didn't know struggled with addiction to reach out to me and share their stories. Because of this we were able to help each other.  

A different problem caused by the shutdown was boredom caused by all of my extra time because I didn't have work, and a lot of the places I used to frequent were now closed.  Right off the bat I began to get more active with my dogs, taking them on frequent hikes and trying out different parks.  That kept things interesting for about a week, then I got bored again.  This was still pretty early in the shutdown, so I was still watching Tiger King and binge eating at this phase.  My boyfriend and I had both put on a few pounds and with summer just around the corner, we started to feel bad about ourselves.  We decided to purchase stationary bikes to get in shape.  This was such a great thing for us, because we had each other to help maintain the habit, and the exercise really helped me with my depression.  I also used this time to sign up for an online vegetable growing class through Michigan State University.  This turned into a longer term project, and now I have a large container garden full of veggies for the summer.  Eating healthy is key to having a healthy mood, and gardening is such a great way to get sunshine, which is another wonderful natural mood booster.  Vegetable gardening seems to be trending right now, and I highly recommend it for anyone who has the time.  There are several ways to grow vegetables without a yard if you are living in a city, so don't give up.

Obviously, not every day has been ideal.  The world has felt very tense, and no matter where you stand politically, things are very hard right now.  People around us are getting sick, the economy is suffering, and there are riots in the streets.  It has become stressful to even read the news.  I find over and over again that when I share these stresses and worries either in a meeting, or with my sponsor if it's too personal, I feel so much better afterward.  I had to find a way to keep peace in my life, despite what's going on in the outside world.  No matter what, do not isolate.  If you can't get to a meeting in person, there are several meetings available online.  Check out In the Rooms.  Go to r/stopdrinking and share what you're going through anonymously.  Find an online recovery group.  Call somebody in the program.  Whatever you do, don't do it alone.  

My first round of soil for my container garden.

My dog Oliver admiring the sweet potato plants. 

Some new plants from the local farmer's market.