How Long Does It Take To Get Sober?

Each person at BRBH has their own limits and goals, which are carefully prepared for and tailored around during their care. For example, it can take anywhere from six to 10 hours for a moderately intoxicated sober house person to sober up from alcohol. Getting support doesn’t have to mean going to rehab, although that is an option. Support can also look like joining in-person and online support groups.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. A therapist can help you learn new coping skills, develop new thinking patterns, and address any co-occurring mental health conditions that may make recovery more difficult. A mental health professional can help you cope with some of the challenges you’ll face on your path to sobriety.

Myths about drinking

Perhaps the second most difficult set of steps after accepting that you have a problem is accepting that you have wronged people with whom you now need to make amends. Steps 8, 9, and 10 are often about making lists of people you have hurt, intentionally or unintentionally, directly, or indirectly, and asking their forgiveness. The structure and function of the steps often gives meaning to a life that is struggling to find meaning.

• Over a millionAmericans seek treatment every year for alcohol addiction, and many eventually find lasting success.
• Whether it’s for health, relationship, financial, or any number of reasons, consider creating a list on your phone of the reasons why you want to get and stay sober.
• That’s because your body mass determines the amount of space through which alcohol can be diluted in your body.
• When you start living a healthier life free from alcohol and drugs, you begin to heal from the damage caused by substance abuse.

This is where getting sober really starts and is often the most rigorous and challenging part of rehab. Maybe you don’t have a drinking problem at all, but you got unexpectedly intoxicated and wake up needing to at least appear more sober than you feel.

Getting Sober: 17 Ways You Probably Didn’t Know About (#8 is Controversial)

Over a millionAmericans seek treatment every year for alcohol addiction, and many eventually find lasting success. That said, the path can appear long and intimidating, especially if you’re just starting. Speaking of getting stuff out of your system, making yourself vomit may seem like an unpleasant but effective way to detox fast. Unfortunately, throwing up won’t lower your BAC since the alcohol has been absorbed into your bloodstream by the time you feel drunk. Getting a good night’s sleep or simply waiting for the effects of the alcohol to wear off is your best bet. You had a little too much to drink and now you need to sober up fast. There are a lot of supposed “cures” out there that people claim will help you sober up quickly, but do any of them really work?

Depending on what you’re trying to quit, there may be prescription help out there for you, to come down more slowly and to ease off the drug at a gradual pace. It’s more widely available, and often cheaper and easier to get than methadone, which comes with a host of secondary addiction problems. For many people with a substance use disorder, it’s simply a matter of never having learned the appropriate way to manage anger. Talk to your therapist, other healthcare provider, or sponsor about how to deal with your anger in ways that won’t cause you to harm yourself or others or turn to alcohol or drugs. If you find it difficult to make new, sober friends, try joining a support group. Lastly, whether enrolled in a formal treatment program or you’re still contemplating sobriety, you may benefit from mutual support groups as a part of your lifelong recovery process. Support groups can include 12-step meetings like Alcoholics Anonymous or non-12-step groups like SMART Recovery, which has a more secular approach.

Online Therapy Can Help

Throughout the night, your liver will have time to metabolize all the alcohol in your system. The good news is you can take steps to avoid getting too drunk in the first place and ending up with a bad hangover. There’s nothing you can do to make yourself sober up more quickly. However, there are steps you can take to make the next morning easier or to avoid getting drunk in the first place. One common mistake for those who are new to alcohol and drug recovery is substituting a new compulsive behavior for their old one. Most people who make their way into recovery have left a lot of pain and suffering in their wake.

• I was willing to do whatever it takes to learn how to live a new way of life.
• This may mean that you don’t spend time with someone you used to use drugs with or go somewhere you used to drink.
• A bigger person will usually have a lower BAC than a smaller person who drinks the same amount.
• Stick with drinks that take a while to finish, like beer and wine.
• To avoid getting too drunk, stick with drinks with low alcohol content, such as light beer.