Practicing Hope As A Spiritual Principle In Sobriety In Your Everyday Life
Worldwide AA membership has reached over 2 million people.
The 2nd of the spiritual principles of Alcoholics Anonymous is hope. As a recovering alcoholic, we don't need to tell you about the many ups and downs you'll experience. Staying hopeful helps all 2 million AA members focus on the goal of a sober lifestyle.
No one said staying hopeful would be easy, however. Today, we'll help you by giving you tips for practicing hope and staying sober. Keep reading and you'll know how to navigate the rollercoaster of sobriety using hope as your primary tool.
Following Acceptance
Acceptance is the first of the spiritual principles. It's the simple act of accepting what happens daily, whether in your control or not. We practice acceptance as a spiritual principle because non-acceptance is one of the main things that pushes people further into their addiction.
So, how does hope relate to acceptance?
If you can manage to accept all the negative that comes to you, you can also hope for and accept the good. These two principles work in tandem to help you deal with life in a measured and coherent way.
Hope for Change
The principle of hope is a mainstay throughout a successful recovery process. You can strip everything else away - rehab, self-help books, therapy, your support system - as long as you have hope, you're still in the game.
Every recovering alcoholic has his/her unique journey to sobriety. Rarely is the journey a linear one that goes from alcoholism straight to sobriety. You're going to have slip-ups, but as long as the hope for change is inside you, long-term sobriety is attainable.
Staying Hopeful in Dark Moments
Hope is most useful in the darkest moments on the path to sobriety. As we just said, relapses happen. According to this NIH study, 75% of subjects relapsed within a year of treatment.
It's easy to beat yourself up and sink further into addiction. What's not always easy is maintaining hopefulness during the darkest moments, but that's exactly when it's going to help you the most. Hope is the light that guides you on the darkest paths.
The Result of Continued Hope
The result of continued hope is toughness and a resolve to maintain your sobriety no matter what gets in your way. In this sense, hope is intertwined with every other spiritual principle of AA, from courage and integrity to discipline and patience.
Infuse each of the subsequent principles with hope and you'll be successful. Sobriety is something every AA member can hope for at any point on their journey.
Using the Spiritual Principles of Alcoholics Anonymous
The spiritual principles of Alcoholics Anonymous have guided countless addicts to better days. Getting and staying sober is one of the most difficult and courageous things one can do.
The spiritual principles give addicts a roadmap and safety net for day-to-day sober living, so turn to them whenever you need help. Hope is one you can carry with you every day.
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