SOBER DADDY RECOVERY HUB

FIRST DAYS OF
RECOVERY

You do not have to figure out the rest of your life today.

A simple 7-day guide for getting through cravings, changing old routines, handling emotions and building your first recovery tools.

DAY 01

JUST GET THROUGH TODAY

You do not need to figure out the rest of your life today. You don't need to know what recovery will look like six months from now. Your only job today is to get through today.

TODAY'S CHECKLIST

Drink some water Your body has been through enough. Start simple. Eat something It doesn't have to be healthy or perfect. Just get something into you. Take a shower Sometimes changing how your body feels can change the next ten minutes. Remove easy access Make using harder and recovery easier. Tell one person "I'm trying to get through today without using." Make a craving plan Delay. Drink something. Eat. Move. Distract yourself. Reach out. Go to bed sober That's the goal today.

IF TODAY FEELS AWFUL

That doesn't mean recovery isn't working. Your brain may be screaming for the thing it learned to depend on.

A CRAVING IS A FEELING.
A CRAVING IS NOT AN INSTRUCTION.

BEFORE BED: WHAT HELPED ME GET THROUGH TODAY?

TODAY'S MANTRA

JUST FOR TODAY.

IMPORTANT: Suddenly stopping alcohol, benzodiazepines or some other substances can cause dangerous withdrawal. Severe shaking, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, chest pain, difficulty breathing or other severe symptoms require urgent medical attention.

DAY 02

YOUR BRAIN WILL BARGAIN WITH YOU

Today your brain may start negotiating. "Maybe I wasn't that bad." "One won't hurt." "I'll start again tomorrow." You don't have to argue with that voice. You just don't have to listen to it.

TODAY'S CHECKLIST

Eat and drink something early Hunger, dehydration and exhaustion make everything harder. Remember why you started Write down one honest reason you needed a change. Don't test yourself You do not need to prove you can be around alcohol or drugs today. Catch the bargain When your brain says "just one," answer with "not today." Keep yourself occupied Walk. Clean. Watch something. Build something. Buy yourself time. Check in with somebody You don't have to pretend today is easy.

REMEMBER THE WHOLE STORY

Your brain may remember the relief, the buzz or the escape and conveniently leave out everything that came afterward.

DON'T JUST REMEMBER THE FIRST DRINK.
REMEMBER WHERE IT TOOK YOU.

WHAT LIE DID MY ADDICTION TRY TO SELL ME TODAY?

TODAY'S MANTRA

NOT TODAY.

DAY 03

CRAVINGS DON'T COME OUT OF NOWHERE

A craving can feel random, but most cravings have a trigger. The more you notice what happens before the craving, the easier it becomes to respond instead of react.

TODAY'S CHECKLIST

Eat before you get too hungry Hunger can make a craving feel much stronger. Notice your first craving Ask what was happening immediately before it. Name the trigger Stress? Boredom? Anger? A place? A smell? A routine? Change your environment Change rooms. Go outside. Take another route. Move. Give it ten minutes Wait before doing anything. Then give it ten more if you need to. Reach out early Don't wait until you're about to use.

THE HALT CHECK

Ask yourself: Am I Hungry? Angry? Lonely? Tired? You might not be able to fix everything, but you can often make the craving easier by dealing with one of those first.

A CRAVING RISES.
IT PEAKS.
IT FALLS.

WHAT TRIGGERED MY STRONGEST CRAVING TODAY?

WHAT HELPED IT PASS?

TODAY'S MANTRA

THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

DAY 04

BUILD A NEW ROUTINE

It isn't always just the substance you miss. Sometimes it's the drive home, the stop at the store, the first drink after work or the time of day. Recovery means building new patterns.

TODAY'S CHECKLIST

Notice your danger time When did you usually drink or use? Replace one old routine Pick one pattern and do something different. Plan for your usual using time Give those hours somewhere else to go. Try something you used to enjoy You don't have to love it yet. Just try it. Plan tomorrow tonight A little structure leaves less room for impulse. Keep doing the basics Eat. Drink water. Rest. Talk to somebody.

THE EMPTY SPACE IS NORMAL

When drinking or using took up a lot of your life, removing it can leave a huge hole. That doesn't mean something is missing from recovery. It means you have space now.

CHANGE ONE PATTERN.
THEN CHANGE ANOTHER.

WHAT PART OF MY OLD ROUTINE WAS HARDEST TODAY?

WHAT COULD I PUT IN ITS PLACE TOMORROW?

TODAY'S MANTRA

ONE STEP AT A TIME.

DAY 05

FEEL IT WITHOUT RUNNING FROM IT

When you stop numbing everything, feelings can come back loud. Stress. Anger. Shame. Fear. Loneliness. Sadness. That doesn't mean you're doing recovery wrong.

TODAY'S CHECKLIST

Name what you're feeling Get more specific than "I feel like shit." Don't make permanent decisions from temporary feelings A bad hour does not mean recovery isn't working. Do something physical Walk. Stretch. Work. Clean. Get outside. Talk instead of disappearing Isolation usually makes your thoughts louder. Let yourself have a rough day You can hate today without using over it. Do one thing that's good for you Practice taking care of yourself even when you don't feel like it.

YOU USED TO HAVE A COPING MECHANISM

It may have been destructive, but it still became the way you learned to cope. You can't take away someone's only coping mechanism and expect them to instantly know how to handle everything.

RECOVERY IS LEARNING
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD.

WHAT FEELING WAS HARDEST FOR ME TODAY?

WHAT DID I DO INSTEAD OF USING?

TODAY'S MANTRA

I CAN DO HARD THINGS.

DAY 06

YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE

Addiction loves isolation. Recovery usually asks you to do the opposite. You don't need a huge support system. You just need somewhere to turn when your own head gets too loud.

TODAY'S CHECKLIST

Text or call one person You don't need to wait for a crisis. Tell somebody how you're actually doing Skip the automatic "I'm good." Identify three support options A friend, family member, group, counsellor or support line. Ask for something specific "Can you call me?" "Can we go for a walk?" "Can you stay on the phone?" Spend some time around safe people You don't even have to talk about recovery. Reach out before things spiral Asking for help is part of recovery.

CONNECTION DOESN'T HAVE TO LOOK ONE WAY

A meeting. A therapist. A treatment program. A sober friend. Family. Peer support. Faith. An online community. Find people who help you move forward.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO
CARRY EVERYTHING ALONE.

WHO MADE TODAY A LITTLE EASIER?

WHO CAN I REACH OUT TO IF TOMORROW GETS HARD?

TODAY'S MANTRA

I DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE.

DAY 07

KEEP GOING

You made it through your first week. Maybe it felt amazing. Maybe it felt terrible. Either way, for seven days you kept choosing recovery. One day at a time.

TODAY'S CHECKLIST

Recognize the week Don't rush past what you just did. Write down what helped most Keep the things that worked. Identify your biggest trigger Knowing it gives you something to work with. Do something for yourself You made it through a hard week. Make a simple plan for Week 2 Keep doing what helped. Remember why you started You don't need to live in the past. Just don't forget what brought you here.

LOOK WHAT YOU JUST PROVED

You can survive a craving. You can change a routine. You can feel something without running from it. You can ask for help. You can make it through one hard day and then another.

THE FIRST WEEK ISN'T
THE FINISH LINE.
IT'S THE BEGINNING.

WHAT AM I PROUD OF FROM THIS WEEK?

WHAT DO I WANT TO KEEP DOING NEXT WEEK?

TODAY'S MANTRA

KEEP GOING.

✓ YOUR WRITTEN ANSWERS SAVE AUTOMATICALLY ON THIS DEVICE

FIRST DAYS OF
RECOVERY

JUST GET THROUGH TODAY

YOUR BRAIN WILL BARGAIN WITH YOU

CRAVINGS DON'T COME OUT OF NOWHERE

BUILD A NEW ROUTINE

FEEL IT WITHOUT RUNNING FROM IT

YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE

KEEP GOING

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FIRST DAYS OF RECOVERY

JUST GET THROUGH TODAY

YOUR BRAIN WILL BARGAIN WITH YOU

CRAVINGS DON'T COME OUT OF NOWHERE

BUILD A NEW ROUTINE

FEEL IT WITHOUT RUNNING FROM IT

YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE

KEEP GOING

FIRST DAYS OF
RECOVERY