The first stage is when you first get into recovery and you are basically shocked right out of your mind - your world is turned upside down and you feel vulnerable and scared because you suddenly do not have the crutch of alcohol to rely on. This is what I would refer to as early recovery. There is no set amount of time that it takes to get through this stage of early recovery; some people are in it for a few months and others might be in it for a few years. But either way there is definitely a "breaking in" period of recovery where you are scrambling to get a foothold on how to live life without drinking. This stage of recovery is very different from when you have been sober for a few years or even for several months.

One big key of early recovery from alcohol addiction is the idea of learning. You have to learn how to do everything in your life all over again because now you are going to do it sober. This might sound like a minor thing but in reality it can be very trying. Recovery is one big learning process and you have to be in learning mode in order to make it in the long run. That means that you must be eager to learn all sorts of different things on a regular basis. If you are cocky or look down on the idea of learning new things about how to live then you will never make it through early recovery.

Another key to early recovery is in support and networking. This is why 12 step meetings are so popular and helpful in early recovery. We need others who are on the same path as we are in order to draw strength and knowledge from them. This is a piece of the educational path also...it is difficult to learn if there are no teachers in your life. In recovery, our peers become our teachers and we learn from their experience and strength that they share with us.

The third key to overcoming alcohol addiction is the pursuit of personal growth. You'll notice that this also ties in very well with learning and could almost be viewed as one and the same. But personal growth is more than just learning, it is applied life; applied knowledge and passion and purpose. One example of this might be daily exercise that might become a crucial part of someone's growth in recovery. This doesn't necessarily have a lot to do with learning but it is a positive habit that can be a critical part of their recovery.

If you take these 3 key strategies and use them all in your life you will notice that it is an holistic approach to recovery. You don't want to limit yourself to what you can achieve or what you can learn just because it is not what others are doing in pursuit of their recovery. For example, practicing Tai Chi or getting into the habit of jogging might not seem relevant to beating alcohol addiction, but it has become a pillar of some people's sobriety and is as important as more traditional recovery strategies.