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      Ten Things Every Recovering Addict Should Have

      We're creatures of habit. Even the word habit is commonly used in conjunction with drug use. Drug habits. Habitual users. But it's beyond using. It's habitual living.

      We have habits that are associated with our drug and alcohol use. They're not all so easy to see as the habits that are directly related. There are life choices we make that are made because they help us live the addict's lifestyle. We may think they're not related, but they are.

      As I look around my writing space right now, all I see is clutter. This is something I've tried to overcome several times in sobriety, but I've had better luck quitting smoking than becoming a tidy and organized person. Mind you, when I was out, this problem was much worse. But it's still not where it needs to be for a man of forty.

      I've fixed a few things along the way, things that didn't seem like much at the time, but once I made the change, I felt like I had cheated myself for years. So hopefully the clutter problem gets whacked into shape when I take the plunge and buy some real grownup furniture.

      After a chaotic childhood, it was nice to feel like I had control of the world, even if that world was a fifth of whiskey and watching TV.

      I have problems with certain habits and undoubtedly you have problems of your own. Here are habits you should get, habits you should break, and habits of normal people that will amaze and astound you.

      Socks and Underwear

      There's some weird thing that happens with addicts and their undies. It's one thing to not wash your jeans or your jacket; it's another thing to not wash your socks. We get used to being in utter filth. When you're fixing with puddle water or flat Faygo, having worn the same underwear for a few days is a nonissue.

      But it's still gross. Not as gross as many of the other things that accompany addiction. Not as gross as abscesses. Not as tragic as meth mouth. Not nearly as unsanitary as the trash cans of vomit around the room or crapping in a bucket in the corner of the squat.

      But you're not a junkie anymore. And even though you've made progress and you're much cleaner than you were, you still have a way to go.

      I've known junkies who had trench foot, a foot disease common with the soldiers in the trenches of World War I. It was known as jungle rot in the Viet Nam War. The medical name for this is immersion foot. It happens if you never take your boots off for weeks. Prolonged exposure of the feet to damp, cold conditions can cause it. It can lead to gangrene.

      When you're fixing with puddle water or flat Faygo, having worn the same underwear for a few days is a nonissue.

      Buy some new socks and underwear and throw all the old ones out. Guys, you probably still have some tighty whiteys your mom bought you in high school. They have to go.

      Change begins on the inside, and right next to your insides is your underpants.

      We get so strange with our money while using that our idea of essentials gets all out of whack. I didn't have enough money for socks because that would supersede my whiskey money. Which leads me to the next thing on the list:

      More Than One Towel

      You have one towel that's seen better days. You use it and hang it up somewhere, over the closet door or on a hook, and you let it dry to be used the next day. I hope you're showering every day. That towel holds its shape. When you take it off the closet door, it keeps the dent. Your philosophy is that if you're clean when you use it, it's clean all the time.

      Towels aren't that expensive. I got four for $20 at a department store. It's a small expense that made me feel a lot more like a normal person. Get yourself a stack of new towels. It'll serve you well, especially when you have someone staying over, and you both don't have to use the same towel.

      Change begins on the inside, and right next to your insides is your underpants.

      Curtains

      At the age of 32, I had never had curtains that weren't trash bags or bed sheets. That's junkie life right there. What do you think of people when you see those things in their windows? I think trash bags are tweakers and bed sheets are junkies. While you're at it, you could probably use some bed sheets, too, for your bed.

      I found that discount stores like Ross, aside from having lots of clothes for sudden job interviews and weddings, has a huge home furnishings section in the back of the store. You can find all kinds of sheets and curtains back there for cheap. Before you go, there are two things you need to do.

      Measure your windows and see how long your curtains will need to be. Also, find out the size of your mattress. There are standard mattress sizes: twin, full, queen, and king, and sometimes a few others like California king. The difference is a few inches in either direction, but it makes a big difference when it comes to fitting the sheets on the bed.

      Bed

      When I got sober, I was still sleeping on the same lumpy futon that I had been passing out on for years. I bought that futon used from another drunk for twenty bucks. Between that and the ratty couch that had suffered many generations of punks and cats, I slept fine with the aid of some of Kentucky's finest bourbon. But soon after getting sober, I slept at someone else's house, and that someone had a fancy mattress made from foam. I laid down on it, and eight hours later I awoke thinking I had slept for days. “What the hell?” I thought. I never slept through the night back then. I thought I had some sleep disorder that prevented me from getting a good night's rest. I did have a sleeping disorder. It was called a futon. Drinking two pints of whiskey every day made it easy for me to sleep anywhere: couches, floors, bathroom stalls, offices, at the wheel, you name it. But sober was another matter. Look, if you're spending one third of your time sleeping, make it worthwhile. Treat yourself right. Having a bed that's not right is like having shoes that don't fit. And although you may not have been able to help the shoe and bed situation before, you can now.

      Buying a bed can be costly, and perhaps out of your price range when newly sober. But beds are also a pain to get rid of. Most thrift store type places won't take bedding. Your best bet is to get a secondhand one from someone in your fellowship who is getting a new one. Trust me; the used bed will be better than what you've been sleeping on. A couple who has just moved in together is likely to be getting rid of one of their beds.

      A mattress on the floor is a vestige of drug life. Outside of a creepy drug house, it looks, well, creepy.

      A mattress on the floor does not count as a bed. That is nothing more than a mattress on the floor. It's regal in a squat, perhaps, but you can do better. A mattress on the floor is a vestige of drug life. Outside of a creepy drug house, it looks,

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