It might sound counter-intuitive, but drinking or using drugs really isn’t that much fun. Think about it – being intoxicated might feel good for a while, but are you really enjoying yourself? Being sober lets you push your boundaries and have fun in ways that aren’t possible when you’re drunk or high. You can travel to different places, try new things, and just be present in your life – and that’s always more fulfilling than checking out with a drink. It’s much easier to stay financially fit when you’re sober.
Stay Up to Date
Early sobriety can be a difficult time, but exploring new hobbies or re-kindling old ones can help you refocus and spend your newly found free time wisely. Sometimes being in recovery is just hard and there’s no getting around that. At times, you have to face difficult realities and truths about yourself that can be pretty painful. However, facing these things head-on also greatly increases your self-awareness.
- By prioritizing your well-being, you can overcome the challenges of addiction and embrace a fulfilling life.
- This is an opportunity to assert for your needs, and therefore assert your worth.
- Ultimately, sobriety leads to authentic happiness, regained control, improved self-esteem, and lessened physical and mental health issues.
- Which is not to say that if you never address those issues head-on, you’ll definitely go back to drinking.
Emotional Sobriety: What It Is & Why It Matters For Your Recovery
- In one study, researchers found that participants reported less depression and improved mental health after giving up drinking for six months.
- While you were actively addicted, you likely had poor boundaries that contributed to self-harming behaviors like substance abuse.
- Alcohol and other drugs have been proven to lower our inhibitions, and if you’re addicted, chances are you are making decisions on impulse most of the time.
- I wanted to blend in nicely with a crowd who understood that sometimes you just want to drink your face off, or one that didn’t think anything was weird about a glass of noon wine.
- Consistent drug and alcohol abuse take a toll on your appearance, wreaking havoc on your skin, weight, teeth, eyes, hair, and more.
I get to spend more time on personal development, my career, reading, writing, and anything else that feeds my soul. I’m glad I don’t have that sense of “wasting time by being wasted,” today. I even have time to find new hobbies and friends to dedicate my time to. Another drawback of excessive alcohol use is nasty hangovers, or other physical consequences like stomach issues, vomiting, and a cloudy head.
My Best Friend Gave Me My First Drink at Age 13
One of our caring intake coordinators will be happy to discuss your specific situation and a comprehensive treatment plan to address both the addiction and any co-occurring mental health disorders. Everything in your life can feel more manageable without the effects ofalcoholand drugs. When you’re sleep-deprived, you feel cranky, foggy, and unhealthy. Alcohol and drugs aren’t conducive to good sleep – they can keep you up late at night, make it hard to fall asleep when you want to, or make you sleepy during the daytime.
- Also with sobriety, people commonly report feeling more in control and proud of their appearance.
- By wearing SOBRLIFE Clothing, you showcase your commitment to a sober life while inspiring others on their recovery journey.
- But you HAVE significantly improved the odds that you get there eventually.
Addiction Resources
So your bold, life-improving decision to not drink will mean changes almost everywhere you look. Here are some marijuana addiction surprising (and not-so-surprising) occurrences that will inevitably happen to your relationships, your identity, even your free time, and how I’ve learned to deal with each one. The life I had before I quit drinking was a lot like Groundhog Day; I was always waiting for it to begin and always reliving the same stuff, day after day, year after year. When I finally walked away from booze at 34, my life opened up. I can honestly say sobriety is the best thing I have ever done for myself. It was my jumping-off point into a life I knew I had buried inside of me.
In fact, many people view those suffering from addiction as being lazy and crazy. is life better sober The only true way to avoid this stigma as an addict is to redeem yourself by becoming sober. Once you start living a sober life, people will respect you and your ability to overcome life’s obstacles. Continuous substance abuse can even do things like cause your blood pressure to spike or decrease to an unhealthy range. When your blood pressure becomes too high or too low, it can cause your body to go into shock.
Real and Authentic Relationships
- Early sobriety can be a difficult time, but exploring new hobbies or re-kindling old ones can help you refocus and spend your newly found free time wisely.
- The enjoyment of mornings without hangovers can be one of the first benefits enjoyed, often within the first week of sobriety.
- It has to do with alcohol’s effect on your brain chemistry and what happens to your mood and emotional well-being as your brain heals from years of drinking.
How many days and hours have you given away to alcohol and drugs? Getting sober allowed me to earn my time back and spend it the way I want to. It’s not spent in bed nursing a hangover, or on a 3-day cocaine bender, or at the club until 5am.
Reasons to Stay Sober: Why Sobriety is Worth It
I used to justify my hangovers that lasted for days, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ the vomit that would come up hours after I slept off my drunkenness, and chalk it up to it being a part of a good party. The damage we do to our bodies during addiction is long-lasting. I couldn’t understand that vomiting was my body’s way of telling me it didn’t like the alcohol or that it was too much. Today, I have peace of mind in knowing that if I get sick it’s from a cold or flu, not because I’m putting harmful substances in my body. Drugs and alcohol change the way your brain functions and may even cause long-term or irreversible brain damage.
In fact, you might be surprised to find that many of your loved ones have been waiting to welcome you back into their lives with open arms. In difficult times like this, it’s helpful to be reminded of all the good things that came as a result of getting sober. Aside from the obvious (no more hangovers, hospitalizations, jail time, etc.), there are so many ways life is better when you’re sober.
Physical Health Benefits
Fortunately, not all of the damage is permanent and as your body adjusts to sobriety, your brain will too. With time, the mental fog will fade and you’ll begin to feel more alert, focused, and present in your everyday life. This means you’ll have an easier time functioning at work, carrying out your daily routine, reading a book, and even just having deeper thoughts and ideas that add value to your life. It frees you from these things that hold you back, giving you the opportunity to have deeper and more meaningful connections and engage in activities that bring you joy. Sobriety can also help improve your mental health, reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety and helping you experience a greater sense of well-being. But when you put an end to your relationship with alcohol and drugs, you can start fixing damaged relationships and build stronger, healthier connections with loved ones.