Sobriety is an opportunity to become the son, daughter, parent or friend that you’ve always wanted to be. Now you finally get a chance to repair the harm you caused in the past as a result of drinking and using. Getting support doesn’t have to mean going to rehab, although that is an option. Support can also look like joining in-person and online support groups.
Mental Health Benefits of Quitting Alcohol
- Between messing up your sleep and taking a toll on your body, alcohol and drugs can make you feel pretty bad if you use them regularly.
- Early sobriety may come with feelings of fatigue and the stress of dealing with challenges (people, places, and things that stimulate the urge to use).
- There are countless reasons to find help for substance abuse and many resources and services available to help you heal safely on the road to recovery.
- You can find healing in sobriety from the poisonous effects of drugs and alcohol on your self-esteem and your overall health.
But people are diagnosed with these diseases every day, and if you abuse alcohol or drugs regularly, chances are high that you’ll eventually be one of them. When you’re sober, you don’t have to worry about Top 5 Advantages of Staying in a Sober Living House developing life-threatening complications from your habits. By abstaining from drugs and alcohol, individuals also decrease their risk of developing mental health disorders or experiencing relapse.
You can rebuild relationships.
While in active addiction, sometimes it’s easy to think that you’re only hurting yourself. But what about those who depend on you most, like your children? Being clean and sober today lets you show up for your children in a real way. You get to be present to help out with homework, attend their games and recitals or bond over old-fashioned ice cream on a hot summer day.
thoughts on “14 Reasons Being Sober Makes Your Life Better”
Moreover, staying sober improves the ability to focus and concentrate, enhancing productivity and cognitive function. Individuals who maintain sobriety will experience more restful sleep and feel more rested the next day. Sobriety is about regaining command over your life and making wiser choices. It necessitates hard work, determination, and a commitment to personal growth.
Your memory improves.
- Even though they may want the benefits of sobriety on one hand, on the other, they may worry that treatment won’t work for them, or that they won’t enjoy life or have any fun without drugs or alcohol.
- To avoid relapse and remain sober, it’s important to develop healthy relationships.
One such tool that has been making waves in the recovery community is Soberlink. These are perfectly normal fears, and treatment addresses all of them. In fact, the whole point of treatment is to help you find purpose, meaning, joy, and fulfillment in a life without drugs or alcohol. Not needing substances to cope with https://marylanddigest.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ or enjoy real life is the best way to prevent relapse. Volpicelli says that some of the negative effects of alcohol on mental health can be reversed if you stop drinking. Many people with alcohol use disorder also have other mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.
- One thing you’ll do in treatment is learn how to have fun again without drugs or alcohol.
- A structured routine will help you achieve other goals in your life, whether they are short-term (like being on time for work) or long-term (like going back to school and changing careers).
- Naltrexone is one type of medication that can help reduce alcohol cravings, making it easier for some people to stop drinking.
Spending money on these substances could cut into paying for rent or bills. Addiction has a devastating effect on the relationships in every facet of our lives. Family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances — the damage occurs across the board. The good news is that in treatment and recovery, we learn effective steps to rebuild relationships and repair the damage to our reputations. A large body of research exists examining—and proving—the efficacy of AA for sobriety. A 2011 study by Krentzman, Robinson, et al. sought to answer the question of why some people chose to continue going to meetings even after they achieved short-term sobriety.
Identify Your Personal Triggers
- Some individuals start to exhibit compulsive behaviors, performing the same actions over and over, seemingly without reason.
- Improved physical health and reduced risk of chronic diseases are just some of the many actual benefits of staying sober.
- Not only that, but it also contributes to better physical appearance and weight management, helping you maintain a healthy body.
- These mechanisms and habits will be different for each person, so it’s important to figure out what works for you.
- When you’re in active recovery, these challenges can seem even harder to overcome.
When you remove substances from the equation, you will rediscover the person you truly are — a person worthy of love, respect, and limitless potential. Lean on close friends and family for support, even if your relationships aren’t what they used to be. Think about going to counseling or family therapy to help with that and to deal with other personal issues. One study found that 68% of people treated in a detox unit experienced moderate alcohol withdrawal symptoms. You can expect certain alcohol withdrawal symptoms such as sleep disruption to occur, though some people can experience seizures and other severe symptoms.
One 2020 study found potential benefits of combining in-person and online support methods. Depending on the severity of the addiction or substance being used, a medically supervised detox may be necessary to safely help you. If any area of your life is out of control, it will not help you maintain lasting sobriety. Anger is a normal and natural emotion, but how you deal with it will make a difference in maintaining your recovery.
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.