Finding healthy outlets and hobbies to replace old destructive habits is another essential aspect of maintaining sobriety. It’s not hard to see why people get more done when they’re sober. When you’ve got high energy levels and lots of free time, it’s easier to stay focused on work, school, and personal projects.
- At its core, sobriety is avoiding the use of addictive substances or behaviors altogether.
- One of the benefits is improved sleep patterns, leading to a reduction in instances of insomnia.
- One of the most profound ways that alcohol affects you is through what it does to your body.
- However, once you give up drinking or drugs, your life will change for the better in a multitude of ways.
- Life has it’s ups and downs, and with all you have been through you know that you can get through anything.
- Affirmation lists help to remind us of our accomplishments and triumphs in sobriety.
That’s not the case and many people find tremendous value in their sobriety, even if they didn’t go to the darkest place some people with addictions do. In fact, more and more people are becoming “sober curious” as a way to have a healthier, more balanced life. Sober living isn’t just interesting; it’s fulfilling and vibrant.
Reasons to Stay Sober: #1 Your Personal Freedom
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. Cutting out these substances can make you instantly feel years younger. You won’t have to nurse any more hangovers or take afternoon naps to get through the day.
- One of the healthiest things you can do for your brain and body is to work out at a gym.
- Staying sober will give you the best chance of healing and building new connections.
- I’m trying to take care of myself, and you want me to take care of an animal?
- Imagine having no clothes, and getting through the day with only eating a banana.
You don’t have to call or text the people you were with and try to piece together the previous night. I can only speak for myself, but this is one of the best parts of being sober. I’ve learned to take my time in life instead of doing everything as fast and as hard as I can. I’ve learned to appreciate the sunsets and the flowers and the ocean.
You can rebuild relationships.
When you’re in active recovery, these challenges can seem even harder to overcome. Even if you’ve been clean and sober for some time, hardships in life can lead you back to a spot where you wonder if you will relapse. Now that you are sober, you may have discovered that some of your past relationships were not only unhealthy but downright toxic. It’s not just your drinking buddies and drug dealers who can get you into trouble—sometimes those who are closest to you can contribute to a relapse. It may help to pick a quit date, or a day when you choose to discontinue use of alcohol or drugs. It’s also helpful to change your environment—for instance, avoid going to bars.
It’s important that you work with your doctor when you’re ready to stop drinking rather than trying to do it alone. When you stop drinking, it can also reverse the negative effects alcohol has had on your cognitive functions like problem-solving, memory, and attention. “These improvements can be observed not only in people who abstain from alcohol but in people who reduce heavy drinking,” Volpicelli says. People who drink heavily are about twice as likely to have a cardiovascular event within 24 hours than people who do not drink at all. If you look out a longer time, people who drink are six times more likely to have a cardiovascular event within a week compared to people who don’t drink. Alcohol can also trigger the release of chemicals called endorphins and raise levels of the “feel good” hormone dopamine.
Improve at Work and in School
As such, extended stay drug rehab is strongly recommended by the US government. However, there are an equal number of reasons to get sober and stay sober. Some are as personal to addicts as their reasons for using, but others are more universal. Nine of those are listed here if you need some inspiration to get sober or to assist you with a battle against temptation or difficulty.
Matthew Perry went to rehab 15 times before getting sober. Here’s why it’s so hard – CNN
Matthew Perry went to rehab 15 times before getting sober. Here’s why it’s so hard.
Posted: Thu, 02 Nov 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
However, research suggests that while 12-step groups are effective, people often don’t continue their involvement at beneficial levels over https://ecosoberhouse.com/ the long term. This tradition allows you to give back to the community. You can also create a tradition of serving as a designated driver.
Stay Committed
Many people replace alcohol with food or other unhealthy habits. With that being said, I personally have seen and know lots of people who used their recovery as a catalyst to start taking their health and nutrition more seriously. One nasty thing about substance addiction is the need to consume higher doses in order to achieve the desired and stronger psychoactive reasons to stay sober effects. This is a major reason some people overdose on drugs, and overdosing can render one unconscious or even dead. If you’ve returned from rehab and picked back up at your old job, similar to living in your former home and friends, you run the risk of a relapse. Returning to a routine you’re familiar with — when you were engaged in alcohol — isn’t healthy.
I’ve learned to enjoy the little things, because all the little things add up to big things. I’ve learned that I don’t need a lot of friends, I just need good ones. It is very reassuring to know that if shit hits the fan, there are people that have my back. When you’re in recovery, you get a good amount of people asking you dumb questions.