The cumulative effects of all these new experiences and choices add up. Sobriety is going to show what real relationships can look like. If you feel numb, like you’re in a fog, or have nothing going on – this is possibly one of the reasons. If you’re early in your sobriety or stuck in a cycle of relapse, you might find yourself questioning why you’re doing this to yourself. Becoming sober isn’t just about abstaining from alcohol. It’s a subversive, hardcore choice to take your life into your own hands.
Bring your own drinks
- You can provide an excuse, like that you’re on antibiotics, or you aren’t feeling great or want to feel fresh for something you have going on the next day.
- Thankfully, there have only been a few times when someone at the table hasn’t pointed it out on my behalf and adjusted accordingly.
- It’s so frustrating that I keep convincing myself it’s ok or not a big deal to go back.
- Spending more time with supportive loved ones and planning activities for the entire family can also help you develop a healthier lifestyle and avoid situations in which you would normally drink or use drugs.
- Becoming sober isn’t just about abstaining from alcohol.
- Other definitions, however, focus on the process of recovery and coping habits that support health and wellness over the long term.
In the same way that we might say, “skydiving is stupid” without ever having gone. While fear is a sober house very natural response, we can fight it with another natural response, our innate curiosity. Rather than criticize living a sober life, we should ask questions. There are a lot of misconceptions regarding sobriety.
Reasons to Stay Sober: Why Sobriety is Worth It
- Thanks everyone for being here in this virtual support group.
- A study found that people with substance use disorders had more difficulties with emotional regulation compared to individuals without it.
- If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help.
- Substances like alcohol have also been found to negatively impact self-esteem, which can damage your self-confidence and self-respect.
- It’s a holistic commitment to health and well-being, marked by renewed energy, mental clarity, and emotional stability.
- Living a sober life is often celebrated in the Bible as a path to clarity, strength, and purpose.
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. You will have good days and bad days, good weeks and bad weeks, and good months and bad https://www.inkl.com/news/sober-house-rules-a-comprehensive-overview months. None of that means you’re doing anything “wrong.” I am 17 years sober, and I still miss drinking sometimes. Be honest about your ups and downs with yourselves and others in your support system. Feeling like you want to drink or use is not inherently dangerous.
What Is Sobriety, Anyway?
The liver, heart, and other vital organs benefit greatly, reducing the risk of serious conditions such as liver cirrhosis, heart disease, and various cancers. Benefits of being sober include better nutritional absorption, healthier skin, and a stronger immune system, which are essential for long-term health. My biggest fears in life include being in large groups of strange people, standing at parties by myself, and really just people in general. Drunk me didn’t have to worry if I was alone at a party because drunk me didn’t abide such things. Drunk me didn’t worry if she belonged, or said the right thing, or had to have small talk because drunk me just handled that.
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I graduated two weeks after the call with my mom, and I stopped drinking and smoking and went to my first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting on May 12, 1996. I wasn’t sure if I was an alcoholic, but during my teens and twenties my partying ranged from “she’s fun and wild” to self-destructive. And, I was and still am a believer in the adage, If you’re asking yourself if your drinking is problematic, then, at the very least, drinking is probably not serving you.
As a drunk, I only thought about myself and where my next drink would come from. I was of no help to anyone – I was the one who needed help. In my own journey to sobriety, I’m not a saint or anything. But by sharing my experience, strength and hope, I’ve been able to give back.
Having been sober for 5 years, here are four things that I’m continually grateful for in my sober life. In addition, sobriety can boost your self-esteem and self-confidence. By staying sober, you prove to yourself that you have the strength and willpower to overcome addiction, which can greatly improve how you perceive yourself as a recovered alcoholic. This newfound confidence can spill over into other areas of your life, such as your career and personal aspirations. Moreover, staying sober improves the ability to focus and concentrate, enhancing productivity and cognitive function.
Some people in the recovery community have very strong feelings about what medications are acceptable to take when you’re in recovery, and unless any of those people are your doctor, you shouldn’t listen to them. As mentioned above, I have ADHD, and I take Adderall for it. When I first got the diagnosis, I had well-meaning but objectively incorrect people tell me that I shouldn’t take any stimulants because it would jeopardize my sobriety. Recovery and sobriety mean different things to different people. For me, sobriety means abstinence from any deliberate alcohol consumption.
Reasons Being Sober Is Worth It
How you deal with this one is you use it and you own it and you live it, because there is nothing more beautiful than a human who has no other choice but to be themself. So now I’m sober, and I have zero choice but to be me in all situations. I read it in an interview she did for The Fix, which is a now defunct addiction magazine. We are not fighting it, neither are we avoiding temptation. We feel as though we had been placed in a position of neutrality—safe and protected. That is how we react so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition.
