14 Reasons Being Sober Makes Your Life Better

I have half a decade without drugs and alcohol, but sometimes I’m more miserable than I ever was when I was getting high. The difference between then and now is that I have tools to get back to true freedom–where all the nonsense I am putting myself through mentally has no validity. It is not the mere fact that I am away from mind-altering substances, but it is because of the spiritual actions that can free my mind from itself. Often-times in recovery, being sober seems to be the aim. Yes, it is a crucial and a fundamental part (the beginning aspect) of starting the journey to full scale “recovery,” but the independent process of avoiding drugs and alcohol is nowhere near true freedom. The best way forward for your recovery from alcohol or substance use is to incorporate a wide variety of strategies that will help foster success.

• You have already accomplished so much by choosing to stop using drugs and committing to sobriety.
• 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.

Alcohol and drugs are terrible for your immune system. When you don’t put anything unhealthy into your body, you won’t be so vulnerable to colds and stomach bugs. When you’re under the influence, it’s all too easy to give in to cravings for something greasy, sweet, or salty. You have fewer cravings, and you’re not surrounded by temptations like bar food.

Things I’ve Learned Being The Only Sober Person In The Room

Ask any sober person whether they want to go to a cocktail party or stay in with a pack of La Croix, The Crown, and a bathrobe. I’d bet nine out of 10 of us won’t even answer, and we’ll just laugh because it’s such a ridiculous question. Sobriety doesn’t necessarily turn you into https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/sobriety-sucks-you-will-definitely-feel-better/ Liz Lemon, but it can give you the clarity to understand that you’ve been Liz Lemon your whole life. When I was drinking, it never occurred to me that I was an introvert. I would have classified myself as someone who loved to be around people and go out with them at night.

• People will assume you drink and will be very curious about why you don’t have a drink in your hand when they do.
• When I stopped drinking, not only did my recovery dictate that I needed lots of time to myself, lots of self-care, and lots of nights in, I discovered that I was, in fact, someone who relishes in alone time.
• With the advent of the “sober curious” movement, more companies, restaurants, and bars have been offering various non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails that are tasty and appealing alternatives to alcohol.
• You won’t have to nurse any more hangovers or take afternoon naps to get through the day.

In these moments, I have to remind myself that recovery isn’t just about not drinking; it’s about remembering that I am first and foremost responsible for advocating for my own well-being and boundaries. This is an opportunity to assert for your needs, and therefore assert your worth. So if all of your friends drink alongside https://ecosoberhouse.com/ you, then there’s no issue, right? Well, there’s a concept in psychology known as “confirmation bias,” and it means that we often look for evidence to support something that we already believe to be true. Personally, I always thought drunk people were fun, and I didn’t want my own poop relationship with alcohol to stand out.

How Do You Become Sober?

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to stopping alcohol use and treating alcohol misuse, but no matter how severe the issue may seem, recovery is possible for every person. The basic disease model of addiction says that plenty of people use drugs or alcohol to medicate their problems away. If this sounds like you, you might be surprised to find out how much more effectively you can deal with things sober.

This isn’t to say that all of your friends will be threatened, or that all of your friendships will change. Some will certainly remain, but even those aren’t necessarily long-game friendships. Sobriety is kind of like the fast-pass line at Disneyland, except the ride is growing up. 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.