Benefits of Sobriety: Living a Sober Life

The year 2020 is a great new opportunity to continue growing and learning in sobriety. Addiction recovery isn’t always sunshine and roses, but a little bit of help and support can go a long way. If you find that you’re struggling to stay sober, there is plenty of help available for you! In addition to living a better, more fulfilling life, sobriety can also extend your years due to increased health and wellness.

Many 12-step programs suggest that sobriety means total abstinence—never using the substance ever again. Yet given the intensity of her own struggle to get sober, McKowen can’t help but feel skeptical of influencer https://ecosoberhouse.com/ accounts that make quitting alcohol “seem like an Instagram filter”. “There’s this idea that you’re either a problem drinker or an alcoholic, or a normal drinker who has no issues with alcohol.

You’re less stressed and anxious.

In addition to being able to recognize them, it’s important to know when to seek help. Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Verywell Mind’s content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The fact that Foundation House is centered in Portland contributes to its success. From the day he arrived in Portland he fell in love with the city. Everything is so accessible… shopping, restaurants and many athletic activities.

It also gives you a sense of purpose that can help you stay focused. Because it isn’t just them, it’s all of us who need to recover the amazing, beautiful, albeit sometimes challenging world we live in.

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Drinking alcohol can be fine in moderation for some people, but alcohol misuse or alcohol use disorder can lead to health issues and personal and professional problems. All research on the Coastal Detox website, including images, texts and graphics, is strictly for informational purposes. Please do not ignore information from your doctor because of something you saw on the Coastal Detox website. If you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. My experience at coastal detox was very good, the staff there is terrific. They helped me get through the process of detox in a safe and professional manor. One of the most important aspects of long term sobriety is a dedication to helping others.

Just as people can develop an interest in adding different liquors to mixed drinks, many people living in sobriety find themselves discovering an interest in healthy foods. This could be something as simple as heading to your local multiplex to catch a movie in place of happy hour at your favorite bar. But you can also tie these habits and traditions to important occasions. For instance, it’s always a good idea to celebrate your recovery milestones, so you could make it a tradition to go out for dinner or ice cream on your sober anniversary each year. Or if you’re ambitious, you might plan a nice vacation each time you’ve stayed sober for another five years. Sobriety, on the other hand, is a complete lifestyle change.

Is It Really Possible to Live Life Completely Sober?

Your intentions may be good, but it takes more thanwillpowerto avoid having a relapse. This article discusses what sobriety means and describes strategies that can support your long-term recovery.

  • As long as this emotional pain is left unprocessed and not dealt with in a therapeutic, healing way, we will continue to use the thing that brings us relief.
  • Maybe not, especially if your substance use has become a problem.
  • Spending sober time becoming familiar with your body intimately can help you better communicate your needs to someone else when you feel ready for that step.
  • 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.
  • They start to exercise, play sports, take up painting or singing, and attend concerts.

Remember, one of the goals of getting sober is to feel better about yourself. And there may be setbacks during this time, but it’s never too late to get up and try again; in fact, you’ll be stronger for doing so.

Your Mental Health Will Improve

It can be a good replacement for the release of endorphins caused by drinking alcohol. The sober curious movement has gained steam recently, such as with the rise of interest in “Dry January” — a time when participants decide to not drink for the month of January. This is the living a sober life top tier Rehab/Detox center in Southeast FL. I’ve heard nothing but good things about them. They specialize in treating alcohol abuse among several other conditions. If you or a loved one are looking for a blueprint on how to sober up…Coastal Detox will lead you there.

There may be times where intoxication causes you to do embarrassing things, or to make poor choices. Creating such a list is another step toward bringing your fears out into the light, and examining them for what they are.

Things That Inevitably Happen to Your Personal Life When You Get Sober

Be selective about who you spend time with during this transition. Try to spend more time with people who you trust to respect your decision to reduce or eliminate drinking alcohol, rather than those who will judge or pressure you. If you are invited to a bar or restaurant for a social gathering and want to take this approach to being sober curious, try to only attend events at places where alcohol isn’t the main focus. If you’re questioning the role alcohol plays in your life, you might be curious about what it’s like to lead a “sober life” without alcohol. Individual, family and couples therapy may all help you and your loved ones recover from the ravages of addiction. You all can learn how to relearn old destructive behaviors. You can learn how to communicate better and how to get better in all aspects of life.

What do alcoholic eyes look like?

One of the physical characteristics of someone who is a heavy drinker is bloodshot eyes. This change in appearance is due to alcohol abuse swelling the tiny blood vessels in the eye, enlarging their appearance and making the eyeball look red.

Spouses can play into patterns of codependence, and families in general just simply don’t understand addiction and recovery well enough. They don’t know what causes it and what it takes to recover, especially if they have never been through it personally. And although we can so easily forget, humans are very social animals; we are starved for a feeling of connection with one another, and require it for our sense of well-being. A sense of community includes things like music, food, and laughter. These connections are so badly needed in today’s world that is often marked by blind consumerism, isolation, and stress. It’s understandable that some sensitive people who feel the pain of a world in crisis might need to numb themselves to it.

Avoid Old Routines and Habits

When I got sober and beat my addictions my life didn’t magically get better, It just stopped being worse. A lot of my problems disappeared but I eventually began to realize that I had sacrificed all the extreme lows in my life but none of the highs seem to ever come back.

living a sober life

Explore other social activities that don’t involve alcohol or substances. The right therapist can help you develop the skills and confidence to manage your mental health and emotional issues for life. If you want to explore your relationship with alcohol, it can be helpful to cut it out and note any changes in your life caused by its elimination. Hanging out with friends who drink alcohol in large quantities can increase the likelihood that you will feel pressured to drink as well. Consider taking a break from friends who might, whether they mean to or not, make you feel pressured to drink socially. Before you completely cut out alcohol, try taking a moment or two to think about how your relationship with alcohol has changed over the years and where it stands today.

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