Things that happen in life may feel as if they’re too difficult to deal with without the effects of a substance. People may want to feel numb so they can overlook the bad things in their life. That often leads to being unable to see or enjoy the good as well. When you’re misusing drugs or alcohol, your relationships may be built on substance use. You’re more likely to surround yourself with other people who also misuse substances, and that can mean you never really get to know people without the influence of these substances.

By embracing the process, you will also have a life.

Studies have also connected alcohol use to an increased risk of stroke, especially for people under the age of 45 years old. Alcohol can also affect digestion, storage, utilization, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ and excretion of nutrients. That’s why it’s common for people who use alcohol to be malnourished. Alcohol robs your body of nutrients and derails your metabolism.

Why Should I Get Sober?: 5 Benefits of Sobriety

And stay in touch with your sponsor and call them if you’re feeling anxious or uncomfortable. Other medicines, counseling, and psychosocial support can also help to abstain or reduce unhealthy drinking. The important point is that one must be aware of the bad consequences of drinking and take steps to stop or reduce excessive drinking. If you’ve stopped drinking and still can’t sleep, talk to your provider.

Learn to Manage Stress

Marijuana users alone experience accidents at work at a 55% higher rate than non-users, as well as 85% more injuries and 75% more absences. Without motivation, you won’t have a reason to pursue the long path of recovery. Without inspiration to refresh you emotionally, mentally, reasons to stay sober and spiritually, you may lose sight of your motivations entirely. In this way, motivation and inspiration are intrinsically linked. Many times, I’ve found that therapy with a Master’s level clinician can help me to stop looking at the negative and focus on the positive.

• Improved physical health and reduced risk of chronic diseases are just some of the many actual benefits of staying sober.
• Regardless, this requires the help of a professional, so you need to get therapy or medication or both from a psychiatrist or a Master’s level clinician.
• I set the bar way too high (for anything, really), and then I find myself getting super negative and not being able to do what I’ve set out to do.
• For many people with a substance use disorder, it’s simply a matter of never having learned the appropriate way to manage anger.

• Chasing that self confidence boost by increasing your substance use will quickly lead to depression and even lower self-esteem.
• Prolonged marijuana and alcohol use reduces the chances of graduation from both high school and college.
• Not only that, but it also contributes to better physical appearance and weight management, helping you maintain a healthy body.
• Alcohol use and poor sleep are closely linked because alcohol messes with your sleep-wake cycle.

Your friends and family will be happy to see and count on you again. If you are continually doing things that are self-indulgent or hurtful to those you love, they have no choice but to turn away from you.2. Once you give up your habit, you will be able to look at yourself in the mirror and smile. You will have more joy in experiencing a day rather than sleeping through it.

The good news is that in treatment and recovery, we learn effective steps to rebuild relationships and repair the damage to our reputations. By not drinking and using today you get to discover your purpose. Sobriety doesn’t mean that everything is going to go your way and that life is going to be perfect, but by staying sober today, you get to chart a new route and truly live. 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.

Serious physical health problems

According to Volpicelli, the cognitive changes people can have from drinking—like memory trouble, slowed reaction time, difficulty controlling behavior, and poor concentration—get worse over time. There are certain brain chemicals called excitatory neurotransmitters that will stop doing their job when you drink, which can make you feel sleepy and sedated. As alcohol is broken down and metabolized by your body, toxins get released. Some will eventually get broken down into less harmful compounds, but your body’s ability to process these substances is limited.

What is sobriety fatigue when quitting alcohol?

Check out our Recovery Stories from alumni to read how sobriety has affected their lives. And in case it wasn’t already obvious, the only way to get to long-term sobriety is to first achieve short-term sobriety. Many people with alcohol use disorder also have other mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction and are ready to live a sober life, contact The Recovery Village. When you’re using drugs or alcohol, you can feel like you’re skating through life, but never really feeling or being in any of the moments.