The benefits you gain from living sober are worth the effort it takes to get there. Your mind is cleared and you can focus on other things besides alcohol and drugs. You can finish your tasks and take care of your responsibilities because you are no longer focused on seeking and using substances. Whether this is your first time getting sober or your tenth time, you should be proud of yourself. Sobriety is a big accomplishment. You have earned and deserve the many benefits of a sober lifestyle.
In this article, we will discuss the seemingly endless advantages of living sober and in recovery. Remember, if you have not yet entered recovery and need help overcoming your addiction once and for all, the professionals at Asheville Recovery Center can help. Now, let’s jump in.
Benefits of Living Sober
1. Improved Physical Health
The brain and body are both damaged by substances such as alcohol and opioids. When you cease abusing substances, your body repairs the regions that have been damaged. The kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, and other organs are all harmed by substance abuse and mental and physical health are closely linked. If one is unhealthy, the other will be as well. Liver problems are common from frequent alcohol consumption, as well as heart problems from hard drugs such as cocaine. One of the many health benefits of sobriety is that your liver will start to function properly once again after you quit taking drugs, and you will have less risk of heart disease.
2. Improved Mental Health
Hard drug use or chronic alcohol consumption can damage one’s self-esteem and cause one to feel worthless. As you become sober, you may find that your confidence in yourself increases and that you like yourself more than you ever have before. It is not easy to give up a serious addiction, and you may feel as if you have conquered the world after completing one. Drug and alcohol addiction may worsen mental health issues such as anxiety, schizophrenia, and depression, as well as worsen their symptoms. By staying sober, you will keep your mind clear and free, ensuring that you feel as mentally healthy as possible.
3. Repaired Relationships
Besides boosting your self-esteem, sobriety can enhance your social relationships as well. When you get sober again, you may feel that your friends and family members appreciate you more and are able to relate to them more personally. It is often difficult to connect with others when you have an addiction, and you may have lost contact with your family or friends as a result. Even the finest romantic relationships or those with your friends or family can be damaged as a result of drug or alcohol use. By remaining sober, you will be a better communicator and maintain the people you cherish in your life.
4. Experiencing a Better Night’s Sleep
Insomnia and disrupted sleep patterns are frequently the results of substance abuse and alcohol consumption. Due to the fact that alcohol consumption affects sleep in a number of ways, many drug addicts are unable to get the deep and restorative sleep they need. When you let go of your drug or alcohol habit, you’ll be able to sleep better once again.
Having poor sleep can have implications for your total health, and poor sleep can have an impact on all areas of your life. Once you stop taking drugs and alcohol, you’ll once again sleep like a baby and feel better when you wake up. You’ll also have more energy for work, socializing, and other activities.
5. Making New Friends
During the process of becoming sober, you may have met people in treatment programs and support groups who are in recovery. Some have been sober for years, some for just a day. You may benefit from forming bonds with both. It may be difficult to resist temptation if you’re not around sober friends, so you should get involved in sober activities. The new sober friends you make will provide you with the support you need to avoid a relapse and vice versa.
6. Increased Energy
Taking drugs can lower your energy levels. This is particularly true for depressants or downers, which can cause your energy levels to drop. Taking substances affects your energy by altering the parts of the brain that govern your mood. Since your mood governs your energy, the rewiring of your brain might cause you to lose energy as well. Another reason that you lose energy when you abuse substances is due to the fact that addiction makes you sleep poorly. As a result, your body does not get the proper amount of sleep and rest, which makes you low on energy. You can boost your energy if you live a sober life.
7. Rediscovering Yourself
After living through addiction, you have a fresh viewpoint on the world. After being blinded by alcohol and drugs for so long, you are finally able to see the world through new eyes. Addiction recovery allows you to learn about yourself in addition to educating yourself about substance addiction. During addiction treatment, you identified your triggers, your coping mechanisms, and why you act as you do, and you were able to learn about yourself. You can now build a life that fits your personal needs based on this new information about yourself.
8. Improved Finances
Giving up alcohol or drug use can help reduce financial difficulties and sleepless nights. Your money issues will almost certainly be lessened if you give up the substances you once so heavily relied on. Addiction is extremely expensive in terms of lost time at work or complete unemployment. Addiction is also very costly in terms of medical bills for additional health problems. It can lead to significant financial repercussions, including DUI, incarceration, divorce, personal injury, and incarceration.
Once you commit to recovery, your behavior will change, and your finances will follow. You will then have more than enough money to pay your bills and still have some left over to vacation, purchase a new vehicle, and do the things you enjoy. Because you are sober, you may also have more opportunities to make money.
9. Improved Memory
Drugs and alcohol negatively affect cognitive abilities and cause memory loss. The hippocampus is a part of the brain that is associated with learning and memory, and heavy alcohol consumption can cause it to shrink. By staying sober over a long period of time, one may partially repair the damaged parts of the brain. Memory, problem-solving, and attention, among other cognitive skills, may also be enhanced. In addition to mental clarity, a person may experience positive changes in relationships with family and friends and lead a more fulfilling life as a result of sobriety.
10. You Have More Time
When you get trapped in alcohol or drug addiction, all the excuses and lies you tell your loved ones, friends, coworkers, boss, doctors, and even yourself to cover up or justify your substance use become more and more problematic. When you are late or don’t show up for work, why you are ill, why you look terrible, where the money went, and so on, not to mention the time you spend worrying about where and how you will get your next hit, next bottle of medication, or next drink.
If you are fighting an addiction, you know what we’re talking about. It takes a huge amount of time and effort to hide your addiction. Once you stop using or drinking, all of these things will stop as well, allowing you to spend more time doing things you enjoy!
11. Improved Appearance
Drugs and alcohol destroy your health both internally and externally, which causes significant damage to your body and skin. Your skin may have looked dull and lifeless while you were actively addicted, you may have experienced weight gain or weight loss, you may have suffered from more colds and illnesses, you may have had little energy, and you may not have felt good.
You body begins recuperating as soon as you stop abusing substances, resulting in a fresh appearance. You will be able to absorb all of the nutrients your body requires once you have gotten rid of the toxins in your body as a result of substance abuse. With nutrition counseling and a healthy diet, you will be able to restore your health.
Activities You Can Enjoy While Living Sober
Many people mistakenly believe that once you are sober, fun goes out the window. This is far from the truth. If anything, being sober amplifies the fun since you will be fully alert, able to stand without swaying, and remember everything the morning after! Popular activities within the sober and recovery communities include:
- Hikinig
- Kayaking
- Golfing
- Swimming
- Taking road trips
- Reading
- Writing
- Volunteering
- Dancing
- Becoming involved in the arts
- Gardening
No activity is out of limits when you’re sober—except drinking alcohol or using drugs, of course. Many people who have been in recovery for a while even feel comfortable accompanying friends to bars or places where alcohol is served, only they opt for a non-alcoholic beverage. This comes with time, so do not feel rushed to get to that point in recovery before you’re ready. It is important to surround yourself with people who respect your boundaries and support you in avoiding triggers.
Asheville Recovery Center Can Help You Achieve Sobriety
Now that you are aware of the many benefits of living sober, we at Asheville Recovery Center encourage you to reach out to us if you or a loved one is in need of addiction treatment. Asheville Recovery Center provides specialized medical and clinical care through our patient-centric, holistic approach to rehabilitation. Before beginning a treatment program, our sympathetic and skilled specialists work with you to create an individualized treatment plan that addresses your specific wants and needs.
At our center, we combine holistic therapies with evidence-based treatments, ensuring that every client in our care receives the effective, quality treatment that they deserve.
Despite the fact that overcoming an addiction is difficult, it is not impossible. You can receive the assistance you need through Asheville Recovery Center. Contact us today to learn more about our many services, therapies, and treatments. You can achieve lifelong sobriety and we’ll be with you every step of the way.
