By Michelle Pugle

Michelle Pugle, MA, MHFA is a freelance health writer as seen in Healthline, Health, Everyday Health, Psych Central, and Verywell. Getting support doesn’t have to mean going to rehab, although that is an option. Support can also look like joining in-person and online support groups. One 2020 study found potential benefits of combining in-person and online support methods. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Those who have been invested in AA swear these promises are realized.

• Alcohol consumption and abuse may cause you to look tired and puffy.
• You won’t have to nurse any more hangovers or take afternoon naps to get through the day.
• Support isn’t just needed to get a person started on the path to recovery from addiction.
• If you’re having the thought that you want to get sober and want to know how to get clean, there’s probably already an underlying motivation.
• Just because it “seems” like things will never change, that is not actually the case.

It’s seen as normal to drink, and quitting that drug can feel like breaking a social pact. So your bold, life-improving decision to not drink will mean changes almost everywhere you look. Here are some surprising (and not-so-surprising) occurrences that will inevitably happen to your relationships, your identity, even your free time, and how I’ve learned to deal with each one. Deciding to quit isn’t easy, but it’s a brave and commendable first step toward becoming sober. You may not be completely ready to stop drinking or know exactly how to get sober from alcohol, but even just having the thought that you want to stop and need help is a good place to start. The first step to getting sober is recognizing and admitting that you have a problem with drug or alcohol misuse.

How to Get Sober: A Guide to Sobriety

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. It might feel like drinking or using drugs makes your problems go away, but as anyone who’s struggled https://ecosoberhouse.com/ with addiction knows, this is just an illusion. When you commit to sobriety, you can actually solve your problems instead of ignoring them. It might sound counter-intuitive, but drinking or using drugs really isn’t that much fun. Think about it – being intoxicated might feel good for a while, but are you really enjoying yourself?

• I have since learned I am not alone in experiencing this phenomenon.
• Once he locks onto you (we are still trying to figure out what triggers him), he will quickly and relentlessly violate anyone’s definition of personal space.
• Not only does Ortega get to live out a dream and reconnect with his roots in his family’s homeland, it is with a welcome wave of support, a full heart and his newfound faith.
• However, research suggests that while 12-step groups are effective, people often don’t continue their involvement at beneficial levels over the long term.

There’s no easy pass for me anymore, no more getting drunk and slipping past the part where you get to know each other. There’s no more not caring if they see your cellulite or whatever you’re hiding under there; and you will, once and for all, discover that sex is never like in the movies. It is an awkward, vulnerable dance between two awkward, vulnerable humans. If people press that response, I’ll either stare at them and hold an uncomfortable silence (this is enjoyable at some point), or just change the subject.

thoughts on “14 Reasons Being Sober Makes Your Life Better”

And having that extra cash opens up a whole world of new opportunities – you could decide to save for a house, take a vacation, or go back to school, for example. It’s easy to down a lot of empty calories with just a few drinks. Combine the calories in alcohol with the aforementioned junk food cravings and you’ve got a recipe for weight gain.

For many people with a substance use disorder, it’s simply a matter of never having learned the appropriate way to manage anger. Talk to your therapist, other healthcare provider, or sponsor about how to deal with your anger in ways that won’t cause you to harm yourself or others or turn to alcohol or drugs. There are common setbacks to getting and staying sober like withdrawal, craving, and pressure to use.

Drunk people become experts—and want you to know it.

I felt something, like peace, which is something I haven’t had in a long time,” he said. This will probably get deleted but life is hard, boring and just awful sometimes. We with loved ones who have become addicted will get used to the shift and the new definition. After all, it’s to help them, and that’s what we care most about. There are many more interventions that may be used to help you recover from substance misuse. Regardless of the situation, being a victim never kept someone in recovery.

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. So if all of your friends drink alongside you, then there’s no issue, right?

This is certainly a common view for many who spend time in AA. Why do people, who have been sober for years, behave inappropriately with alarming regularity? Recently, I was asked this question in group therapy (the exact words have been edited as they were not fit to print).

It’s impossible to know how you’ll react and how your life will change when getting and staying sober. Some people may find that wearable devices and smartphone apps can support their recovery from alcohol use disorder. Biosensors monitor physical changes, detect alcohol use, and identify relapse risk. Studies suggest digital health options can improve access to care for some of the 15 million people experiencing alcohol use disorder each year.

Alcohol Addiction Treatment

The person who posed the question felt she had been misled. She believed that, even after decades of recovery, some people were “still messed up and acting out their issues.” It means continually checking in with yourself, continually reaching out to new people who may have ideas you haven’t tried before, and continually asking questions that will help you improve your life. They can feel overwhelming and like they will never end. Even if you are making one small choice to improve how you feel each day, like working out more or eating better, track it.

Aftercare programs make it easier to remain in recovery and avoid returning to substance use. If you don’t have a family or strong social circle to return to post formal treatment, a personalized plan may include interpersonal therapy, which can help you build a healthy social network. This research-based technique has been shown to support sobriety.