I used to wake up almost every day with a pounding headache and the feeling that every last drop of moisture had been turbo-vacuumed out of my body. I often missed work or was late, or ended up napping at my desk, only to wake up groggy and embarrassed. And on weekends, I was often found curled up in fetal position for hours, instead of enjoying my free time. I have now personally been sober for over 2 years and 7 months.

Stories of Transformation Through Sobriety

You can take in every second, and not feel like your life is passing you by in a whirlwind of blurred memories.

Drinks add up fast – especially when you’re treating yourself to that ‘just one more’ cocktail. Suddenly, I had extra cash for the things that genuinely made me happy, like trips, self-care splurges, or even just saving for something special. Understanding your triggers makes it easier to decide when you https://www.inkl.com/news/sober-house-rules-a-comprehensive-overview genuinely want a drink and when you don’t.

You’ll wake up feeling refreshed, clear-headed, and proud of yourself. Holding a drink – whether it’s sparkling water, a soda, or a mocktail – makes it less likely anyone will ask why you’re not drinking. There’s a world in which I felt guilty for going away at all. Or where the grief of knowing I was about to lose someone so special tainted everything around me.

Writing this post is how I learned 17 is a lot of things. Maybe too many.

If you’re involved in a 12-step program, you likely already know the importance of milestones. In these programs, it’s customary to receive plastic chips as you progress to the one-year mark, at which time you receive a bronze coin. You may also need to change your route to work or home in order to avoid any triggers, or people, places, or things that make you want to use drugs or drink again. Lasting recovery requires lasting effort, but relapse is not failure or weakness; it takes more than willpower to maintain sobriety.

It took a toll on my mental health, self-esteem and relationships. You may also experience what sober house is commonly called sobriety fatigue, which refers to the overall exhaustion that may occur as a result of the emotional and physical stress of staying sober. So, it’s extra helpful to have a support network available to you when you need it. It may also be helpful to get to know yourself on your own, first. 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. 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.

Do you want to drink less alcohol? Here’s how to be ‘sober curious’

Plenty of people wanted to tell me how things should be done, and I haven’t always had an easy time not listening to them or not taking it personally when they disagreed with my actions. I hope this is less true now with the proliferation of trends like Dry January and “sober curiosity,” but either way, most people don’t care. But the second I started talking about it—first with other people in recovery and later for a broader internet audience—all of that shame started to lose its charge.

My Free Time

• Now I unlock my mobile with ease and the anxiety of reading messages from friends has dissipated.
• We’ll also get deep into the positive impact of sobriety on personal relationships and careers.
• Finally, staying committed to attending meetings and seeking professional help when needed ensures ongoing support and guidance throughout the recovery journey.
• I concur with the statement about being able to accomplish goals as well.
• Alcohol contains a high number of empty calories, which can contribute to weight gain.

Strengthen your connections and contribute meaningfully to the community, fostering a sense of purpose that transcends the individual journey toward sobriety. I feel great, I love the energy and positive mood, decreased depression and anxiety. It’s so frustrating that I keep convincing myself it’s ok or not a big deal to go back. Then it’s depression and anxiety city all over again. I’m feeling great now and hopeful I can remember not to trick myself into forgetting the truth again.

I wish I could promise that if you don’t drink for four months or six months or twelve, then you’ll have reached some magical number where all your hopes and dreams come true. These days I do not “really” have more money because I quit my job and added another human to our family. Or hey, I’ve been feeling low-energy and bummed out lately. Now, I can deal with them the same way you would deal with any chronic disease.

I’m not special. These benefits of sobriety are for everyone.

Then, they don’t have to learn how to love themselves because they’re covering their feelings rather than dealing with them. When you live a sober life, you can get to know yourself and feelcomfortable in your own skin.Self-loveand addictionare two things that can never go hand-in-hand. Sobriety brings about positive changes in both physical and mental health.

By maintaining your sobriety, you can demonstrate your commitment to change and work towards restoring relationships that may have been strained or broken. Finally, a strong community of sober supportive help is available, providing individuals with the necessary tools and resources to navigate the challenges of addiction recovery. Sobriety also fosters better relationships with family members, as it allows for more authentic connections free from the negative impacts of substance abuse. By prioritizing health, you unlock the potential for enhanced productivity, sharper focus, and a positive contribution to professional and personal pursuits.

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. Now that you are sober, you may have discovered that some of your past relationships were not only unhealthy but downright toxic. It’s not just your drinking buddies and drug dealers who can get you into trouble—sometimes those who are closest to you can contribute to a relapse.

I’m more mindful of general aches, pains and mental states. Rather than pass it off as a hangover or illness from drinking, I’m figuring out what the reason for the headache is, or why my stomach feels sick. Mental Strength.Better relationships.Freedom from thought control.Physical health.Freedom to be spontaneous as in driving at night due to no alcohol in the system.Positive mindset.Better sleep. I wanted to start this thread for everyone to share what they most love about being sober in hopes we can encourage others that may be struggling to get to that point. Maybe the words we share here can serve as inspiration to help them on their journey to feel the feelings we “love” about being sober. Another way sobriety enhances your life is by giving you more time and energy to pursue hobbies and passions that bring you joy.

When you’re sober, you’ll be able to eat a balanced diet and provide your body with the nutrients it needs to function properly. You also reduce the health risks and give your body a chance to heal. Hangover symptoms including nausea, vomiting, headaches and brain fog can last for days in some cases and can diminish your quality of day-to-day life. You can remember everything and not feel that sense of terror of waking up and not remembering what you said or did the previous night. You don’t have to try and wrack your brain to remember who you were with or what happened. You’re no longer waking up with that sinking feeling that something terrible might have happened the night before, but you can’t quite remember what.