No matter what, I will always have a nagging feeling in my mind that tells me I am not good enough or that I am not where I want to be. However, sobriety gives me the ability to look at my life objectively, and see how full my life actually is. Sobriety has made it so much easier for me to fall asleep at night. I realize that when bad shit happens, its not the end of the world. I just get through the day, get to sleep without picking up, and start over the next day. There is a reason people do drugs, and I think a lot of it is because it makes them feel comfortable.

Heal Relationships

• There are stretches of time that went by so fast that I hardly even remember them.
• Treatment for addiction can help you address and safely manage any mental and emotional health issues and clear the way for a sober life free from the damaging effects of drugs and alcohol.
• Staying sober can help you develop the skills necessary to face life’s challenges head-on and bounce back from adversity with greater ease.
• The severity of the memory troubles depends on how often the addict uses the drug, but memory is affected regardless.
• I have found that the benefits of sobriety outweigh the benefits of partying.

“I tried again in my 30s, but I relapsed as well,” she shares. “I knew I could no longer go on pretending that I had a handle on my drinking,” she explains. To her, alcoholism ended up feeling like a mental prison because she was so focused on trying to control her use, which ultimately was out of control.

• Addiction can profoundly impact relationships with family and friends in various ways.
• This resilience can serve you well in all aspects of your life, fostering personal growth and a stronger sense of self.
• This can create a vicious cycle of using substances, such as drugs, to cope with negative emotions, only to feel worse afterward.
• Choosing sobriety can empower your immune system by reducing inflammation, enhancing your body’s capacity to combat infections, and boosting the production of antibodies.
• If the question comes from someone you know well, you may want to say that drugs or alcohol became a problem for you, so you’re staying away from them.

Manage Physical Pain

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. Research shows that if you maintain these types of toxic relationships, your chances of relapsing are greater.

Mental Illness and Staying Sober

I’ve learned that I don’t need a lot of friends, I just need good ones. It is very reassuring to know that if shit hits the fan, there are people that have my back. Getting sober is just half the battle, reasons to stay sober but staying clean and sober is what will build the foundation for your relationships. Once detox is complete, your body will be free from alcohol and ready to begin physical and psychological healing.

Think of how much time you used to spend on your addiction each day. When you’re no longer dependent on a substance, you have so much more free time to focus on fun, creative pursuit like sports, traveling, art, music, and home projects, just to name a few. Methamphetamine use can lead to depression, paranoia, hallucinations, and anxiety. Cocaine can cause anxiety, depression, panic attacks, hallucinations, and paranoia. LSD has been shown to cause hallucinations, paranoia, anxiety, and self-harmful behaviors.

Is Marijuana Addictive? 11 Signs You Might Have Cannabis Use Disorder

A relapse is not a moral failing or a sign that you’ll never be able to get sober. Though staying free, clean, and sober long-term is the main goal, your immediate focus should be developing healthy coping mechanisms and habits. These mechanisms and habits will be different for each person, so it’s important to figure out what works for you. Plus, some people must also manage mental health issues like depression, anxiety, or even another underlying medical condition. There are numerous motivations for individuals to stay sober, including improved physical health and overall well-being. Additionally, maintaining sobriety can lead to better relationships with family and friends.

This doesn’t mean that you don’t ask for help if you need it, but the goal is to be responsible through your own efforts. Addiction has a devastating effect on the relationships in every facet of our lives. Family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances — the damage occurs across the board. The good news is that in treatment and recovery, we learn effective steps to rebuild relationships and repair the damage to our reputations. The grips of drug and alcohol addiction can deny you from appreciating and seeing your self-worth.

• Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares how to avoid repeating mistakes and build better habits.
• This typically occurs after five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women.
• If you have wondering, “Should I go sober”, beginning this journey can be life-changing but challenging.
• For those seeking non-12-step support, alternative groups such as SMART Recovery and Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS) offer unique approaches to recovery.

Recovery programs can be excellent for helping you find like-minded folks who are also working to stay sober. There was discomfort, but it ultimately changed her life in big and small ways. Above all, she found herself confronting parts of herself that she’d worked to avoid with alcohol.