9 Reasons to Stay Sober And How To Make It Happen

Additionally, women who use drugs enter the workforce later than women who don’t. In general, drug use can lead to workplace theft and distraction from the job due to thinking about using or getting drugs. 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. You are worth it to yourself, your family, your friends, and to any superior being you believe in.

It’s important to remember that you’re going to be craving alcohol to reward the short-term part of your brain, not the long term. Create some goals for yourself to remind yourself of what you’re working towards. 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 want to reduce your alcohol use and stop drinking, there is help and support for you. Behavioral interventions, medications, and social support can all play a role in your alcohol recovery.

Tips to Stay Sober

Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website. Having a chaotic or disorganized lifestyle can also hinder your recovery. It’s important to develop a structured daily and weekly schedule and stick to it. The symptoms involved in PAWS can be a barrier to recovery if you’re not careful. In addition to being able to recognize them, it’s important to know when to seek help.

Finding the right fit in a treatment program to overcome substance use disorder is vital to your recovery. In social situations where people are drinking, you might feel more comfortable with a drink in your hand. A mocktail looks like a cocktail but doesn’t have any alcohol in it. Other people won’t be able to tell https://ecosoberhouse.com/ the difference just by looking at your glass. If you recently had surgery or an injury, your doctor will be careful with the pain medication they give you, because some of those drugs can make you more likely to relapse. Ask your doctor about nonmedical ways to manage your pain, like massage or acupuncture.

The Positive Impact on Personal Relationships and Career

“You’re worth it” is a reminder to prioritize oneself, practice self-compassion, and pursue a fulfilling and meaningful life. Achieving and maintaining sobriety can have a profound positive impact on self-esteem. That helps to create a more positive view of the world, and creates a boost to your self-esteem. When you are using, you may feel worthless and not good to anyone.

• Now that you’re in recovery, you can become the person you’ve always wanted to be.
• It also covers tips on how to deal with the challenges you’ll face on your journey to sobriety.
• While it’s true that alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be severe, they will not last forever.
• Acknowledging and celebrating the hard work of recovery is helpful for keeping you motivated and reminding you why you took this brave step toward sobriety in the first place.
• Engagement with evidence-based addiction treatment and exposure to many therapeutic opportunities and approaches can help you create an educated approach to your developing sober lives.
• You might face penalties like losing your driver’s license or other legal issues, depending on local laws and regulations.

However, working with professionals and peers can be necessary to overcome these fears while navigating short-term and long-term recovery. You may want to start an exercise routine — exercise releases brain chemicals called endorphins, which can make you feel good. Or you might rather spend time volunteering for a good cause, like an animal shelter or children’s hospital. Whatever it is, new activities can lead to new friends with interests like yours. This may mean that you don’t spend time with someone you used to use drugs with or go somewhere you used to drink. You might take a new way home from work, for example, to keep from going past your favorite old hangout.

Keep your Job

Not only can avoiding alcohol or drug use improve cardiovascular, liver, and gastrointestinal health and dietary habits, but it can also help a person overcome mental health challenges. Building a support network can take time, but the efforts are worth the benefits of having the right people in your life for your sobriety journey. Building a support network is one of the best things you can do to build a strong foundation for sober living.

• If you or someone you care about is struggling to live independently because of a substance use disorder, Options Residential Inc. is here to help.
• Research studies have shown that people activated more parts of their brain and increased their ability to learn when putting pen to paper as opposed to typing.
• Children of sober parents are more likely to learn healthy ways of dealing with stress, disappointment, and difficult emotions, setting them up for better mental health in the long run.
• The loved ones of drug abusers can lose trust in the addict due to unpredictable behavior.

However, keep in mind that saying no to a field sobriety test can have consequences. You might face penalties like losing your driver’s license or other legal issues, depending on local laws and regulations. Celebrating someone’s sobriety can take many forms, depending on the relationship with the individual and where they are in their recovery journey.

Life after addiction might also mean you have more professional success and new creative outlets that you discover when drugs and alcohol aren’t occupying all of your time. If you are seeking drug and alcohol related addiction rehab for yourself or a loved one, the SoberNation.com hotline reasons to stay sober is a confidential and convenient solution. You’ll never finish everything you want to do, but if you set strict timelines, you’ll keep yourself on track for staying sober. If you’re fortunate enough to have friends and family that have continued to stay by your side, then seek them out.

• So if you love someone with an unhealthy relationship with substances, please practice patience with their journey and remind them that you’re there for support.
• People in recovery from a substance use disorder frequently have problems meeting work-related responsibilities, maintaining employment, and managing money.
• But with professional treatment, it is possible to make a full recovery from alcohol abuse.
• When you’re sober, you’ll feel sharper and more alert, and you’ll remember things better.
• Think about going to counseling or family therapy to help with that and to deal with other personal issues.

It’s impossible to know how you’ll react and how your life will change when getting and staying sober. But there are some general things you can expect to happen. When you’re focusing all of your time and energy on your addiction, you don’t have time to meet new people and build rewarding relationships.

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Sobriety?

However, experiencing these challenges does not mean you have “failed” in sobriety. There is never one path to sobriety, nor is there one strategy guaranteed to work for everybody. Organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous are other ways to build a support network. You can try different meetings for the different groups to find one that’s right for you. By Michelle Pugle

Michelle Pugle, MA, MHFA is a freelance health writer as seen in Healthline, Health, Everyday Health, Psych Central, and Verywell. Learn that you have choices and that you can maintain control.