Living a sober life

Often times when someone enters treatment for addiction they have a difficult time seeing their life clean and sober. They see their lifestyle of using substances as the only way they can have fun, and that without it, life would be “boring.”

There’s the misconception that if you’re sober, you as an individual are not fun, and you won’t be able to enjoy your life to the fullest. Living a life of sobriety and recovery is anything but boring! Sober living isn’t just interesting; it’s fulfilling and meaningful. The benefits of being sober include real relationships and experiences that you might otherwise miss out on, along with many other good reasons to be sober. So, whether newly sober or curious about sobriety, here are a few reasons why you can love being sober.

One is recognizing that there is life after addiction. When you’re sober, your life doesn’t end, but rather, it just begins. Life after addiction allows you to feel more in control of your activities and your relationships. Everything in your life is more manageable without the effects of alcohol and drugs. A better life in recovery can include new relationships with others in recovery, provide more opportunities to enjoy the things you love with a clear mind, and there is less drama and problems.

Another reason to love being sober, is learning to be “in the moment” and practicing mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness means that you’re focused on the “right now”, the present moment, and enjoying it for all that it is, rather than thinking about the past or the future. It means you will not only be present, but that you will remember everything in a clear-headed way, with no more blurred memories.

When you’re in recovery, you don’t have to think about the effects of hangovers or blackouts. You can remember everything, and not have to worry about remembering what you said or did the previous night. You’re no longer waking up with that dreaded feeling that something terrible might have happened the night before, but you can’t quite remember what. You don’t have to call or text the people you were with and try to piece together the previous night. There are also no hangover symptoms. No nausea, vomiting, headaches and brain fog that can last for days in some cases and can diminish your quality of day-to-day life.

When you’re in active addiction, relationships typically surround individuals who use/drink with you. Since you are more likely to surround yourself with other people who also misuse substances, you never really get to know them without the influence of these substances. Romantic relationships may also be built on the use of drugs or alcohol, which only equals toxic. Without the influence of substances, you have the opportunity to enjoy sober relationships while ending toxic ones. You can form authentic relationships built on healthy qualities rather than on just who is willing or available to drink or use drugs with you.

You are able to cope better. Hardships happen in life and can be difficult to deal with. People may want to feel numb so they can overlook the bad things in their life. That often leads to being unable to see or enjoy the good as well. A life in recovery gives you the opportunity to develop healthy coping mechanisms. These mechanisms will pave the way for overcoming hardship without relying on a substance. These healthy coping mechanisms are more sustainable than numbing pain or trying to drink away your past challenges.

And lastly, recovery allows you to get to know who you really are and love yourself. Self-love and addiction are two things that can never go hand-in-hand. You don’t love yourself when all you are doing is covering your feelings. When you live a sober life, you can get to know yourself, the real you, and feel comfortable in your own skin. You can actually look in the mirror and love that person.