5 Unexpected Benefits of Sobriety

Five Unexpected Benefits of Sobriety

When you struggle with addiction, your life is nowhere near how you imagined it ever would be. Somehow the life you’re living is not the one that you thought you would, and you’re not sure that you can ever get it back. The truth is that you can, indeed, reclaim your life and live the one you were meant to. When you decide to take steps to break the chains of addiction in your life, you might be surprised to find some unexpected benefits of sobriety that come along.

1. You’ll sleep better at night.

A report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism^[1] detailed the effects of alcohol consumption and sleep disorders. Since alcohol consumption can disrupt REM sleep cycles, those who suffer from addiction disease also tend to suffer from poor sleep architecture and sleep disorders.

A 2007 study from the Society for Neuroscience^[2] and a study from the Journal of Clinical Sleep^[3] also confirmed similar effects on one’s sleep and sleep disturbances with the use of cocaine and opiates. Sleep is vital for healthy brain development, regeneration, and overall healthy wellbeing. With sobriety, restorative, and refreshing nights of sleep return!

2. You’ll be able to put your words into actions.

When you’re actively in using drugs or alcohol, you know that many of your actions are not those you’d make when you are sober. You feel poorly about those words and actions, but your dependence prevents you from putting your remorseful feelings into action. This brings additional guilt and shame into your life and often exacerbates your drive for one more drink or one more hit.

When you’re sober, you are empowered! You’ll no longer find yourself spouting empty words that tear down relationships; you’ll instead be strong enough to follow through with the good intentions you’ve always had.

3. You’ll find more money in your pockets.

Depending on the substance, those who suffer from addiction find they spend anywhere between $20-$1200 a day on their habit. It’s nothing for some in active addiction to spend over $100,000 on alcohol or drugs, and often at the risk of losing their consistent paychecks in the process. Additionally, financial decisions made when using a substance can be catastrophic to you and your family.

When you focus on your sobriety, you’ll find you’re making smarter financial decisions and spending your money more wisely because your judgment is not clouded with intoxicated decision processes.

4. You’ll have better long-term health and life-span.

Drugs and alcohol wreak havoc on your body. Abusing drugs and alcohol can do damage to your body physically in organs like your lungs and your liver, as well as in your brain, which is your body’s command center. Substance abuse impacts your health tremendously. When your body is suffering, so does the rest of you.

When you work on your sobriety, though, you’ll also be working on improving your overall health and longevity. When you are living in sobriety, drugs, or alcohol no longer change your brain’s chemistry and weaken your immune system. Instead, you’ll find you may come back to a healthy weight, and your body will crave things that continue to make it feel amazing, not drag it down.

5. You’ll become passionate about life again.

Yes, becoming sober has many physical and monetary advantages, not to mention benefits to repairing and restoring relationships with friends and family members. Most importantly, though, becoming sober helps you become the you that you were always meant to be. You’ll be able to focus your time, talent, and resources into activities and relationships you’re passionate about. In doing so, you’ll find that the healthy and natural highs you get from doing the things you love drive you to enjoy and be thankful for every day you have.

You’ll be reminded that you don’t need alcohol or drugs to enjoy this beautiful life and that you want to continue living substance-free for all of the unexpected benefits of sobriety you’ve found.

Recovery is Possible

Though there are so many reasons to focus on your sobriety. The number one reason is that you deserve to live an enriching and fulfilling life.

If you’re struggling with substance abuse, the compassionate staff at Desert Cove Recovery will walk with you upon the path to your new sobriety.

We know that recovery and sobriety are hard-fought. We want to show you how to live a full and happy life substance-free. We’re ready to help you take those first steps and find the real you again. Contact us today and start living the life you were meant to live.

Share the image below if you have experienced any unexpected benefits of sobriety!

SOURCES: 

Blake Nichols

Blake Nichols is the Director of Operations at Desert Cove Recovery. Blake battled his own addiction to drugs and alcohol and was given the gift of recovery at the age of 23. Since 2008, Blake has dedicated his life and career to the field of addiction. He has experience in all aspects of addiction treatment including direct care, admissions, marketing, and administration.

Blake feels that the greatest reward of working in the recovery field is being part of the transformation that a person goes through from the time they arrive and begin treatment, through the hard work and the Miracle of recovery, and ultimately the change into a confident and capable person ready to carry the message of recovery.

“My career has focused on serving others. I have accepted ownership of my responsibilities as that is the key to working at the highest level of professionalism. I have worked to be positive and offer solution-based suggestions in my work and personal life.”