At month two, it is likely that you’ve learned to navigate social events, pressures, and drinking triggers. “(People) tend to learn that others won’t care or judge their behavior as they may have previously worried,” says Dr. Kennedy. As you maintain a substance-free lifestyle, your immune system can gradually regain its strength, better equipped to protect you from various diseases. This means you’re less likely to catch common colds, experience severe flu symptoms, or be susceptible to other infections. With a robust immune system, you’ll enjoy a healthier, more resilient life. With a clear mind and greater focus, individuals are better equipped to excel in their careers and pursue personal and financial goals.
The Journey to Sobriety: An Overview
- Without the cycle of planning, engaging in, and recovering from drinking activities, hours once dedicated to alcohol become available for other pursuits.
- When I got sober, it became very clear who I hung out with because I needed bar buddies and who I actually enjoyed being around.
- Not only does this mean that you will avoid the use of drugs or alcohol, but it can also mean an avoidance of the lifestyles that enable substance abuse.
- When you finally get over those first months of early sobriety, you’ll see that you’re not so bad after all.
- In this newfound freedom, there’s room for creativity, adventure and a sense of independence that fuels long-term happiness.
One of the most profound ways that alcohol affects you is through what it does to your body. After you drink alcohol, Volpicelli explains that the small molecules inside it get absorbed by your gut. From there, they travel to other parts of your body and affect organ systems, including the cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems, along the way. Making new sober friends offers opportunities for learning new hobbies or acquiring new interests with newly found friendships. Exercising or enjoying nature might lead to joining a hiking group or playing in a community sports league.
The Best Types of Therapy for Substance Use Disorders
Generally speaking, someone who is sober curious is reconsidering their relationship with alcohol—taking a look at why, when, and how often they drink. Go sober with friends and family to Sober living house gain community support, make the switch to mocktails, and always bring an alcohol-free drink with you when you attend social gatherings. Your immune system is your body’s first line of defense against illnesses and infections.
Sobriety Benefits FAQs
Generally, while alcohol can have a sedative effect at first, helping you fall being sober sucks asleep, it typically results in poor quality of sleep. Participants in Dry January or other temporary sober periods noticed an increase in their quality of sleep. Sobriety opens the door to rediscovering old passions and exploring new interests.
- Substance abuse can have an adverse effect on your energy levels and the overall quality of your life, as it has the potential to change the way your brain works.
- Benefits of being sober include better nutritional absorption, healthier skin, and a stronger immune system, which are essential for long-term health.
- Alcohol can be expensive, especially if you’re drinking on a regular basis.
- You become more reliable, dependable, and better equipped to offer support to those you care about.
- Keeping a journal, or even notes in your phone’s note app, can help you reflect on what you discover along the way and track how you feel.
- Addiction is time-intensive, while sobriety allows people to spend more time on personal development with a much clearer sense of purpose.
This can be noticed almost immediately, within the first month as you stop spending money on alcohol. Recovery allows you to get to know the real you and learn to love that person. You can take in every second, and not feel like your life is passing you by in a whirlwind of blurred memories.
The Physical Health Advantages of a Sober Lifestyle
- Maintaining sobriety equips people with a range of healthy coping strategies for facing the difficulties life presents.
- Sobriety turns mornings from something you dread into parts of the day you can actually look forward to.
- Alcohol and drug use can also significantly affect mental and emotional health.
- The good news is, quitting drinking, even if it’s for only a month, allows your body time to heal.
Research shows that some damage to your brain, liver, heart, and gut done by alcohol will slowly heal when you stop drinking. While it’s true that alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be severe, they will not last forever. Once you get through that part of the process, you’ll start to feel better physically and mentally.
Increased Confidence
Being sober curious is about reflecting on what impact alcohol has on your life. Some use it as a way to be more creative in their downtime, either looking up or creating mocktail recipes to try or seeking out new ways to engage with friends that aren’t centered around a bar. Whatever the reasons for taking a break from alcohol, studies have shown there are a great deal of benefits. “Some individuals find that they have changed their lifestyle quite dramatically in a relatively short period of time,” she says. For https://ecosoberhouse.com/ example, people might have to cut out friends or relationships that aren’t supportive of their sober lifestyle. She also notes that adjusting to these changes can lead to increased self-esteem and self-awareness.