Sober Isnt Boring: Reasons to Love Sobriety Benefits of Soberiety

Admitting that you have a problem can be a scary thing to contemplate. It can be even more treacherous when you think about being called an “addict” or “alcoholic” for the rest of your life. But it would be best if you remembered that you could choose who you share your journey with and who you don’t.

I graduated two weeks after the call with my mom, and I stopped drinking and smoking and went to my first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting on May 12, 1996. I wasn’t sure if I was an alcoholic, but during my teens and twenties my partying ranged from “she’s fun and wild” to self-destructive. And, I was and still am a believer in the adage, If you’re asking yourself if your drinking is problematic, then, at the very least, drinking is probably not serving you. And, if you’re scared shitless that your life won’t make sense if you stop drinking, find a friend to take you to a meeting and/or reach out to a mental health professional. Sobriety is a general term for staying away from mood- and mind-altering substances, though there is no commonly agreed-upon medical definition in terms of what sobriety means.

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Whether your sobriety has you wallowing in boredom or self-pity, please know that it will get better. Even if you have no idea HOW things can change, trust the process and keep working on it. One of the best things you can do for yourself when you’re feeling bored in sobriety is to find a way to serve others. It also opens up space to approach your internal world differently.

• The romance of wine clubs, scotch tastings, and “a few beers while we watch the game” is dead for me.
• That’s not going to be easy, but the alternative is to continue slowly destroying the one life you’re given.
• Sometimes admitting the truth to yourself is the first step.

As someone who drinks or takes drugs, it’s not hard to see why the idea of living a sober life is difficult. When you get sober, many people don’t know that there are many fear of being sober ways that your life will be a million times better. For example, you can clear the house of all substances and triggers before the person returns home from treatment.

Dealing With “Boredom”

Her advice was to quit drinking, quit smoking, quit emotional eating, and quit trying to control and manage my family’s crises. Triggers for using drugs and alcohol typically are people, places, and things that remind you of your addictive behavior or encourage the use of substances you’re avoiding. The best way forward for your recovery from alcohol or substance use is to incorporate a wide variety of strategies that will help foster success. Remember to care for yourself, seek supportive relationships, and consider seeking help from a therapist. But for most people, staying sober isn’t that straightforward. The more strategies you learn to identify triggers, cope with stress, and manage your new sober life, the easier it is to prevent relapse.

Detox can occur in a hospital setting or as the first part of inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation. A structured routine will help you achieve other goals in your life, whether they are short-term (like being on time for work) or long-term (like going back to school and changing careers). If PAWS is severe https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/alcohol-neuropathy-symptoms-and-treatment/ or if you’re experiencing prolonged symptoms, a medical professional can help you work through them and remain in recovery without relapse. 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.

Sober Isn’t Boring: Reasons to Love Sobriety

Getting sober means replacing your primary coping mechanism – drugs and alcohol – with new, unfamiliar ones. The process can be uncomfortable, particularly for someone who is afraid of feeling in general. Staying stuck in this fear generally means staying stuck in addiction.

In fact, here’s a little secret – anyone who is charming drunk can be charming sober. After you’re more secure in your sobriety, you’ll find that you’re actually MORE charming than “drunk you” could ever be. With proper counseling and/or a good recovery program, you’ll learn important tools for navigating these relationships. After a while, you’ll be enjoying life on entirely different terms. The great thing about sobriety is that it enables you to find joy in things you previously took for granted, like eating a delicious meal or playing with your two-year-old daughter or niece.