Sober Curious: What It Means, Benefits, and Tips for Living Sober

When you’ve got high energy levels and lots of free time, it’s easier to stay focused on work, school, and personal projects. Have you ever woken up unable to remember what happened the night before? Even if you don’t tend to black out under the influence, alcohol and drugs can make your memory foggy and unreliable.

Ultimately, honest communication can keep you in tune with yourself, your feelings, and your recovery progress. If your words match your actions and feelings, you can stay in alignment with your recovery and sobriety goals. Through today’s blog, discover what sober life means to you and what things in life hold significant meaning. Doing so can give you the purpose and renewed passion you need to succeed and maintain long-term healing from substance use disorders. After overcoming her own addiction in 2012 Julie went on to become certified as an addiction counselor in order to help others achieve a life of recovery. She worked in the addiction field for 8 years and now uses both her personal and professional experiences with addiction as an influence for her writing.

Giving up alcohol frees up your mental space.

A vast number of job opportunities exist throughout the city for individuals transitioning from addiction. There is also no shortage of outdoor and community activities available, from hikes in the Angeles Mountains to numerous recreational centers, parks, and art galleries throughout the city. We’re the ones who are so wasted by that point we vomit into the fire. We’re the ones who pass out on a ratty towel and stay that way for the next six hours, until we wake up hungover and with sun poisoning. Anger is a normal and natural emotion, but how you deal with it will make a difference in maintaining your recovery. Once you do return to work, it’s important to create a budget and take steps to safeguard yourself as work stress can be a relapse trigger.

• This is common for those struggling with a substance use problem.
• Because people who drink and use drugs often spend time together, it can be very revealing who one’s friends are once one of those people stops using.
• We believe in providing our clients with an environment which addresses each individual’s unique physical, emotional, and social needs, while adapting to their changes as they happen.

For example, you may have developed a co-dependent relationship, or a family member, friend, or employer may have been enabling you without even knowing it. However, research suggests that while 12-step groups are effective, people often don’t continue their involvement at beneficial levels over the long term. Think of it as a caring nudge towards getting curious, asking questions, and considering what might be on the other side of sobriety. Head there for a longer read on why trying your own alcohol-free experiment might be worth it.

No. 7: You’ll Stay Out of Jail

At the same, though, it can help to acknowledge the fact that there are others cheering you on. Whether it be family or friends, there are people who want you to stay sober – because you mean the world to them and recovery means keeping you safe. Not to mention, these people have come to know the honest, thoughtful, active, personable, trustworthy, amazing, sober you. The trust you’ve reestablished with the ones you love, the bridges you’ve rebuilt, and the relationships you’ve reignited are great reasons to stay sober. The impacts of substance abuse on your mental and emotional health can be severe and debilitating.

If you find it difficult to make new, sober friends, try joining a support group. Finding meaning and value in sobriety and staying in tune with yourself and your progress can help you be present in your emotions and thoroughly process and release the pain you may feel. Healing with such awareness can help empower your recovery. Likewise, feeling supported and loved can https://stylevanity.com/2023/07/top-5-questions-to-ask-yourself-when-choosing-sober-house.html help you be more likely to stay committed and avoid behaviors that could compromise relationships that mean a lot to you. Staying immersed in connections you forged during treatment can keep you motivated, present, and invested in a successful, substance-free future. Without taking the time to consider why you want to pursue sobriety, you may decide not to begin at all.

Real and Authentic Relationships

If you answered “yes” to any of the questions listed above, chances are you do struggle with a serious drinking problem – one that will require professional medical intervention. Fortunately, there are many resources available to those who do decide to quit. At Chapel Hill Detox, our goal is to help those struggling with alcohol abuse and dependency begin their personal journeys off addiction recovery. Many “normies” have recently made the shift away from social drinking and towards intentional sobriety, and there is good reason for it. Of course, if you have struggled with alcohol abuse in the past you have even more of a reason to get and stay sober.

You don’t have to call or text the people you were with and try to piece together the previous night. Finally, accept that some relationships are irreparable. If the other party is not receptive to rebuilding what was once there, you must honor and respect that. Are you tired of not knowing where you’ll wake up, or worse ⎼ if you will?

These substances may have left you feeling disconnected from your family, your friends, or hobbies you once loved. They may have created a darkness that now shadows your life. You may see a spiraling effect on your relationships, your finances, and your health. You may not feel happy or satisfied with your current path.

As a result, you neglect your physical appearance and personal hygiene. Therefore, living a sober life will improve your appearance. Another reason why your energy is often lower while abusing substances than it is while sober is because addiction causes you to not get good sleep. Because you aren’t receiving good sleep when suffering from addiction, your body is not getting the proper time and rest that it needs to refuel itself. This also means that living a sober life will help you gain your energy back. Drugs and alcohol have disrupted your life in some way.