If you are in early recovery, you may be struggling to find your way as a sober person. You may be wondering what your life will be like without drugs and alcohol. You may feel some apprehension and awkwardness. While early recovery is not without its share of obstacles, you will begin to realize how much better your life will be clean and sober.
So how is your life better sober?
You Look Better
An obvious benefit of sobriety is that you look better. Once the toxins leave your body, your body will return to normal. The blemishes you may have will clear up, and the dark circles under your eyes will become minimized. You will start to look and feel younger, and you will become happier and gain more confidence in yourself.
Better Relationships
Drug addiction is marked by manipulation and lies, and many of your relationships with those you love become strained and dysfunctional. In recovery, you utilize the healthy communication skills you learned in treatment, and you start to repair and restore those relationships. Your family and friends will see the genuine and real you over time, and your relationships become stronger. You will become a member family member, friend, and co-worker.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
One of the most significant ways life gets better when you are sober is that people give you respect. When you show people that you are following through in making positive changes, they will admire the person you have become. When they see the commitment you have paid in body, mind, and soul, you attract positivity and love.
You Have More Fun
It may be weird to you, but when you are sober, you can actually have more fun. While you may think you had a blast while high or drunk, that fun you had was artificial. In recovery, you get high off the moment and with healthy hobbies and pastimes. In sobriety, you are able to enjoy the experiences of everyday life better and are more at ease with yourself.
You Have More Money
Addiction is expensive! When you were actively using drugs and alcohol, you may have found yourself depleting your bank account and constantly overdrawn. You may also have borrowed large amounts of money from family and friends under the guise of paying bills only to spend it on your substance of choice. When you become sober, you have cash in your pocket that you can save and invest. You can pay back debts and invest in new hobbies.
You Learn to Love Yourself
Perhaps the biggest reason why life gets better when you are sober is the fact you learn to love yourself. You learn to rise above the guilt and shame associated with your addiction, and you can move on with your life. With each day clean and sober, you become more confident and proud of yourself. Your self-esteem increases and others around you begin to take notice. You—and the people around you—learn that the real you is awesome to be around.
Robert is an advocate for the importance of nutrition in addiction recovery and works as the health and wellness director at Nuview Treatment Center in Marina Del Rey, CA.
