After the toll that drug or alcohol addiction has taken on your life, it’s only understandable for you to aspire for sobriety. But what’s not nearly as easy is putting in the actual work to be sober. No matter how much you want sobriety, there’s the likelihood that you’ll find it difficult, exhausting, or painful to achieve. But this is the best possible time to review your reasons for getting sober. Remember how much it matters to you, and to everyone else around you, for you to heal from your addiction.
Whether your regimen consists of therapy, residing in a sober living home, or attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, anchor it on your personal reasons for sobriety. If you’re still looking for reasons to guide your sobriety regimen, here are seven that will hopefully inspire you.
You’ll Be More at Peace
Perhaps the best reason to pursue sobriety is the inner peace you’ll secure for yourself. In the long term, sobriety will help you combat feelings of guilt, helplessness, anger, or self-hatred—feelings which may have fed the substance abuse. Your recovery will help you cultivate the strength, safety, and independence that you need. With these on your side, you will be able to forgive yourself and gain total freedom from the bonds of drug or alcohol addiction.
You’ll Be Better Equipped to Deal with the Roots of Your Addiction Problem
Contrary to what the public may believe, drug addiction and alcohol addiction don’t happen immediately or at random. They’re very complex conditions that develop over time, and they’re likely rooted in very personal problems. For you, the roots of your addiction problem may lie in your family, your finances, your career, or your romantic relationships. When you’re sober, you’ll be able to look at these issues from a clearer and more level-headed perspective. That will make the work of healing—from your addiction, as well as from other past traumas—much easier on you.
You’ll Be Able to Fulfill Your Personal Goals
One of the greatest gifts sobriety can give you is your mental clarity. Once you’ve got your impulses under control, you can work towards the things they held you back from. You can go back to school or back to work with a renewed sense of focus. You can earn income, continue with your education, and master a new trade—all of which is extremely empowering. Best of all, you can make important decisions related to these goals that you are less likely to regret. The day you achieve sobriety, get your mental clarity back, and get these opportunities again will be a very happy day indeed.
You’ll Have More Time for Your Day-to-Day Activities
It may be extremely saddening to think of just how much time you lost to substance abuse. But on the flipside, when you’re sober, you’ll have full control of your time again. You can set aside more time to being productive, such as by doing chores with your family. But you can also return to activities that you found enjoyable, like sports or hobbies. If you missed dedicating your time to these things, it’s good enough motivation to get sober.
You’ll Eat and Sleep Better
Addiction usually sees a person go through unhealthy extremes in their diet. Depending on the substance, the user either gets the “munchies” or completely loses their appetite. The road back to sobriety will lead to a healthier diet and more nutritious eating habits. Little by little, your body will be able to sustain itself again without dangerous substances in your system.
The addiction may have also interfered with your rapid eye movement (REM) sleep or the type of sleep that increases your brain activity. Rest assured, your sleep cycle will be among the first things to improve when you become sober again. Your ability to get a good night’s rest will refresh your body, bolster your immune system, and energize you better than drugs or alcohol can.
You’ll Save Money
Drug and alcohol addiction are well-known as financial sinkholes. Before you even knew it, you may already have spent thousands of dollars on dangerous substances. Of course, it won’t be easy to earn all that money back. However, it will greatly improve your quality of life if you stay sober and keep from spending large amounts on alcohol or drugs. The financial stability you can attain while sober will reward you for the rest of your life.
You’ll Have Better Relationships with Your Loved Ones
Lastly, when you’re sober, you can revisit the person you were before getting addicted to drugs or alcohol. You can also commit to becoming a brand-new person altogether—the kind who will be there for the people who love and depend on you.
There are many things about sobriety that can improve your relationships with your loved ones. It can make you accountable to those you’ve wronged, and it can give you more opportunities for quality time and service. All throughout, don’t forget that your family, friends, coworkers, and members of your support group want the best for you. They know that the battle against addiction is a hard one, and that it will take time to win. The fresh start will be worth it not only for you, but for them.
The seven reasons above are some of the most common reasons to pursue sobriety. But ultimately, your reasons to attain sobriety may look different from everyone else’s. You’ve had a unique journey towards recovery, and you’re the best person to determine what your life post-recovery will look like. Here’s to setting goals for yourself, completing them, and gaining momentum in your quest for sobriety!