Sobriety can help improve mental health by reducing the risks associated with substance abuse and providing an opportunity for individuals to work on their mental health.
Mental Focus and Clarity
Better mental health, in general, is one of the most obvious benefits of being sober. The less you fill your body with chemicals and toxins that aren't supposed to be there–especially in excess, as it would be with addiction–the more you'll notice your mental focus and mental clarity.
When living a sober life after addiction, your overall health improves immensely. This is because you're no longer attacking your body by putting dangerous amounts of toxic substances in it. Due to the toxicity level of alcohol and drugs, when you chronically abuse them, your immune system lowers.
For some people, being sober may mean not experiencing any measurable effects of drugs or alcohol. To others, it could mean more than just avoiding using recreational or prescription drugs or drinking alcohol, but achieving good mental health.
I've found that staying sober has allowed me to be more attentive, loving, and patient in my interactions with others. In my current relationship, I am far less impatient, and far more confident. I find it easier to listen, and to take the time to understand another's needs and desires.
As your lifestyle improves, you will find your emotions more stable and manageable. You will find yourself having less mood swings along with increased happiness. When you are sober and doing the right thing, the worry of getting in trouble with others or getting caught by the cops disappears.
The sober mindset is one where sobriety is not a chore or a challenge, but a fact of life – one you embrace and feel grateful for.
Thessalonians5:6-8. “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”
When you're sober, your life doesn't end. In fact, many people feel that it's just beginning. Life after addiction allows you to feel more in control of your activities and your relationships. Everything in your life can feel more manageable without the effects of alcohol and drugs.
One of the biggest benefits of living in sobriety is that you'll be able to improve relationships with friends and family members. In addition, it will be easier to develop and maintain new relationships. This is because you'll no longer have to worry about the negative impact that alcohol can have on your social life.
And the meta-analysis published in JAMA Network Open that involved 107 studies with more than 4.8 million participants also found no longevity benefit for drinkers. This research showed that people who have one or two drinks a day have essentially the same risk of dying prematurely as people who've never had alcohol.
Addiction specialists cite success rates slightly higher, between 8% and 12%. A New York Times article stated that AA claims that up to 75% of its members stay abstinent. Alcoholics Anonymous' Big Book touts about a 50% success rate, stating that another 25% remain sober after some relapses.
After Six Months: After half a year without drinking, you will really start to reap the rewards. Your risk of developing cancer will decrease, and your liver function will have greatly improved. 2 You'll also have more energy and stamina,1 and you may notice that your skin looks healthier.
With continued abstinence, you'll feel like you can think more clearly—the brain fog is lifted, and your mind will feel sharp again, no longer dulled by substance abuse. You'll be able to focus better, and your memory will improve.
Wondering if you have to stay sober forever is a common debate after leaving rehab. Thinking about forever can be overwhelming. But, in reality, you can stay sober for the rest of your life, but some people might find it easier to focus on it one day at a time. After all, recovery is all about taking the first step.
A sober person is one who has calm and dispassionate judgment and is not desirous of great things or high estate but is free from extravagance or excess. Such a person is guided by sound reason and is sane and rational. Interestingly, sober is also connected to fasting.
These 3 principles are the HOW of recovery: Honesty. Open mindedness. Willingness.
Being sober-minded is being a clear thinker. It's about getting away from the wrong influence so we can be clear-headed in judgments and behaviors. We shouldn't be intoxicated by successes or totally defeated by failures. Sober-minded is “calm, unhurried, marked by temperance, moderation, or seriousness.”
Some of the emotions in early sobriety are depression, anger, anxiety, guilt, shame, fear of the future, self-hatred, and resentment. These emotions oftentimes arise as a result of the need to face the future and move on from the past.
Recovery doesn't disqualify you from going to a party, game or concert, if those are activities you enjoy. However, it's important to create a new definition of what's fun for you when substance use isn't involved. “People need to remember that we can still have fun even though we're sober,” Campbell said.
Summary. Across the month, your body is likely to have benefitted greatly from giving up alcohol. Better hydration and improved sleep will have increased your productivity and daily wellbeing. Your liver, stomach and skin will also have benefitted from not dealing with alcohol.
After 30 days of sobriety, the fog starts to clear from your brain and you finally feel like yourself again. This means you'll feel more energetic, sleep better, and you won't be fighting hangovers and other physical symptoms of drinking and drugs.