At Samaritan Inns in Washington, DC, you will find a three-stage program to guide you to enjoy the benefits of a sober life. Substance abuse can also have a significant impact on career and financial prospects. Addiction can lead to poor work performance, absenteeism, and even job loss. It can also lead to financial problems, as individuals may prioritize substance use over other expenses such as rent, bills, and food.
What You Will Find at Samaritan Inns: The Benefits of a Sober Life
Exercise increases endorphins, which are the “feel-good” chemicals in the brain. It can be a good replacement for the release of endorphins caused by drinking alcohol. Relapse (using substances again after stopping) can and does happen, with 85% of people experiencing relapse at least once and half of them doing so within the first two weeks of sobriety.
- Expressing remorse for past actions and showing a commitment to sobriety can go a long way in rebuilding trust.
- You’ll enjoy general health and wellness that you can’t necessarily achieve if you’re drinking or using drugs.
- If they’re people using drugs or old drinking buddies, they’ve got to go.
- It involves a daily commitment to yourself, abstinence and self-care.
- When they never reached out and I did a kind of mental inventory of why, I realized that whenever I was drunk, I never appeared genuine.
- You can take in every second, and not feel like your life is passing you by in a whirlwind of blurred memories.
How to Relax Without Alcohol: Build Lasting Calm in Sobriety
It might be difficult to believe this from where you’re sitting now, but recovery can be a lot of fun. Programs like 12-step meetings are not gatherings of depressed and angry people. Instead, you are likely to find yourself surrounded by new friends who make you smile and are eager to get together for a variety of social activities.
Maintaining Physical and Mental Health
They can help motivate a person to remain sober to reach the next milestone. A person who is getting sober may be getting sober from one substance or all substances. Their process of getting sober will depend on numerous factors, including the severity of drug or alcohol use disorder and long-term goals of sobriety.
The Cost of Addiction
- When you’re in recovery, you don’t have to think about the effects of hangovers or blackouts.
- Mindfulness practices like meditation or yoga can also help manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
- While detoxification is the first step, a sober life goes far beyond simply stopping using substances.
- Seeking help is a sign of strength, and there are resources available to support you on your journey toward sobriety.
Many sober life 12-step programs suggest that sobriety means total abstinence, which means never using the substance again. Other definitions, however, focus on the process of recovery and coping habits that support health and wellness over the long term. Regarding physical health, alcohol and drug abuse can wreak havoc on your physical health. Alcohol has been linked to over 200 diseases or serious injuries. When you’re living a life of sobriety, you’re choosing a healthier body. The list of benefits that come with a sober life is long.