Top 6 Recovery Benefits

We all enter the rooms of addiction recovery in one way or another, but not usually on the wings of victory. The drugs and booze eventually drive us all to the edge of our souls. The powerlessness and unmanageability will take a firm root in your life, leaving you at bottom. Once this is to become the case, it would be admissible to say there is a problem. A problem of life and death. So naturally, when there’s an issue, we look for a solution. Changing your lifestyle patterns and getting sober is a tricky road that can be as easy as we choose it to be. The positive effects that grow out of addiction recovery are many, but here is a short list to give you real hope:

• Financial Stability

• Becoming Trustworthy and Reliable

• Safety

• Clear-Headed

• Increased Self-Esteem

• Happiness

The lists of things are endless. It may seem obvious to say there are benefits of giving up drugs/alcohol and getting sober, however, the impact of overcoming substance abuse can be much more profound than you could ever imagine. Giving up that temporary high does make for long-term improvement that seeps into every aspect of your life. Check out a few more of the potential life-changing benefits of achieving and maintaining sobriety.

Improved Relationships

People struggling with drug and alcohol addiction often find their personal relationships become strained over time. In some cases, the relationships might even end completely as those closest to you may put up some distance in hopes you will seek treatment. As sobriety becomes the norm, you may see those relationships restored as friends and family start to trust you once again. Some relationships might take longer to mend than others, but generally, friends and family will be thrilled to see the old you return. The longer that recovery is pursued, the more that close ones will be able to see this getting sober thing isn’t a “here today, gone tomorrow” type of mentality. Consistency is the key for any strong sobriety and to show others that you will not let your addiction control you.

Physical and Mental Health

Drug addiction affects your brain and the rest of your body in many ways; some of which you don’t even realize when you are in active addiction. Problems like throat and mouth damage, vitamin deficiency, loss of muscle tone and damage to the liver can be halted and even reversed after getting sober. Without all the chemicals poisoning your mind and body, the world will once again become your oyster. You will soon be able to remember things, have better hand/eye coordination, fewer body aches/pains, form coherent sentences, create less future problems, and most importantly- live longer.

Less Drama

At first, you may have used drugs and alcohol to deal with your problems but found that the substance abuse made those problems worse over time. Eventually, it becomes a full circle of misery where you use to help yourself, but you need help all the time because you use. Poor choices made while under the influence may have further exacerbated the drama in your life, while the substances made it more challenging to handle the issues without an excess of emotion.

In sobriety, you may find your life is filled with much less drama, which also means more energy and peace in your life overall. Getting sober allows us to see things more rationally from a different light. We will become less irritable and more mature in many a way. Getting sober and staying sober is a process in recovery that takes work on self. Putting in that work will help one to discover themselves and more clearly recognize when grandiosity and arrogance are stepping in.

More Time

When your entire life revolves around drugs or alcohol, free time becomes a thing of the past. Most of your hours are spent getting the substance, using it and then recovering from it. When the substance is gone from your life, time becomes a commodity to use constructively and positively. Some of us will always be late to very important dates, but time management will become more of a reality than it was beforehand. With the obsession gone, time can once again be on our side.

Youthful Appearance

Drugs and alcohol don’t just take their toll on the inside of your body; they can have a negative impact on your appearance as well. While the effects of drugs like meth are more obvious, even alcohol abuse can change your looks by dehydrating your skin and producing blood shot eyes flanked by dark circles. Even the aging process can be accelerated with substance abuse.

Many of these effects reverse naturally once sobriety becomes your way of life. After getting sober, we start to progress with healthy habits, which will help us to age better. Clean clothes, bathing, and hygiene oddly enough become regular habits again…for most.

Self-Respect

There is no denying the shame that comes from substance abuse and the patterns that follow for most addicts/alcoholics. We know deep down we are not who we want to be but cannot “just say no”. The loss of friends and family members, the sneaking around to support your substance use, and the lying about your actions have significant consequences make us feel insecure and untrustworthy. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the reality of chemical dependency.

Over time you will regain your confidence as you see how you can take control of your life once again and be the best version of yourself. Substance abuse impact the lives of those struggling, often in ways they don’t even realize until the blindfold of drug-addicted or alcoholic thinking is removed.

Safe Haven Recovery is a boutique Florida Drug & Alcohol Treatment Center located in Miami, FL. We specialize in Suboxone Maintenance & Detox, along with, Couples Addiction Treatment. Call us today at 866-447-4650.

About the Author

Matthew Koenig is a freelance writer and principal of Last Call Marketing which devotes their efforts to Digital Marketing, SEO and Social Engagement. Concentrated in addiction recovery, Mr. Koenig is based out of South Florida. His sober date is June 10, 2013.

#HealthyLifestyle #LivingSober #BenefitsofSobriety