How to Get Sober: A Guide to Sobriety

I’d bet nine out of 10 of us won’t even answer, and we’ll just laugh because it’s such a ridiculous question. Sobriety doesn’t necessarily turn you into Liz Lemon, but it can give you the clarity to understand that you’ve been Liz Lemon your whole life. Before I quit drinking, I never really used to care about dividing the bill down the middle with a group. At some point after college, it just didn’t matter if someone had a meal that was four dollars more than mine, or if they ate more edamame, or even if they had one more drink than I did. Not only because my portion of the check is significantly smaller than anyone else at the table, but also because I refuse to invest in Big Alcohol. It’s part of the sobriety package, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

If you’re ready to start on your path toward sobriety, American Addiction Centers (AAC) can help. Alcohol.org is a subsidiary of AAC, a nationwide provider of addiction treatment centers offering a combination of proven therapies and services to meet your individual needs. Below are some of the many benefits of sobriety that are worth considering when choosing whether to work toward sobriety and maintain a life of abstinence. You need support, sometimes a program, and almost certainly a good counselor to help you navigate this new sober life.

Peer Mentorship in Sober Living Homes

With help from a healthcare professional, you can start looking for a treatment program that meets all of your unique needs. It can seem intimidating to look at the end goal and know the many steps it will take to get sober. No one can wave a magic wand and make you or someone you love sober. Sobriety is a lifelong journey filled with challenges and obstacles but also incredible rewards. By Michelle PugleMichelle Pugle writes health articles for award-winning websites, as seen in Healthline, Verywell, Everyday Health, and Psych Central.

Being sober means you’re always in the clear to help out with a late-night lift. You’ve now got the freedom to hop in the car without a second thought. It’s a pretty sweet perk, making you the reliable go-to driver, any time of night. No more overflowing recycling bins full of bottles to deal with. It’s nice not to have that weekly reminder of how much you were drinking or to worry about the noise they make. Just a simple, quiet bin, and zero side-eye from the neighbors.

More on Substance Abuse and Addiction

Chronic alcohol use can impair your cognitive functions, affecting your memory, attention, and problem-solving skills. One of the benefits of being sober is the restoration of these cognitive functions, which can enhance your ability to work and learn, contributing to a more productive and fulfilling life. By focusing on the positive aspects, sobriety can become a fulfilling lifestyle. Improved communication and healthier boundaries in relationships also result from sobriety. This enables individuals to express themselves more effectively and establish stronger connections with others. Another way sobriety enhances your life is by giving you more time and energy to pursue hobbies and passions that bring you joy.

Digital Health and Wearable Devices

The even better news is that finding fun stuff to do when you’re sober, and with other cool sober people, has never been easier. The post-pandemic world boasts a new landscape for sober socializing. Gyms, raves, dating apps—being sober and being social isn’t just the new normal.

Overcoming Temptation Through Sobriety

The meetings help reinforce what you know, but give a sense of community. With what is spent on DUI fees alone, you could potentially save for a family vacation, a new car, or have an emergency savings should any issues arise in the future. However, most people do not think about the impact of alcohol use on their financial well-being. One area where heavy alcohol use can impact you is related to your job. Just know that you can get there, and the Soberish community is here to support you. I wish I could promise that if you don’t drink for four months or six months or twelve, then you’ll have reached some magical number where all your hopes and dreams come true.

Helpful tips for staying sober, as identified in scientific research, include participating in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Twelve-Step Facilitation (TSF) programs. The research indicates that 42% of participants in AA remain completely abstinent one year later, higher than the rate for those receiving other types of treatments. One of the significant components of sober living homes like Samba Recovery is the implementation of peer mentorship programs. These programs pair residents with individuals who have successfully navigated the challenges of addiction recovery.

• Consultant psychiatrist Dr Niall Campbell, of Priory’s Roehampton Hospital in south west London, is one of the UK’s leading alcohol addiction experts.
• This guide includes the steps required to fully support the path and the journey to addiction recovery.
• Social media platforms like TikTok have also helped users to broadcast the benefits of a sober or sober curious lifestyle.
• And, it doesn’t have to be the New Year or even any event at all great time to make positive changes in your life, and getting sober can be one of them.
• Sometimes people think alcohol use is “heavy” or excessive only when the person consuming alcohol is passing out or becoming aggressive with others.

It includes strategies like therapy, support groups, and lifestyle changes. In contrast, abstinence-focused relapse prevention may concentrate more on avoiding the substance itself, without necessarily addressing the broader lifestyle and emotional aspects. While both sobriety and abstinence can positively impact mental health, sobriety often involves a deeper engagement with mental health issues. It includes actively working on emotional well-being, seeking therapy or counseling, and developing coping strategies for mental health challenges.

The Benefits of Participating in Alumni Programs at Samba Recovery

In long-term sobriety, it’s important to address these issues head-on, often with the help of a therapist or counselor. By working through the root causes of your addiction, you can reduce the risk of relapse and build a stronger foundation for the future. If you are thinking about addressing your relationship to alcohol or substances, you may ask yourself if being https://northiowatoday.com/2025/01/27/sober-house-rules-what-you-should-know-before-moving-in/ sober is worth it.

Our state-specific resource guides offer a comprehensive overview of drug and alcohol addiction treatment options available in your area. It’s also important to celebrate your successes along the way. Whether it’s 30 days, 6 months, or a year of sobriety, take time to acknowledge how far you’ve come and reward yourself for your hard work. Chronic substance use can impair your ability to think quickly, clearly, and retain information. Depending on the substance, the effect can vary, but I’ve personally talked to many people who noticed a significant negative impact on their brain function.

Abstinence is the complete cessation or avoidance of the substance or behavior to which one is addicted. This means not partaking in the addictive substance (like drugs or alcohol) or engaging in the addictive behavior (such as gambling or binge eating) at all. Abstinence is often the initial step in addiction recovery programs and is considered a necessary condition for the treatment of many forms of addiction.

These programs are designed to keep former patients connected with their treatment teams and fellow peers. By fostering a sense of community, alumni programs help maintain the connections that are often formed during recovery, providing a support system that extends beyond the formal treatment phase. Moreover, alumni programs can keep you connected to former treatment teams and peers. This ongoing relationship provides motivation that can be crucial as you face challenges beyond formal treatment. Together, these elements contribute significantly to one’s ability to commit to a sober lifestyle.

Practical Steps for Achieving and Maintaining Sobriety

Think of how the feeling is affecting you and try to ride it out. It’s a subversive, hardcore choice to take your life into your own hands. It’s an opportunity to grow into your bones, and every single crap thing that happens to you on the way only makes you stronger. I don’t have that much sex, and that’s more like me saying, I no longer lower my standards and sleep with just anyone because of beer goggles. There’s no easy pass for me anymore, no more getting drunk and slipping past the part where you get to know each other. There’s no more not caring if they see your cellulite or whatever you’re hiding under there; Sober House Rules: What You Should Know Before Moving In and you will, once and for all, discover that sex is never like in the movies.