What it Means to Live a Sober Lifestyle in Midlife and Beyond

Blowing through your own money may even cause you to steal money from those close to you to pay for substances. That’s why one benefit of living a sober life is that you will not spend your money on substances anymore. Therefore, you’ll have more ready funds than you did while suffering from addiction. When you abuse substances for extended periods of time, it exaggerates any mental health issues that you have. This is especially true since you’re likely not taking care of your physical or mental health as it is while suffering from addiction.

Craig’s personal experience with alcoholism gives him a unique perspective on the challenges of quitting drinking and staying sober. He understands the emotional and psychological factors contributing to addiction and knows how to help people overcome them. In addition, Craig’s formal training and certifications provide him with the knowledge and skills to develop effective strategies and techniques for addiction recovery. The Stop Drinking Expert approach to alcohol addiction uses a unique combination of CBT techniques and NLP reframing. Craig’s qualifications are evident in his successful track record helping people quit drinking. Craig Beck is the author of several alcohol addiction books, such as “Alcohol Lied to Me” and “The Alcohol Illusion”.

Build a Support Network

The only true way to avoid this stigma as an addict is to redeem yourself by becoming sober. Once you start living a https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/sober-life/, people will respect you and your ability to overcome life’s obstacles. Over time, chronic substance abuse can even cause physical body issues such as heart palpitations and pain, diarrhea, seizures, diabetes, heart disease, and more. Why put yourself through all of that when you can live a happy, sober, and healthy life instead. Although the media may make getting drunk and using drugs seem appealing and fun, the effects of abusing substances are not. Hangovers are not fun, throwing up is not fun, embarrassing yourself is not fun, getting withdrawal symptoms due to drug dependency is far from fun, and suffering from addiction to drugs is insufferable.

You will connect to souls similar to yours, you will find people who ‘get you’ even if your journey looks different from theirs. I won’t lie, it has been hard, extremely hard at times and as a family we’ve suffered through some heartbreaking times since I started this journey. The day after I quit drinking, August 12, 2013, I woke up and said, now what?

More Energy

It may help to pick a quit date, or a day when you choose to discontinue use of alcohol or drugs. It’s also helpful to change your environment—for instance, avoid going to bars. There are also resources such as 12-step groups and recovery groups. I was an active alcoholic for most of my life and drank excessively on and off for nearly 40 years. In a not uncommon pattern, my drinking career was characterized by escalation, starting with beer in high school, binge drinking in college and shifting to everyday drinking in my 30s.

Depending on the type of dependency, PAWS can last from six months to two years after you stop using drugs or alcohol. This article discusses what sobriety means and describes strategies that can support your long-term recovery. It also covers tips on how to deal with the challenges you’ll face on your journey to sobriety. The game, Burrell said, is much different than when he got that call in Scranton from Phillies general manager Ed Wade. But the experiences he had — the daily grind to get ready, the mental battles with pitchers, the ability to shrug off a bad night — have not changed.

Sober Hour

There are many effects of using drugs or alcohol that go beyond feeling high or drunk. There are alcohol blackouts, meaning you don’t remember anything that happens. When you’re in recovery, you don’t have to think about the effects of hangovers or blackouts. In a society where so many social events revolve around the consumption of alcohol, it may be difficult to say “no” when friends ask you to join them at a bar.

Many people who misuse alcohol or drugs have trouble dealing with anger. If left unchecked, anger can have a negative impact on your health and your lasting sobriety. You may also need to change your route to work or home in order to avoid any triggers, or people, places, or things that make you want to use drugs or drink again. It is estimated that up to 80% of those who find long-term sobriety had at least one relapse along the way.

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