10 Surprising Benefits of Sobriety
10 Surprising Benefits of Sobriety That You Might Not Be Aware Of
In 2009, only 11.2 percent of addicts sought professional treatment for addiction. When a person is in the grips of addiction, their entire way of thinking and even their behavior can change. It may seem to them at the time that a life without substance abuse is impossible, and not something they want to imagine. But this is just the effects of an addiction, making substance abuse a priority in their life. While they may not see the benefits of sobriety at first, there are several positive effects of sobriety that can help make a person realize that it is time to get help to beat their addiction.
Benefits of Sobriety
At first, it can be a struggle, but soon after stopping you'll start to notice how much healthier you are. The many benefits of sobriety are as follows:
- No more withdrawal symptoms and hangovers - Withdrawal symptoms pass within a week generally, and once they do, you no longer have to deal with symptoms of withdrawal and addiction such as irritability, confusion, slowed reflexes and foggy thinking. It may not happen right away, but after about 1 to 2 months, one can expect to feel much better mentally.
- Free time - You'll also find yourself with far more time for other things and people in your life.
- Support from loved ones - Many people may have been alienated by your actions in the past, but those relationships begin to heal and you can then benefit from the loving support you receive.
- Improved heart condition - Many types of drugs causes a person to have heart issues. After stopping, you can expect to have lower blood pressure, thus lowering your risk of heart disease and complications.
- Lowered cancer risk - Several substances such as alcohol can increase a person's risk of developing cancer. Stopping the abuse stops the increased cancer risk, and since many sobriety plans include healthy living and eating, it can help to reduce your risks in general.
- Energy - One of the benefits of living a sober life is the return of your energy levels. The drugs are no longer sapping your energy and you can be more focused on exciting actives with more motivation.
- Healthier immune system - Your body responds to substance abuse much like it would a foreign invader. Since it has less to deal with and your health as improved, your immune response improves.
- Career improvements - One of the benefits of living a sober life again is that you can get back to focusing on what is important, such as your career. People often find a renewed sense of enjoyment from their work and in progressing in their career once sober.
- Financial stability - Since you don't need to spend money on drugs and alcohol, and you can focus work more, financial stability is another of the benefits of sobriety.
- Relationship improvements - Positive effects of sobriety includes rebuilding and improving on your existing relationships with your friends and family. These relationships are often put under immense strain while the addiction is present. Additionally, through family therapy at a rehab center, the relationships that were affected can start to be mended with the help of a therapist.
Sources:
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-statistics
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/treatment-recovery