“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach,
When feeling out of sight.”
– Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Victorian English poet
Finding sobriety is a little like falling in love with yourself again.
No woman, let alone an addict, gets high or gets drunk because their life is a hunky-dory, happy one, and certainly part of that unhappiness is to do with yourself. But addictive substances make you feel better? No, they just stop you thinking about yourself. For a while, anyways.
A temporary reprieve – that’s all it is (and all it ever will be, getting shorter in duration and less effective all the while). It’s no solution.
Finding sobriety is all about finding yourself again. At first, without these substances to give you the “lift” you think you need, you’ll notice immediate benefits – no more hangovers and starting the day with a clear head, no feeling the social pressure to drink or use, and no more substance-related mistakes (yes, we’ve all had them) being the obvious ones.
However, the best may be yet to come. By removing the use (and need) for substances in your life, you’ll be in alignment with the woman you were always destined to be, making you a better partner, mother, or colleague. Yes, sobriety is really that good.
There are a multitude of awesome reasons why being a sober woman will make positive changes to your life, and the following 4 reasons will help you realize these marvelous benefits as you begin this exciting new chapter.
1. Mornings – A Clear Head & Zero Hangovers
Many women simply don’t realize how debilitating the hangover from the night before truly is. Waking up groggy, still tired (like you’ve never been to bed), and a complete lack of energy for the things you want and need to do during the day. For many women who are presently addicted to substances, this is the norm – the usual. Sadly, because of the addiction, they nonchalantly accept it too.
However, when you make the choice to live a sober life, your mornings will change dramatically. Just imagine this:
- Zero headaches.
- Zero tiredness.
- Zero nausea, an uncomfortable stomach, and a thirst you can’t sate.
- Zero heightened sensitivity, to such things as light and sound.
Sobriety will also bring a deeper, more restful sleep. Every night. Seriously, when was the last time you had a truly good night’s sleep? Because of this, you’ll wake up with higher energy levels, ready to take on the day, and without those negative feelings associated with substance use.
2. Control. Total Control
Addiction has many damaging effects, and one of these is that it controls you and your life. You don’t even get a look-in when it comes to real and honest decision-making. Addiction will do it all for you, leaving you with no control, even though you think you maybe still in charge.
A modern woman is good at maintaining their obligations, tackling challenging situations with a considered approach, and problem-solving. An addicted woman, however, is not.
Finding sobriety puts you back in control and puts you in sole charge of your destiny, whatever the future may hold. Sadly, not being in full control of yourself can have serious, damaging and potentially disastrous consequences for your life.
Just think about your children, if you have them. Addiction damages their lives too, in ways you have no hope of measuring. It is highly likely you will lose respect and trust at your workplace. Lastly, not many relationships can stand up to the intensity of one addicted partner.
Imagine this:
- Making appointments and keeping them
- Saying what you mean and meaning what you say
- Honoring your commitments
- Having the self-discipline to achieve your dreams and aspirations.
- Feeling fulfilled, centered, and in control
3. Being Present
One of the saddest and most tragic parts of being addicted is losing out on those all-important precious moments in life. Memories are affected (you simply can’t remember the details of special occasions). You become out of touch with people and experiences.
As an example, let’s look at alcoholism, and its effects on your children.
Alcoholism, like any addiction, becomes the extra, additional member of any family. It becomes the most demanding too, to the detriment of all other family members. The children of alcoholics have to deal with (and learn to cope with):
- Not knowing what a normal life looks like, and
- Not knowing what a traditional family relationship looks like
As your children grow up:
They may feel unsure, even inadequate, when knowing how to act or what to say to others, especially other families
They may have serious trust issues
They may judge themselves harshly, constantly comparing themselves to others
As adults:
- They may always see themselves as different from other people
- They may have low self-worth and self-esteem
- They may feel isolated or socially awkward
- They may suffer from anxiety and depression
- They may struggle with relationships, especially intimate ones
It sounds awful, doesn’t it? But these are just some of the proven and researched ways alcoholism affects the children of those addicted.
4. Improved Health & Looks
Here’s one benefit of sobriety that you can’t fail to miss. It’s looking right back at you in the mirror.
With sobriety, your body is no longer dehydrated all the time – the improved moisture in your skin (and that’s your largest organ, by the way) will literally make you shine, as opposed to looking bland, muted and somewhat lifeless when you’re being slowly poisoned by addiction. Additionally, with no alcohol to rob you of your vitamin A, your skin will look renewed and healthier than ever before.
Following a sober life will make you far healthier too – just think of your waistline, constantly bloated by excess, empty calories. Did you know that there are 150 calories in a regular beer, 100 calories in a dry wine, and 60 calories a piece for each shot of 100 proof liquor? They all mount up.
Overall, your appearance improves – hair becomes shiny again, and those reddened, bloodshot eyes become white and clear. Lastly, the longer that you stay sober, the more your body will heal itself from the damage done by addiction.
Clear-Thinking, In Control, More Present & Healthier…
As we said at the beginning, there are many, many benefits to leading a sober, substance-free life, and these are just 4 of those. However, these particular 4 – they sound really good, don’t they?
If you need help to get yourself sober (and virtually everyone does), do the following:
Speak to your family medical practitioner or an addiction specialist, and they will recommend the best course of treatment available to you, such as an outpatient rehab in Denver, providing you with all the help and support you need to achieve sobriety, and realize these benefits and more.