For me, being sober has brought back my self esteem and self confidence. It has humbled me (somewhat ). It has made my relationship with my husband more open, honest and loving. Being sober has allowed me to feel my feelings again, it offers me the opportunity to sit with all my emotions and allows me the clarity to know they shall pass. It has brought me better sleep, easier workouts, a clearer presence every day. I am proud of myself, something I hadn’t been for a very long time. I am able to live my life with less chaos and I am working on being less judgemental and learning to stay in my lane (not always easy for me). Being sober has improved some friendships, helps me feel centered on a daily basis and I feel much healthier.
I also keep a list on my phone that you might find of interest. I look at this list of I am thinking, hey, maybe just one drink…It is a good reminder of what drinking REALLY offers…
Here is the list from my phone…
No hangovers ever!!
Treating husband with respect and no drunk fighting
Self respect gets a major boost
No more internal conflict about drinking and if/how can I cut down or stop
Restful restorative uninterrupted sleep!!!
Major pride in myself and all that I have accomplished sober
A sense of peace and calm every day
No more embarrassment and shame because of my behavior
Forgiving myself for past mistakes and terrible judgement
No wondering what I did or how I hurt husband or others while drunk
No treating people I love, including myself, poorly while drunk
No drunk driving and possibly hurting self or others or jail
No upset stomach from drinking
No anxiety and near constant agitation when hungover
No dark suicidal thoughts
No shame around neighbors if I was loud and yelling or loud music
No blackouts ever
No overwhelming shame at my behavior
No oversharing with strangers while drunk or making plans I will need to cancel
Not having to check my phone in the middle of the night to delete social media posts - no drunk texting/emails/posts/calls
Not be bloated and puffy and look haggard
Clear skin and eyes
Major pride in myself and a boost in self esteem
No hangovers ever again
No more excuses or lies
Peace of mind