What has sobriety added to your life?

I realized that i need to change how i think about sobriety. When i first started, it was due to all the problems that booze was causing me and i needed to stop but i didnt want to. And even a while after i first tried to stop i felt as if i was depriving myself of something.
Im now realissing that really im giving myself more than the booze was. I have free time now, i am no longer obessed about my next drink. I can relax and sleep better.
Often sobriety is seen as taking something away but now im seeing what it has added to my life. So i want to ask, what has being sober added to your lives?

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I laugh a lot more, and it’s without needing alcohol. A clear head. I don’t get lost coming home, and it is a lot easier to find my car. I used to spend hours looking for car in the city after getting really high. Then I would just pass out in my car. That doesn’t happen anymore. My apartment is cleaner too. Depression is easier to manage, and I have more money to spend on other stuff. I wouldn’t say life is easier overall though, I’m just in a better state of mind to deal with it :+1:

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A clear mind.
Not a constant battle in my head: when can I drink, how many may I drink, we’re do I hide my bottles, etc.

And I :heart: my sober mornings! No hangover, black out, shame, etc. Just me, coffee and TS.

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Stamina, strength, resilience

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Clarity and Freedom!

Well done for posting this!
A lot of people view it as loosing something. I found it a lot easier once I actually realised that what I was loosing was far outweighed by what I was gaining in my life.
Keep up the good work :grinning:

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More time!! I seemed to want to do more i feel like I’m not stuck drinking. I can go out and enjoy the world. I feel free

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This is so true for those of us with alcohol issues…at first we can only see what we (believe) we are losing out on…but the reality is we gain so much more when we are sober.

Alcohol marketing thrives behind the veil…letting you think you gain confidence, defeat stress, become witty and humorous, and on. The reality is very different, as we know.

I have gained so much from my sobriety…

  • pride

  • self esteem

  • confidence

  • self respect (and the respect of family and friends)

  • I am healthier

  • I am more honest and trustworthy (I definitely was not when using)

  • dependable

  • happier

  • less stressed and anxious

  • empathy for those who are struggling

…and much more. :heart: Being sober hasn’t solved all of life’s challenges, but it does allow me to handle life with less stress and more patience and kindness.

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I can’t put my finger on anything specific that has improved but I can say that overall my life is EASIER. No hangovers makes it easier to function. Not hiding how much I’m drinking means I’m not covering my tracks all the time. My brain is clear so I can think, plan, work, etc. Life is just so much easier.

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A sweet tooth :roll_eyes:

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So far not wasting my days passed out, not doing nothing and letting days go by, regrets of what happen the night before now that i have a clear mind, focus, and able to spend my days doing things that needs to be done and enjoy my days.

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Today is 21 days sober for me, I attended a birthday party on Saturday and I’m so glad that this wasn’t added to my life, it’s just one post on a group message.

1 day turned to 3, but no more. We have to leave before anyone dies :wink::rofl:

Some statistics in kind of chronological order:

  • 3 pairs of shoes lost
  • 1 pair of sunglasses
  • 1200 baht money stolen
  • 1 emptied pot of glitter
  • 1 of us woke up in a toilet and was driven home by a stranger
  • 1 of us overslept and missed their ferry to Xxxx
  • 6 Xxxx brain freezes fuck you up
  • 1 rental motorbike went missing after a night out in Xxxxxxxx. Including the key
  • came home with a flowy top that wasn’t ours
  • found 1 pair of shoes back
  • rental bike including the key in the ignition was found in front of the far away McDonald’s in Xxxxxxxx
  • 2 of us spent our 3rd day puking our guts out
  • we had about 3 meals
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Self-respect.
I treat myself with respect, and I don’t tolerate shabby treatment from others anymore.

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