In the years I knew I had a problem before I got sober, I had two ideas about sobriety. 1. It would be the end of all that was good, dooming me to a life of denying what I wanted, and 2. Sober people who touted the miracle of recovery were exaggerating or lying.
Nearly eight years into sobriety, I am so thankful to have been wrong. It’s not that I don’t get to drink or use drugs; it’s that I get to be sober.
Realism and transparency are important; sobriety isn’t going to make your life perfect. Life will have hardships either way, but not being in active addiction makes those struggles a lot more manageable.
What Does Recovery Give You That Addiction Can’t?
For me, that has been one of the bigger, if less romantic, gifts of sobriety. I used to live in fear of challenges because I didn’t think I had the capacity to handle them. That ended up making my entire life challenging. I still feel things strongly—arguably more strongly—but knowing I will be able to cope with whatever happens brings peace.
This is in part because of the way substances affect physiology, but also because of the work I’ve done, which tends to happen in recovery. Many people go through life on a kind of autopilot where they don’t question their thoughts or behaviors. That’s a natural human thing. But when you get sober, it forces you to look at your behaviors. Working any kind of recovery program—whether it’s through AA, therapy, meditation, support groups, etc.—brings the gift of awareness.
Sobriety also gives you your time and energy back. You’re not spending so much of both obtaining, using, or recovering from substances.
With some exceptions, I mostly drank at night—though I drank over 15 drinks every night. Before I got sober, I would have said my time was okay because I had full days of not drinking. But I spent much of the next morning having panic attacks and feeling mentally foggy. By the time I felt even somewhat okay, I was drinking again. That’s not getting into the long-term effects of addiction that decreased my mental, physical, and emotional capacity.
Getting Time and Energy Back in Recovery
Time and energy are huge personal resources that have a ripple effect throughout your life. They allow you to pick up new hobbies and set ambitious goals for yourself that weren’t possible before. Most of the sober people I know have talked about accomplishing things in recovery they didn’t even know to want in active addiction.
Time and energy also allow for better relationships; you can only give so much to another person when you’re drained. In general, sobriety allows for a different and deeper kind of connection. It allows for presence in your relationships. It gives you an opportunity to practice healthy boundaries.
Recovery gives you freedom. When you don’t have to worry about how you will get the next drink or hit—or what you did last night, or who is angry at you, or who might know and not know that you have a problem, etc.—that mental energy is freed up for so many other things.
If you are struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder, there is help and hope. TruHealing Recovery Centers offers high-quality treatment for addiction and mental health disorders in facilities across the country. Our staff—many of whom are in recovery themselves—will help you build a life in sobriety that gives you what addiction never could. Call an admissions specialist at 410-593-0005.