What Does Living a Sober Life Entail?

At its core, substance abuse is often a result of self-hatred. Maybe you used to abuse drugs and alcohol because you didn’t like yourself and you were trying to be someone else. Or maybe you hated yourself because you couldn’t stop abusing substances. Either way, as you continue living a sober life, you may learn how to love yourself , respect yourself, and feel confident and good about the new decisions you’re making.

“If you want to maintain the friendship, see a movie or do an activity with them that does not involve alcohol,” says Hafeez. “Exercise will boost mood and decrease anxiety and depression.

What’s the Difference Between Clean and Sober?

Some have highly-structured house rules, while others are more flexible and social in nature. If you are seeking professional treatment, you may find structured sober housing as an extension of your rehab program. It’s natural to wonder what ”fun” is like without drinking, partying or using drugs. That’s why I made it my mission not to let my drinking status determine my social life or the amount of fun I am able to have. Angie Buja serves as the Family Program Facilitator for Burning Tree Ranch.

• With over 8 years of professional treatment experience, Erik’s favorite part of his career is getting to support those in need as they engage in the inspirational process of asking for help.
• You might notice that alcohol negatively affects your sleep and leads to fatigue the next day, which impacts your performance at work.
• Addiction is the result of many factors, and always has a list of causes.
• Some are owned by private organizations, and some are run by drug treatment professionals.
• Getting healthy will mean changing your behaviors, which often means saying goodbye to old friends and finding new ones.

In fact, you might be surprised to find that many of your loved ones have been waiting to welcome you back into their lives with open arms. Addiction is the result of many factors, and always has a list of causes. Yet many people initially turn towards drugs because they’re aimless, or their aims are misplaced.

Carey Ferren

Erik serves as a dedicated Admissions Specialist at Burning Tree Programs. Being in long-term recovery himself, Erik enjoys helping https://ecosoberhouse.com/ families and individuals find the same freedom that he and his loved one’s discovered on their shared journey to wellness.

Some of them will live amazing sober lives and enjoy every second of it. For others, I don’t know the percentages, their lives will become simpler and their problems dry up and disappear. But they might be stuck feeling nothing for an undetermined amount of time, possibly a very long period of time spanning years. This is an important step in the process because what once seemed like fun won’t be the same for you anymore. Staying out until 3am drinking and then nursing a hangover the next day isn’t going to be your idea of a good time now.

Defining Sobriety By The Dictionary

Drug and alcohol abuse is harmful to nearly every organ in the body and chronic and long-term substance abuse can even cause life-threatening diseases or medical conditions. Fortunately, just as your appearance will improve as you spend more time sober, your overall health will also get better. When you’re dealing with addiction, the definition of sobriety can seem confusing. Living a life sober life of sobriety may seem out of reach when struggling with a substance use disorder . When you come to us at Northern Illinois Recovery, you can get the support and treatment you need to live a sober life that’s healthy and happy. The exact definition of sobriety might seem different when you’re in the middle of addiction issues, but it will be more apparent once you get the help you need.

• If you are seeking professional treatment, you may find structured sober housing as an extension of your rehab program.
• Nothing else compares to that physical and mental pain.
• Jade Perry serves as Human Resources Administrator for Burning Tree Ranch.
• Just be sure that your rewards don’t involve drugs or alcohol.
• Since these tests rely on cooperation of the subject, the final result often depends on the presiding officer’s interpretation.

Sober can also mean refraining from using any addictive substances. In a society where so many social events revolve around the consumption of alcohol, it may be difficult to say “no” when friends ask you to join them at a bar.