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Breaking away from addiction involves giving up one way of living by choosing something that is unfamiliar. When individuals are caught up in alcohol or drug abuse, they will usually view sobriety as something negative. This dismissal of sober living as something bad occurs due to a process known as cognitive dissonance; people tend to subconsciously become critical about things they do not feel they can ever have. The reality is that sober living is far more satisfying than life in addiction and below are six reasons why this is the case.
1. Living Sober Means Having More Choices in Life
Those are trapped in addiction often associate being sober with boredom. They fail to see that it is their own existence that is limited in opportunities and is therefore predictable. Becoming sober means suddenly having a lot more options in life – you are free of your addiction so you can begin to devote time to things you really enjoy. When you are caught up in alcohol or drug abuse, there is rarely any room for much else in your life.
2. Living Sober Means Life Keeps on Getting Better
Now that you have escaped the downward spiral of addiction, you can begin moving your life in the opposite direction. In order to build a strong sobriety, you will need to start dealing with all those character flaws that have been getting in the way of your success. Every time you remove one of these flaws, it will improve your life a little bit. There will be bad days as well as good in recovery, but over time, things will start to get better.
3. Living Sober Means No Longer Felling Full of Shame
Many experts have suggested that shame lies at the heart of all addiction. It is this feeling of being unworthy that drives many into addiction in the first place and is what keeps them trapped in this painful life. In order to escape the misery of alcohol or drug abuse, the individual needs to let go of this shame. This means that they begin to feel deserving of all the good things in life; this opens the door for the good things to enter their life.
4. Living Sober Means Developing Emotional Sobriety
Life is made up of good and bad days and trying to hide from this reality does not work – substance abuse is an attempt to hide. It may not be possible to escape the waves of life, but it is definitely possible to learn how to surf; this is what it means to develop emotional sobriety. You can develop enough coping strategies for life that you can cope with anything. Once you have done this, sober living becomes incredibly easy.
5. Living Sober Can Lead to Serenity
The highest reward of sobriety is the development of serenity. This is created as a side effect of emotional sobriety. Serenity is the feeling of inner-peace and well-being that individuals were yearning for when they began abusing alcohol or drugs; they can find this peaceful place by committing to sobriety. The most wonderful thing about serenity is the person can experience it no matter what is happening in the outside world.
6. Living Sober Means Making a Positive Contribution to the World
Sober living gives you the opportunity to do some positive in your life. Instead of feeling as if other people disrespect or pity you, become a valued member of your community. There are plenty of examples of individuals who managed to become sober and then went on to achieve some amazing things; some of these were individuals who were once considered hopeless cases.
