Important Mental and Physical Benefits of Getting Sober

Thinking it’s time to quit your drinking habit?

Want to get drugs out of your life for good?

Using drugs and alcohol can have huge effects throughout every part of your life. While you may know deep down that you need to quit, you may also find it hard to convince yourself that it’s really time to get help. However, by learning more about the mental and physical benefits of a drug or alcohol detox you’ll have an easier time deciding to make a change.

Ready to learn more? Below we’ll tell you about the top mental and physical benefits of quitting drinking and drugs for good.

1. Better Focus and Memory

One of the biggest benefits of getting sober is that it will help you improve your memory, your focus, and your mental clarity.

Both drugs and alcohol can affect the strength of your focus as well as your long-term and short-term memory. By becoming sober, your mind will be stronger and you’ll notice that your cognitive abilities start to come back to you.

Quitting drinking and drugs will help your mind become sharper and you may start to realize that you’re better able to focus on work activities and hobbies. You’ll be able to get more done as a result of your improved mental clarity.

2. Reduce Heart Attack and Cancer Risk

Becoming sober will also help you live a longer life. As a result of quitting drugs and alcohol, you’ll reduce your risk of heart attack and liver problems.

Heart disease and heart problems can occur from a result of hard drugs such as cocaine as well as from heavy drinking. Liver problems are also common from frequent alcohol consumption. When you quit drinking you’ll find that your liver starts to become stronger once again and your risk of heart problems will decrease.

Drinking alcohol can also put you at risk for several types of cancers as well, including liver cancer, breast cancer, mouth cancer, esophagus cancer, and pharynx cancer. Becoming sober again can help you prevent the hardships that can come from these serious conditions and will help you live longer as a result.

3. Look Younger and Lose Weight

If you’ve been a longtime drug user, chances are that it has had an effect on your appearance in some serious ways. By being a drug or alcohol user your appearance may have declined quite a bit over time, you may have gained weight, or you may look much older than your actual age.

By getting rid of a drinking problem or a drug habit you’ll probably start looking younger and you may lose weight as well. Quitting drugs can rejuvenate your body and give you healthier skin. Signs of age may start to disappear as you begin to look like your best self once again.

It’s important to take a look in the mirror and ask yourself if you’re happy with what you see. The effects of drugs and alcohol on the body can be quite noticeable, but luckily, much of this will go away when you become sober again.

4. You’ll Sleep Better

Insomnia and other sleep problems are often brought on by addiction and from alcohol consumption. Alcohol can affect sleep in some big ways and many alcoholics have a troubled time achieving a deep and healthy level of sleep. Luckily, when you let go of a drug or alcohol problem, you’ll be able to start sleeping better once again.

Sleep has long been tied to overall health and having poor restfulness can have ripple effects throughout all areas of your life. By quitting drugs and alcohol you’ll start sleeping like a baby once again and you’ll feel more well-rested when you wake up. You’ll also notice that you have more energy for work, social activities, and hobbies as well.

5. Increase Self-Esteem and Mental Health

Quitting drugs and drinking will also help you improve your self-esteem. Overdrinking or getting caught up in hard drug use can ruin one’s self-esteem and can make one feel worthless.

When you become sober again you may find that your confidence in yourself starts returning and that you feel happier with yourself than you’ve ever felt before. It’s not easy to quit a serious addiction, and pulling yourself through one can make you feel like you’re on the top of the world.

Drug and alcohol usage can also make underlying mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia worse and can intensify their symptoms. By staying sober you’ll ensure that your mind is more free and clear and that you feel as mentally healthy as possible.

6. You’ll Have Better Relationships

In addition to improving how you feel about yourself, becoming sober can also help you improve your interpersonal relationships. Luckily, when you become sober again you may feel that your family and friends start to like you more again and you’re better able to connect with them on a personal level.

It can be hard to connect with others when you have an addiction and you may have alienated your family or friends as a result of your problem. Sooner or later a drug or alcohol problem can ruin even the best romantic relationship or can put you at odds with your friends or family members.

By staying sober, you’ll ensure that you’re better with connecting with others and keeping the people you love in your life.

Experiencing the Benefits of Quitting Drinking and Drugs

The benefits listed above are just a few of the mental and physical changes you can expect when you become sober. However, there are many more benefits of quitting drinking and drugs that you’ll experience when you make a commitment to overcoming your addictions.

By getting professional help and becoming sober, you’ll be able to feel better about yourself and start living a happier, freer, and healthier life.

Ready to be drug and alcohol-free? Contact us today to learn how DreamLife Recovery can help you.

Resources:

1. “Alcohol and Cancer Risks” – National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
2. IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Alcohol consumption and ethyl carbamate. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks in Humans 2010; 96:3-1383
3. White AJ, DeRoo LA, Weinberg CR, Sandler DP. Lifetime Alcohol Intake, Binge Drinking Behaviors, and Breast Cancer Risk. Am J Epidemiol. 2017 Sep 1;186(5):541-549. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwx118. PMID: 28486582; PMCID: PMC5860148
4. Cao Y, Willett WC, Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci EL. Light to moderate intake of alcohol, drinking patterns, and risk of cancer: results from two prospective US cohort studies. BMJ. 2015 Aug 18;351:h4238. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h4238. PMID: 26286216; PMCID: PMC4540790
5. “Alcohol and Sleep” – Pacheco, Danielle; Rev. by Dr. Abhinav Singh; Sleep Foundation, 4 September, 2020
6. Park, Soon-Yeob et al. “The Effects of Alcohol on Quality of Sleep.” Korean journal of family medicine vol. 36,6 (2015): 294-9. doi:10.4082/kjfm.2015.36.6.294