Sobriety milestones are important. For some people, the anniversary of their sobriety is as important as their birthday. In a way, it is like a birthday, because the day you stopped using was the day you started giving birth to a new you.
Sobriety, however, is not all about milestones. Celebrating sobriety is something you can do every day. Here are eight reasons why it is important to appreciate your sobriety even on ordinary days.
1. You Are Rewriting Your Life Narrative
No, you cannot go back and delete old chapters of your life, but you are in the process of writing new ones that are not overshadowed by the constant looming specter of addiction. No longer is alcohol or another drug the protagonist of your life story. You are, as you should be.
2. You Have More Energy and Better Health
Nobody has to tell you the serious ravages that alcohol and drug addiction takes on your physical and mental health. Addiction treatment probably gave you a taste of what better health feels like, but now you get to live it every day.
3. You Are Probably More Inquisitive and Curious
When you are trapped in addiction, the only thing you are curious about is getting your next drink or your next fix, and that puts serious limitations on your healthy curiosity about life. Now, you have the opportunity to ask, “What if?” about new interests and to learn and grow in ways you never expected.
4. Relationships Are Healthier
It is true that some relationships will not survive addiction, and others will not survive your sobriety. However, now that you are free from the scourge of addiction, you have time and energy to devote to connecting with people in healthy, mutually beneficial ways.
5. You Are Positioned to Overcome Other Addictions
Overcoming alcohol addiction, opioid addiction, or any other major addiction shows that you are strong and have the tenacity to do difficult things. Many people use their sobriety as a platform to quit smoking, or overcome “soft” addictions, like drinking too much soda.
6. There Is Simply More Time
Not only do you gain back the time you spent blacked out, catatonic, or frantically chasing your next fix, the rest of your time is more clear-headed. It is the closest thing you will ever have to simply finding more hours in the day.
7. You Are More Productive
With some addictions, like addiction to methamphetamine, you
think you are more productive, particularly at first. It does not take long for the falseness of this productive feeling to become obvious. Without drugs and alcohol, you genuinely
are more productive, and that is a blessing.
8. One Word: Freedom
Overcoming addiction really is like emerging from a prison. The substances, if anything, are more of a prison than actual incarceration is. Each day you sustain your sobriety, you have the opportunity to enjoy the freedom from addiction that you worked so hard to attain.
Addiction treatment is about far more than ridding your body of the poison of drugs or alcohol, and it is more than just your learning new coping skills and new ways to build a life without substances. Addiction treatment can give you your life back, and that is something to be celebrated every day.
Addiction recovery is an outstanding accomplishment, and it is something you should be proud of on your sobriety anniversaries, and in fact every day you spend without your drug of choice. If you have questions about sustained recovery, we encourage you to
contact us at any time.
