The Hard Parts of Being Sober I dont regret quitting alcohol, but by Benya Clark Exploring Sobriety

Even if you are making one small choice to improve how you feel each day, like working out more or eating better, track it. You can then consistently look back, see how far you’ve come, and assess what you have accomplished along the way. If you are hungry, even if that is not your main issue, get something healthy to eat.

• You’ll wake up feeling refreshed, clear-headed, and proud of yourself.
• There are plenty of negative elements to getting sober too.
• From botanical spirits to craft alcohol-free beers, the choices are endless.
• I would go on walks a few times a week because getting high and walking is super fun.

Young people are generally be more health conscious and aware of alcohol’s detrimental effects. A report from The Linus Group found that over 70% of Gen Z describe themselves as healthy, using exercise and habits like meditation to stay well. For that reason, I haven’t drunk since, and while I wouldn’t rule out a few glasses at a wedding or major event here and there, I don’t see alcohol becoming a regular fixture in my life for the foreseeable future. “By lunchtime, you were beginning to taste what you were going to drink. It became a condition for me, and it was fun. You’re all relaxed and chilled, you’d share stories, and it was a very positive experience.

Bring your own drinks

When you’re in early recovery, even good days can be tough. It feels like you’re pulled in 521 directions at once, and there’s the constant draw to fall back into old habits. But when life sucks, staying sober can be more than hard, it can feel like it’s next to impossible. I had my doubts about being successful, based on some self-fulfilling idea that I was going to succeed because 12-step drug & alcohol support groups hadn’t done anything for my success. But I knew I had to try, I wasn’t going to give up on myself just yet.

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And after doing all of my dirt, I paid my karmas in cash. According to Drink Aware’s 2019 study on drinking behaviours in the UK, year-olds were the most likely to be teetotal, with 26% refraining from drinking. Experts have pointed to a few reasons as to why this is. As soon as you arrive, grab a drink (alcohol-free, of course) so you’re not lingering and overthinking. This helps you settle in before any anxiety creeps up. Stock up on non-alcoholic options you love, like alcohol-free beers, kombucha, or fancy mocktails.

Why Is Sober Life So Boring?

As you get going, keep a simple chart or use an app that tracks your progress. Unfortunately, for someone in recovery, feelings of discontent are dangerous. It doesn’t take long for thoughts to become words and words to become actions.

I need to know why so https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/addiction/sober-houses-rules-that-you-should-follow/ I can finally accept who I really am. However, drinking felt like liberation, but it often left me trapped. Waking up with a raging hangover, cringing at texts or apologising for things I didn’t remember wasn’t empowering; it was confirmation that I was using alcohol as a crutch to manage insecurity and discomfort.

This leads to higher concentration of alcohol entering the bloodstream, so women are more susceptible to its effects. Another study found that women have higher blood ethanol concentrations than men and are more likely to suffer alcohol-related liver diseases. Susan G. Komen also finds that alcohol consumption has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, as it can raise oestrogen levels and contribute to hormone-sensitive cancers.

Whether you’re a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you’ll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime… Congratulations, you’ve found sober house your people.

I don’t regret quitting alcohol, but sobriety isn’t always easy.

‘I’m just taking a break’, or, ‘I’m trying something different’ usually does the trick without inviting further questions. I used to think my deep, drunken conversations connected me to people but often it was me just waffling on, not absorbing what whoever was sat opposite me was actually saying. Now I’m definitely more attentive and conversations are more interesting. I think I am able to connect more to the discussion and the person I’m talking to.

Shift the focus from what’s in your glass to the connections you’re making. Socialising is about people, not the drinks. The confidence alcohol gives you isn’t really real. When you stop drinking, you have to face tough and scary situations without alcohol and that helped me grown an innate confidence that’s stayed with me. If you often drink out of routine (like pouring a glass of wine after work), try swapping it for a different ritual, like making an alcohol-free cocktail or brewing a special tea.

• It became a condition for me, and it was fun.
• I guess at that moment, I thought so little of myself, that it didn’t matter how the conversation went, I was going to leave anyways, but what I got back after a conversation full of realness was amazing.
• You’re all relaxed and chilled, you’d share stories, and it was a very positive experience.
• Perhaps some just prefer to behave like jerks.
• You can also reach out to those in the 12 step community.

Tweets That Had Us Doubled Over With Laughter Last Week

If you are feeling exhausted, refresh with a quick walk outside or a coffee nap if you can. You are not a slave to your emotions or your addiction. You can choose to sit where you are for a moment, assess, and figure out a way forward. Join Recovery Connection in sharing stories of hope and recovery.

• I was inspired to revisit the topic after reading a recent post by Heather Lowe, called Sober is Boring and I Have Lost Friends.
• They’ll be much happier that you reached out now, before you picked up, then afterwards, when a relapse has already happened.
• Remember how family and friends wouldn’t return calls or didn’t trust to leave you alone.
• Stand up and say, I’m having a rough time, and any extra support is appreciated.
• And when I couldn’t seem to get ready in time, or when my purse was a tangle of wadded keys and gum wrappers I felt so bereft.

The main thing you realize when you swear off alcohol is that alcohol is fucking everywhere. It’s on the label of the soap in your parents’ guest bathroom. I wrote about some of my difficulties in sobriety last year, in a post called The Worst Parts of Sobriety. I was inspired to revisit the topic after reading a recent post by Heather Lowe, called Sober is Boring and I Have Lost Friends.

I read it while hungover a few months ago and thought, “Hey, maybe I should stop drinking for 30 days and see what all the fuss is about.” By 7 p.m. On the day I started, I was gripping the walls, looking around with giant pupils, and clutching my chest, wondering how the hell I was going to get through one night. It occurred to me that perhaps I was a good candidate for never drinking again.

Since then, here’s the weird shit I’ve learned. Or just reassessing your relationship with alcohol? It doesn’t necessarily mean giving up booze altogether or signing up to sobriety indefinitely.