Getting sober isn’t always easy, but most agree it is worth it. Aside from the obvious benefit of breaking a bad habit and the effects this has, sobriety has many other positive aspects and health benefits that people often don’t think about as they embark on the journey. Here are a few health benefits you can expect with sobriety.

1. Fewer Toxins

When you stop polluting your body with toxins from drugs and alcohol, it detoxifies and cleanses itself. No longer using those chemicals resets your internal systems, allowing your body to work more efficiently and with less strain. This creates an environment in our body much closer to what it was intended to be, and you will notice you begin to function at a more optimal level.

2. Mental Clarity

Alcohol affects your brain, suppressing its normal function and artificially stimulating certain receptors. Your brain physically changes, adjusting the sensitivity of its receptors in response to the continued presence of alcohol. These factors combine to create mental cloudiness, with your brain not functioning as effectively as it should.

Becoming sober will help your brain become free from the effects alcohol causes, allowing you greater clarity. With the suppressing effects of alcohol gone, you will find it easier to think clearly and more enjoyable to engage in tasks that require reasoning skills.

3. Better Sleep

Alcohol can make it easier to fall asleep but actually prevents you from reaching the deepest stage of sleep. Those who frequently drink alcohol may get a good amount of sleep but never feel fully rested, as restorative sleep is impossible. When you achieve sobriety, fully restorative sleep is suddenly possible, allowing you to feel rested in a way you cannot while drinking. Most people who become sober notice they feel more rested after sleeping than when they use alcohol.

4. More Energy

As improved sleep quality compounds over time, your energy will improve with sobriety. Additionally, alcohol suppresses your brain, leading to decreased energy levels. Heavy alcohol use can also deplete your body of important nutrients, further suppressing energy. When the effects of alcohol are removed, improved sleep, absence of alcohol’s neurological effects and improved nutrition will combine to provide you with increased energy.

5. Better Skin

Alcohol is dehydrating, slowly causing your skin to become less full. Alcohol also affects your skin’s health, increasing blemishes and making your skin more susceptible to injury. When you stop drinking, your skin health rapidly improves. Within weeks, your skin will likely appear noticeably smoother and healthier, with fewer blemishes.

6. Better Eating Habits

Alcohol is full of empty calories, leading to an excessive calorie intake when used heavily. Alcohol also affects inhibition, leading to a decreased ability to resist unhealthy foods. Additionally, alcohol depletes your body of essential nutrients. When you stop drinking, it can help to improve your eating habits and the effectiveness of dietary changes that you attempt. Overcoming addiction can also help you regain control of other areas, like your eating habits, and help you achieve a healthier lifestyle.

7. Happier

Overall well-being is a huge health benefit of sobriety. When you are doing good for yourself, feeling better, looking better and functioning on a higher level, you feel less shame; this, in turn, can lead to more happiness. Sobriety brings so much peace into your life, allowing you to become more present and aware. The sober lifestyle helps you understand who you are and what makes you tick. You feel more connected to yourself, and your spirituality and life, in general, become something you look forward to each day.

Benefits of Getting Sober vs. Discomfort of Addiction Recovery

Addiction recovery can be unpleasant. The withdrawal symptoms aren’t fun to deal with, and overcoming the cravings that addiction creates can be difficult. The discomfort of addiction recovery, however, is only really difficult for a week or two before the lifetime of benefits that sobriety brings begins to emerge.

It’s unavoidable that addiction recovery will be uncomfortable for a short period. This discomfort can be treated and reduced with professional help and is very short-term. Most people find that the benefits of sobriety outweigh the discomfort of recovery within a week or two of being sober.

How To Become and Remain Sober

The best chance of becoming and remaining sober typically is by choosing professional addiction treatment. Professional treatment reduces the discomfort of detox and helps you succeed, reducing the likelihood of going through the process multiple times.

Orlando Recovery Center offers state-of-the-art treatments that can fit many lifestyles and situations. We can help you get through a medical detox and achieve long-term success through comprehensive rehab programs. Contact us today to see what treatment options would be most effective for you!