Why I Chose To Be Sober

Sobriety is a touchy subject, and bringing up someone's alcoholism is not the kind of discussion that you have over lunch. However, even though it's a difficult subject to approach, in some cases, it's a necessity. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism mentions that in 2015, an estimated 15.1 million adults had alcohol use disorder (AUD). I am not just another statistic. Sobriety is something you can and should choose because it can impact your life in so many different ways.

Psychology Today notes that people only successfully quit a habit when they realize how much that practice affects their everyday functioning. While many places say addiction is a disease, and have the information to back it up, I believe that addiction can be cured by exercising my agency. I choose to be sober because it means that I can get back to enjoying life.

Addiction and Dependency

American Addiction Centers defines two types of dependence - physical and mental. Physical dependence happens when your body starts needing a drug to the point where not having it brings about medical anomalies and symptoms. Psychological dependence, on the other hand, relates to how you associate a drug with feelings of euphoria or joy.
In most addiction cases, there is a combination of mental and physical dependence. Alcohol has more of a physical dependence association than a mental one. However, the feeling of getting buzzed can be a difficult one to fight off.
Everything seems so much better when you're under that happy cloud, and the world happens around you. The problem is that while things are happening to you, you are only vaguely aware of it and you miss out on most of what's happening around you. Instead of being part of the experience, you have the experience happen around you.

Kicking the Habit

Why would I choose to be sober? Being drunk is so much easier. There are a few good reasons that I would prefer to be dry for. Among them include:

• Saving my Health: Harvard Medical School reports that alcohol may cause a higher risk of several diseases, including liver disease, high blood pressure, and some types of cancer. I prefer to be around for longer and experience life instead of resigning myself to death because of alcohol-related diseases.

• Being Able to Think Clearer: Making decisions requires me to have a clear head. I can't count the number of times I've made poor life choices because of alcohol. Not drinking allows me to have a more stable balance when it comes to deciding on things, and that will enable me to make a more informed, sensible choice.

• Better Sleep: HuffPost mentions that alcohol kicks you out of deep sleep patterns, making it more difficult to get restful slumber. Good sleep is one of the most important things that a human being can have, and continued lack of sleep could lead to disaster.

• Better Mental Recall: This may or may not be due to a better sleep cycle from reducing alcohol consumption, but you tend to remember things a lot clearer when you're not drinking alcohol. The Guardian notes that a recent study mentions how even a small amount of alcohol could impair memory.

• Knowing What's Going on Around Me: The most significant change I noticed on giving up alcohol was how much more fun parties and social gatherings were. There was no need to keep watching what I drank, and I enjoyed (and remembered) every single conversation and event.

Should YOU Give Up Alcohol?

Not everyone drinks heavily and needs Costa Mesa drug rehab to help them kick the habit. However, heavy usage of alcohol and the dependency that that sort of usage leads to can be a severe cloud over your life. It's not easy to quit, especially if drinking has become part of your life. But the benefits from being able to see the world differently and experience the brighter side of life is definitely worth the try. After all, experiencing life should be your number one concern, not drinking it away.