Drug and alcohol abuse stimulate pleasure triggers in the brain that momentarily make you feel good. Eventually, you may start to rely on this artificial happiness to get through the drudgery of life. When the problem comes to surface, you may have a thought many addicts have at some point throughout their recovery: why should I stay sober? When the rose-tinted glasses of intoxication examine the situation, there may not seem to be a real point to getting sober for you. However, that thought isn’t coming from a clear mind. It’s coming from a mind trained to enjoy and seek out their preferred poison. To help remove some of those tainted thoughts, here are some reasons why you should stay sober.
Make Others Proud
Other people in your life may think you have more of a problem than you think you do. Many people get sober more for the other people in their life. If there are relationships in your life that matter to you that would improve by you getting sober, that’s a great reason. What’s more important? A substance or a close bond with your parent, child, or sibling? Most people will tell you to only get sober for yourself and not for other people, but other people can be a great motivation.
Prevent Health Problems
The main reason to avoid drugs and alcohol is because of the damage it does to your body. It will destroy your skin, teeth, hair, mental faculties, and internal organs to the point of low self-esteem, illness, and death. Continuing on a path of substance dependency will cause you to damage your body and mind and likely die quicker, missing out on precious moments that make life worth living. Don’t miss out on your grandchild’s birth because you didn’t want to take care of yourself. You have a lot of life to live yet, and you want to be healthy for as long as possible.
Accomplish a Goal
Some people feel like they never finish anything they set to do or never reach any accomplishments. Getting sober is a great accomplishment that will prove that you can accomplish something when you put your mind to it. Once you prove to yourself that you can get sober, you will believe that you can conquer other goals you set for yourself in the future.
It’s Not Too Late
It’s disheartening to hear how many people truly think it’s too late for them. It doesn’t matter if you are a senior citizen, if you have already lost your family, or if you have permanent mental health issues that tournament you every day, it’s not too late to get sober. It may be too late for some things, but it’s never too late to find true internal peace that doesn’t come from drugs and alcohol.
Give Back
Frankly, refusing to get sober is selfish to the community at large. You have talents that you should use to contribute to society through your work and social encounters. Drinking and using drugs can prevent you from getting involved in worthwhile causes in your community. When you give back, you may even find a higher calling that gives you a similar high at the end of the day.
Art
People often make the mistake of associating partying with popular talent. A brilliant artist like Janis Joplin was known to do drugs, but some people say it’s part of the culture. Some may even mistakenly say that the drugs helped creativity. If you still find joy in music, art, writing, or any other craft, you are hindering your progress by getting intoxicated. You will not be able to perform or focus. If you want to create art, focus on practicing sober and watch how much further you get.
Everyone has something that motivates them. Whether it is your family, your career, music, or charity, use your motivation to find a reason to stay sober. Call us at 866-963-7200.
