There are a lot of misconceptions about what it means to be sober and what your life may be like with no alcohol. If you drink alcohol now but you are becoming sober curious, then you may be concerned that your life will be more boring without alcohol or perhaps, becoming completely sober is impossible, or once you are sober you can never look at a bottle of alcohol, or be in a place where alcohol is again. These are all completely untrue sobriety myths. However, they are dangerous beliefs as they can stop someone in their tracks with their sobriety, which means they never get to experience the true benefits of sober living and the immense positive impact it will bring to your life.

I am all about positivity and whilst when I was a heavy drinker I spent far too much time in a negative headspace, having been 3 years completely sober, I want to share with you some of the true benefits of what sobriety has brought to me and countless others.

# Sobriety allows you to find out who you really are

Alcohol is like a mask that hides exactly who are, what you feel and how you react to situations. Only once alcohol is completely removed are you able to discover exactly who you are. For me, it’s been such a life changing journey over the past 3 years. For example, I have realised that the severity of my anxiety was actually alcohol-induced and not a part of the psychological make-up I was born with which I believed for decades. Also, not having alcohol in my life, I have also been able to discover hobbies and activities that I really enjoy such as painting, exercise, spending time with the people closest to me and just having more time of me. It’s a journey I am sure I would never have experienced if alcohol was still a part of my life.

# Sobriety has made me a better parent

One of the big regrets I have in my life looking back is how I was able to parent for my son for the first part of his life. Being completely open, my patience was not always there when it should have been. I was not present enough to enjoy activities as a family and have time for my son when needed. When I was in the grips of my addiction, the most important thing for me at the time was drinking, when my family should have been at the forefront. I remember vividly one time being at a fireworks display with my son and wife. I should have just been able to enjoy the occasion, but I was in bad spirits throughout as I just wanted to get home as quickly as possible and open the wine. Only once I had removed alcohol completely from my life did I realise just how much my parenting had suffered due to alcohol. I am now able to just enjoy spending time with my son without having the niggle of needing to drink or wanting to end what we are doing so I can drink. Sobriety means my family come first.

# Becoming part of an incredible community

I never realised until I started to become sober curious just how fantastic the sober community is both online and offline. Whether you are looking for support via YouTube, Facebook, Instagram or from face-to-face support groups, the people within this community are nothing short of amazing. We all have had and continue to have our own daemons to battle, but there is always so much open-ended support for anyone that seeks it and wants it. I truly have made some friends for life and it’s a new part of my life that I love to have.

# Slowly but surely falling in-love with yourself again

Alcohol unfortunately can take everything from you. It takes away your self-belief and your self-worth and this is how the dependency on alcohol builds as you feel that it’s the only thing in your life that supports you. Once you have taken the brave step to remove alcohol from your life, you realise everything else that is great in your life. You start to fall in love with being you again and what you have to offer to yourself and to others close to you and it is one of the best feelings I have experienced on my sobriety journey.

I really do hope that understanding some of the major benefits of sober living helps you whether you are becoming sober curious or you are supporting someone else with an addiction to alcohol. The above are some of the key benefits I have personally experienced along with a number of members of my Facebook Support Community. I would also love to hear from you in the comments section below. Are there certain myths you believe to be true which are proving to be false with starting your sobriety journey? What are you most excited about with your sober living? Please do get in touch as we are all here to support each other.

 

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A post shared by Sobriety Coach – Simon Chapple (@besoberandquit)