Alcoholism can have many adverse effects on your life. It can ruin relationships and families in the blink of an eye. It also can be very bad for both your mental and physical health. Your best option to avoid all of this is to live an alcohol-free lifestyle, where you will be healthier and potentially happier. As the dopamine increase from alcohol soon wears off, you can become more depressed than happy.
How to Live an Alcohol-Free Lifestyle
It may seem impossible to avoid alcohol if you’re a regular drinker, but it’s not that hard. Once you’ve become sober and stayed sober for a while, an alcohol-free lifestyle makes life worth living and creates genuine happiness.
- Feeling and looking better. Many studies have shown that a lifestyle without alcohol is better for you. Too much alcohol intake can raise the fats in your blood and triglycerides. High triglycerides are associated with a high risk of heart disease. Excessive alcohol intake can also increase the risk of obesity and diabetes due to its high calories. Alcoholism also wreaks havoc on your liver. Kicking an alcohol habit can increase your levels of energy and overall mood. Alcohol is a depressant, so without it, your sleep isn’t being interfered with, and you can sleep more restfully and improve your overall health.
- Regaining financial freedom. An alcohol problem, depending on its severity, can turn into an expensive problem very quickly and empty your bank account. Many people even take it to the point of losing their homes, jobs, and family. When you live an alcohol-free lifestyle, you now have the means to pay bills, buy things or experiences you want, or create a healthy savings account.
- Better mental health and clarity. Heavy drinking and alcoholism are not suitable for your mental health. In moderation, it may be able to relieve stress, but in excess, it causes a great deal more. Heavy drinking often leads people to make choices they will regret and have to live with the consequences of their actions. Sometimes those consequences can be severe, like time in jail or putting others’ lives at risk. Heavy drinking often goes hand in hand with feelings of shame and guilt. Sometimes a person’s heavy drinking is a result of poor mental health. Drinking will only aggravate it and keep you from getting the needed help. Heavy drinking can also damage the brain and impair critical functions like memory, cognition, and problem-solving. When you quit drinking, you can improve your mental clarity and get real help for any untreated mental problems to become a better you.
- A deepened connection with other people. It is well known that alcohol dulls a person’s capacity to feel. This is the reason so many people become alcoholics. Many people turn to alcohol to self-medicate their pain and turn off any negative emotions. As time progresses, drinking can decrease your ability to empathize with others around you. Emotions and empathy are critical when you want to experience a meaningful connection with someone else. Sobriety allows a person to wake up and engage in healthy and meaningful relationships with those that matter to them.
Are you or a loved one abusing alcohol?
If you or a loved one suffer from alcohol addiction, the alcoholism treatment professionals at Garden State Treatment Center are here to help. Give us a call, and we can find the best treatment option for your personalized needs. Your sobriety is always our number one priority and concern.