Most people understand that alcohol is bad for them in large doses. Yet, in 2016, 5.3% of all global deaths happened as a result of alcohol. Whether we like it or not, alcohol exerts a tremendous grip on many people’s lives.
Alcohol attracts people for all kinds of reasons. For some, it helps them forget painful situations and dulls their sensitivities. For others, it makes them feel invincible like they can take on any challenge.
Whatever the reason, alcohol’s perceived benefits are short-term solutions that only cause harm in the long run. The benefits of sobriety far outweigh any benefits that a drinking binge can bring.
If you’re looking for reasons to get sober or want to know how to help someone get sober, then this is the article for you. We’ll outline some of the primary reasons to get sober and how they improve your life.
Health Risks of Heavy Drinking
There’s no question that sobriety is a far healthier way of life than alcoholism. Heavy drinking leads to many health issues. These problems include:
- Alcoholic hepatitis
- Anxiety
- Cancer
- Depression
- Dementia
- Digestive problems
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
In addition to these health issues, alcohol makes you more likely to engage in dangerous behavior. For example, in 2016, over 10,000 deaths occurred as a result of alcohol-impaired driving. A significant number of these deaths included children.
It can also weaken your heart, liver, gut, and other systems in your body. However, if this has happened to you, there’s hope. Once you quit drinking, those systems can repair themselves. Your liver, in particular, has adept self-healing abilities.
Benefits of Sobriety: How Much Does It Really Help?
As you can see, alcoholism leads to several potential health issues. However, you may be wondering what specific benefits sobriety offers. After all, you may think that alcohol is worth the risk. Is there a positive case for sobriety beyond escaping alcohol’s drawbacks?
As it turns out, there are several sobriety benefits. Those benefits will serve as the focus of this next section.
Your Skin Looks Better
Alcohol abuse has several adverse effects on your skin, caused by dehydration, inflammation, broken capillaries, and lower collagen levels. These effects cause your skin to look loose and rough.
One of the most noticeable effects of alcoholism is the way it affects your eyes. For heavy drinkers, it’s common to see redness or yellowing develop around the corners of the eyes.
When you stop drinking, your body gets a chance to repair this damage. Your hydration will improve, and your inflammation will lessen. Over time, your collagen levels should also regulate themselves once again. Most notably perhaps, that redness or yellowing will begin to fade.
The result of all this is that you will look younger, healthier, and more attractive. This improvement in appearance often gives a tremendous boost in confidence.
Better Quality of Sleep
Who doesn’t love a good night’s sleep? If you kick alcohol to the curb, the chances that you’ll get more sleep and feel more rested significantly improve.
Alcohol interferes with your sleep cycle, which makes it harder to fall asleep at night. Sobriety helps regulate your sleep cycle so that your sleep improves.
However, don’t expect instantaneous eight-hour sleep at night when you quit alcohol. When your system has been disoriented for so long, it takes time for your body to straighten it out.
As such, you can expect difficulty sleeping during the initial few days (or weeks, as your case may be). However, as your body gradually heals itself, you will find your sleep quality beginning to improve over time.
Free Money
Alcoholism is an expensive habit. Think about how much a six-pack of beer costs from the local gas station or a small liquor bottle at the store. Suffice it to say the stuff isn’t cheap.
If you drink a lot, you build a tolerance. So, if your goal is to get drunk, you have to spend more money to get there. It’s not uncommon for one night of heavy drinking to cost at least $50.00 for a single person.
Think about how much money you can save by leaving those alcohol costs. You could pay your bills faster and handle your mortgage payment more efficiently. If you have a family, you can afford better dinners out or gifts on special occasions.
Improved Memory
If you’ve ever experienced a blackout, you know how much drinking can affect your memory. Why does drinking cause it? The short answer is that heavy alcohol consumption shrinks the hippocampus, a crucial part of your brain that plays an essential role in memory.
If you give up drinking, you can reverse some of this damage. If you stay sober for a year, your hippocampus can begin repairing itself. It may not reach its original condition again, but it’s better than what happens if you keep drinking.
Drinking also dulls your thinking capabilities, including your attention span and decision-making. When you cut alcohol from your life, you’ll start to recover those abilities.
Deeper, More Permanent Relationships
One of the most heartbreaking results of alcoholism is the toll it takes on relationships. Alcohol has caused marriages to break apart, children and parents to cease speaking, and friendships to fade.
Think about the people you love, whether it’s your parents, your friends, or your children. Do you want to risk losing them? Is there anything alcohol can offer that can replace them?
If you resolve to quit, you’ll likely find those same people will be the first to support you. If you want to learn how to help somebody trying to get sober, check out this guide for helpful tips.
Take The First Step
To reach the benefits of sobriety, you must first be honest with yourself. Do you have a drinking problem? Do you show any signs of alcoholism? If so, take the first step. Admit you have the problem, and talk to your loved ones about getting sober.
We hope this article was helpful! For more of our content, check out our other posts today.
