Knowing that you have an addiction and getting help for it is the best New Year’s resolution you can give yourself. Becoming Clean and sober, obstinate or in recovery from any addiction gives you a chance to adopt a healthier lifestyle and live up to your full potential. Whether you’re the one struggling with addiction or you have a loved one who is going through this, keep the following information in mind this holiday season as we start a new year. Sobriety makes the greatest New Year’s resolution.
A Clearer Mind
When you give up drugs or alcohol during recovery, you’ll find that you’re able to think much more clearly. The same is for food, sex, love, gambling and other addictions. Your mind can suddenly focus better again, which makes it easier for you to make decisions, understand things and concentrate in general. When your mind is clearer, you can focus on enjoying the things that bring you true happiness rather than having your mind filled with thoughts of drugs or alcohol. With that clear mind, you can work on building a new, healthier life for yourself.
Stronger Relationships
Addiction can cause a lot of strain between you and your loved ones. When you achieve recovery, and start living a life that doesn’t include these substances, you can work on repairing and improving these relationships. Over time, you can strengthen your relationships with loved ones and enjoy spending time together again. You’ll also have loved ones around to support you throughout your recovery process, which is an important part of preventing relapse.
Newfound Sense of Gratitude
Part of working on recovering from addictions is developing a strong sense of gratitude. This helps replace the negative, unhelpful thoughts that might have led you to drink or use drugs in the first place. Spending time each day thinking about everything that you’re grateful for can help you work on becoming in acceptance of your life on life’s terms with a lower risk of relapse. Focusing on gratitude helps reframe your thoughts and turns them in a more positive direction.
The Gift of Giving
Achieving recovery from addiction makes it possible for you to help other people do so. When you’ve gone through a recovery process and adopted a healthier lifestyle, you can share your experiences with people who are currently struggling with addiction. Letting others know what you’ve been through, such as in group settings, or one on one provides them with emotional support during recovery. It’s also a reminder for you of all you’ve gone through to live life in recovery one day at a time.
Appreciation for Yourself
When you have an addiction, you lose your sense of self. You might forget who you are or who you used to be. When you go through the recovery process, you have a chance to rediscover yourself and get to know yourself again. This helps you gain more appreciation for the person you’ve become while making it easier to forgive yourself for the person you used to be when you were struggling with addiction.
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