It’s hard to imagine there are gifts of sobriety when we feel hopelessly addicted to alcohol or other drugs. The broken relationships, financial ruin, and self-esteem loss: addiction is painful. And the pain provokes us to numb it away with alcohol or other drugs. And so we become caught in the cycle of addiction, where we lose all hope for a happy, stable life. We could never imagine things could go well for us anymore.
Sobriety is Important for You and Your Mind
Whether you are still using or have already started recovery, you have more to look forward to. Once sober, you can focus strictly on the good inside you and nurture that budding hope that life can be so much better. So rest assured, you can quit, you can stay sober, and you can make for yourself a new life in recovery that is full of gifts. Here are the top 5 biggest gifts of sobriety:
- Acceptance – The first gift of sobriety is the treasure of acceptance, which is absolutely vital to our long-term happiness. It allows us to see what we once disliked about our circumstances, ourselves, and other people for what they are—without trying to fix them constantly. That’s why so many people in recovery find great relief in the serenity prayer: “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
- Humility – When alcohol and other drugs are gone, you will get a chance to know the real you. Recovery gifts us the amazing ability to see ourselves realistically. Humility is a simple and realistic understanding of self. When we are humbled in recovery, we accept all our faults and enable our strengths, knowing in our bones that we are loveable and imperfect and worthy of our respect. We need neither diminish ourselves nor project ourselves into any situation. Instead, we peacefully exist, and we do good wherever we can.
- Gratitude – Once we humbly accept our addiction and all of life’s painful realities, we can manifest a grateful, gracious attitude. We can opt out of the material race and cherish our lives. We begin to see that we already have plenty, and there are indeed others who have much less. We can uplift those people, thereby uplifting ourselves. And we can celebrate every moment we have left in this crazy, beautiful world.
- Community – When we first enter into recovery, we need a lot of help and encouragement. First, we need a support network where people uplift us and model all of our recovery gifts. Then, once people have demonstrated the power and love behind healthy human connections, we can bring that into all our relationships. And eventually, we can demonstrate for others those same powers and perpetuate a new cycle of recovery and connection that dismantles the destructive loop of addiction.
- You – All of these blessings from the ultimate recovery gift: you. Untethered from the traumatic pull of addiction, restored from its destruction of values, and brought home to your family and friends, you will finally have your back. And there’s no greater gift than that.
Your Journey To Lasting Sobriety Begins Here
At Addiction Recovery Institute Of America, we can start you on your road to happiness in recovery. It all comes from making the right decisions and sticking with them regardless of the difficulties in the journey. If you or a loved one are faced with addiction, know that there is hope beyond the dark tunnel. Call ARIA today!