
Whether you’re thinking of quitting or you’ve already quit and are looking for reasons to stay sober, we’re here to help. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but there are 15+ reasons to quit drinking and getting high. I will add more as time goes on. Let me be clear, that there are 15 not because I couldn’t think of more, but because my fingers got tired of typing and I had to start working (another reason to quit drinking + using!) The reasons below are provided in the format of what I’ve gained in recovery. They are my reasons to stay sober each and every day. Your list may look different, so I implore you to challenge yourself, find your own reasons to quit drinking and getting high today, and maybe even share that list with us! (Maybe you can help us grow our list to help others, too.)
Without further ado, here’s our list of 15+ reasons to quit drinking and getting high.
#1. Your Physical Health
#2. Your Mental Health
#3. Your Family + Loved Ones
#4. Your Kids (if you have them)
#5. Your Dreams + Goals
#6. Money $$$
#7. Stability
When I was in active addiction, stability scared theNow in recovery, I crave stability. If you ever felt the way I did about stability, then please let me tell you: it’s worth it. 100%. Stability is the best thing that ever happened to me. I don’t have to constantly worry or be on guard, wondering when I’m going to get caught or if I’ll go back to jail. Stability brings me peace and these days there isn’t anything that I’m willing to allow to disrupt my peace.
#8. Helping Others
Hands down one of the best reasons to quit drinking and getting high and to begin a life of active recovery is having the ability to help others. Simply telling your story has the potential to reach another person, help them realize that they’re not alone, that they’re worth it, that recovery is possible. Telling your story has the potential to help another person find recovery. And that alone is worth getting sober.#9. Self Confidence, Self Esteem, Self Worth
When I was in active addiction, I couldn’t have possible felt worse about myself. I hated myself with such a burning passion that I continued using simply out of spite for myself. I purposely kept myself from being happy. Self sabotage to the highest degree.In recovery I’ve been able to work on those parts of myself that I hated so much, and those parts of myself that contained so much self loathing that they held me back. Being in recovery has allowed me to find myself, who I truly am. It’s helped me to love myself, to value myself, and to respect myself. I t can do the same to you, if you put in the work.
#10. Gain/Regain Responsibility
Ugh, responsibility. I dreaded it in active addiction and I would have done anything to escape it. I did do everything to escape it (namely drugs). But responsibility is such a gift. It means that others trust me. It means that I can properly care for my children. It means that I’m a capable, functioning, successful member of society and nothing can stand in my way. Responsibility is such a huge part of recovery. It shows us that we’re really doing it, we’re really making it. That’s why AA and NA give out service positions ;).#11. Give Yourself a Future
Recovery opens up so many doors for us. It gives us the ability to find out what we want out of life and take it. Once we’re able to determine what our strengths and passions are, we can finally give ourselves the future we always dreamed of or never thought we’d have.#12. Find True Happiness
Let me make this clear: happiness does not come from drugs. Happiness does not come from other people, places, or things. It doesn’t even come from money. Happiness comes from within. In recovery we’re able to chase happiness, true happiness, the same way we chased our high.#13. Get Honest
One of the things I hated most about addition was how dishonest I became. I’m generally a truth teller and it’s something I’ve prided myself on, but in addiction I’d become a completely different person. I’d become a person who couldn’t tell the truth if my life depended on it. Now in recovery I’ve become myself again. I don’t have to lie about where I’m going or what I’m doing. I don’t have to lie to my family and friends. I can be honest and not have to worry about the fallout.#14. Gain/Regain Trust
Along with honesty and responsibility, in recovery we’re able to gain and regain trust. Some of us were never trusted. Some of us lost trust in others while others lost trust in us. Some of us lost trust of ourselves.Trust doesn’t happen overnight. For some of us it may take months, for most of us it may take years to be trusted again. My therapist once told me about a client who said that for every year he drank, he gave his family 365 reasons not to trust him, so the least he could do is give them as much time to trust him again. But being sober means being accountable. The more honest we get, the more people are able to trust us again. We’re able to hold jobs, help run errands, balance finances, without someone looking over our shoulder. What an amazing feeling it is to be trusted–and to know that we’ve earned it.
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