If you’re on your way to overcoming a substance use disorder and you still find it hard to think of reasons to get clean, maybe you need to undergo more addiction counseling. Most professional addiction treatment options actually start with getting clean (through a detoxification process). The idea of sobriety helps people struggling with addiction to fully focus on treatment so that they can then get on with their lives. Clearly, abstinence is important in maintaining your addiction recovery.
Addiction will eventually cause you to lose control of your life, put yourself and your loved ones in risky situations, and physically and mentally damage your health. From an objective standpoint, it makes sense for people in addiction recovery to maintain their sobriety as they rebuild their lives. Searching for addiction counseling options in TX? Reach out to San Antonio Recovery Center today by calling 866.957.7885 or contacting our team online.
What Are Some Reasons To Get Sober?
1. You’ll Have More Disposable Income
Financial difficulties may be the main reason why you should get sober, especially if you have a family and your financial problems also affect their quality of life.
Addiction is not only damaging to the body’s health but also is an expensive habit to maintain — especially if the addictive substance of choice is illicit. In fact, some people with substance use disorders may spend more than $5,000 each month. Upon getting sober, many people in addiction recovery find that they have a lot more disposable income. However, this depends on whether they’ve maintained employment throughout the period of their addiction.
Overall, though, people who get sober are more able to save their money for rainy days in the future and also are more able to increase their quality of life. In short, access to more income can be life-changing.
2. Your Damaged Relationships May Be Fixed
For people who have damaged many of their close relationships during the period of their addiction, one of the best reasons to get sober is the increased possibility to work on those personal connections. Consider how these personal connections have changed because of your addiction. Surely, you don’t want to leave things as they are.
By getting sober, you create an opportunity to mend and rebuild these relationships. The road to addiction recovery involves reaching out to those you’ve hurt and then making amends. However, you must remember that there are no quick fixes when it comes to mending broken relationships.
3. Your Overall Health Improves
Addiction can lead to a plethora of negative health complications. In the case of physical health, struggling with a substance use disorder can damage multiple systems of the body — cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory, and more. As you maintain sobriety, you’ll notice that you no longer look haggard or older than you actually are. Over time, the body will start to heal itself as you maintain sobriety. In the long run, you’ll be less susceptible to serious health complications.
Addiction and mental health issues also often go hand-in-hand. Abusing addictive substances can have devastating effects on mental health and disrupt the body’s hormone levels and cycles. It’ll take some time, but the body’s chemistry levels will slowly return to normal as you maintain sobriety. This means you’ll feel more energized and more refreshed as time goes on.
4. You’ll Be Able To Focus on Things That Truly Matter
When you’re no longer under the influence of the addictive substance of your choice, you’ll no longer be hazy about the details of your life. In fact, life after addiction may be marked by increased confidence in maintaining sobriety because of this clarity. However, many people in addiction recovery need constant support and structure to maintain this confidence and not be affected by their triggers.
Many rehab programs include treatments that strive to improve your focus and overall mental state. These treatments are typically types of therapeutic care, such as the following:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)
- Motivational enhancement therapy (MET)
Therapy sessions may be held in an individual or group setting and can include life partners or family members.
5. You and Your Loved Ones Will Be Safer
Addiction doesn’t just make the details of your life hazy — it makes you spiral out of control and make poor decisions. While many of these decisions can affect your career, finances, relationships, and other aspects of your life, some of them can have a direct effect on your physical safety and can be life-threatening. For example, you may drive while under the influence of an addictive substance — which can endanger not only your life but also the lives of others in the vehicle.
When sober, you’re more likely to make good decisions and you’ll have better reasoning skills. In other words, you’ll be able to put yourself and others in safer situations.
How Can Addiction Counseling Help You Get Clean?
If you’re still wondering why you should get sober, it’s worth noting that using addictive substances will eventually lead to not only a relapse but also a return to having tolerance and then a dependency. It’s that dependency that’s harmful — it’s what makes you prioritize your addictive substance of choice over everything else.
Counseling is a mainstay of addiction treatment for many clients because it helps identify addictive habits and then change them. It also gives clients the tools and skills to cope with triggers that they’ll keep on coming across as they live the rest of their lives after addiction.
Even after formal treatment ends, it can be beneficial to undergo addiction counseling. Individual, group, or family counseling can help you stay clean. Psychotherapy can also treat other mental health conditions that may play a role in your addiction.
Ready To Learn More About SARC’s Addiction Counseling Options?
If you’re looking for addiction counseling options in TX, contact San Antonio Recovery Center today. Reach out to our team online or call 866.957.7885.
