Mixed with just the right amount of curiosity and boredom, this quickly led to binge drinking and using harder drugs. By the time I was 21, I was addicted to alcohol and cocaine. Reach out for help, there are millions facing the same addictions and the same struggles; you are NOT alone and 2. From your peers and others who are now in recovery tell you how good it truly gets.

A great way to make new, sober connections is to attend peer support groups like AA and NA. Another great thing about these groups is that they give you the opportunity to help others with their recovery, which can be even more healing than receiving help sometimes. Taking steps to change your relationship with alcohol is something to be incredibly proud of. And while the benefits of sobriety are plentiful, it’s normal to experience challenges and setbacks along the way.

Books on the Evolution of the Relationship with Alcohol

Living by spiritual principles is not something that other 21-year olds were doing. There weren’t as many young people in recovery as there are today. Everything that I believed in, everything that I was about, and my perception on life had to change. As soon as I drank, I became a different person. That, to me, was freedom – but it later became prison. A person of extraordinary intellect, Heather King is a lawyer and writer/commentator for NPR — as well as a recovering alcoholic who spent years descending from functional alcoholism to barely functioning at all.

For example, he explains why stating alcohol is poison and repeating the tagline “Never Question the Decision” can help you change your unconscious thoughts about alcohol, and shift your mindset. This book is a great place to start if you’ve been feeling sober curious. After finishing A Happier Hour, the bar was https://ecosoberhouse.com/ set high for future reads (no pun intended). Weller has a relatable story for any high-achiever who finds themselves with boozy, foggy evenings that turn into hangovers the next morning. Written with raw vulnerability, the pages of this book are filled with an honest look at her own relationship to alcohol.

The Michael Palmer, MD Medical Student Health Lecture Series

If you have faith in a higher power, it can be helpful to call upon that power and remind yourself that you are not the first person to struggle with addiction and temptation over the centuries. Many before you have faced the same challenges you face today and persevered. In your times of challenge you can draw upon your faith inspirational stories of sobriety and belief in God to help you through the dark times, and to resist the temptations in front of you. While it is important to work through issues like these in counseling, and to make amends wherever you can, you cannot let that work spill over into your entire life. You also can’t keep brooding about the past forever.

• According to a study published in the Missouri Medicine Journal, about 17% of patients who almost died report having a near-death experience.
• “Millions of times I thought, ‘Man, it would be nice to have a drink.’ I miss a glass of wine, or I miss some Maker’s Mark or whatever it may be,” Draper said.
• It doesn’t do anything for my spiritual state, my mental state, or my creative state.
• One of the things that breaks my heart is that I was not always there for my family as much as I feel I should have been.
• The Sober Diaries is one of the best books in the quit lit category.
• Quitting alcohol also brought about a remarkable transformation in my physical health.

Research shows that listening to or reading stories affects our brains. Listening to the stories of others in therapy groups can change people’s perspective. BetterHelp offers affordable mental health care via phone, video, or live-chat. Mary Karr’s memoir shares her journey toward sobriety honestly and humorously.

The Journey of Recovery

You’ll have more time and money to invest in yourself and your passions. I found healthier ways to cope with these cravings, from engaging in activities that I enjoyed to practicing mindfulness. These strategies helped me stay focused on my sobriety goals and manage cravings effectively. The benefits of quitting alcohol extended to my physical appearance as well, which can be attributed to the reduction in alcohol consumption. I noticed an improvement in my skin tone, reduced puffiness, and a healthier complexion.