Browsing: Mental Health

For many people, alcohol abstinence is just the beginning of a journey that will continue for the rest of their lives. The key to success lies in making the necessary changes. Integrating this new facet of life may not be easy; however, with the right support, it is entirely possible.

Alcohol can interfere with your sleep cycle in several ways. When you drink, you might fall asleep quickly, but your sleep is not deep or restful. Alcohol affects the REM (rapid eye movement) phase of sleep, which is important for dreaming and refreshing your mind. When your REM sleep is disturbed, you may wake up feeling tired, even after sleeping for a long time.

Sober living means staying away from alcohol and drugs. It is often linked with people recovering from addiction, but it can also benefit anyone who wants to live a healthier life. In a sober living environment, the focus is on building better habits, improving mental health, and creating a strong support system. It can be as simple as not drinking or using substances and instead focusing on a healthier way of living.

Sober curiosity is when someone decides to question their drinking habits. It is not about being forced to quit alcohol for health reasons. Instead, it’s about making a conscious choice to reduce alcohol intake or stop drinking completely. Being sober curious allows you to think about how alcohol affects your body, mind, and overall life.

The biggest uplift I felt when I stopped drinking was around my physical health. First, I remembered what I did the night before when I woke up (HUGE), my mouth wasn’t chronically dry, my hands stopped shaking (oh yeah I drank a lot), I didn’t smell like booze (yeah…a LOT) and I had energy to do stuff. I even bought a road bike to get around campus and loved going uphill (crazy, right?).