r/stopdrinking • u/a1ham • 15h ago
Since you stopped, what positive changes have happened in your life?
Whether mental health, physical health, jobs, friendships, anything!
I'd love a list of all the positive things that sobriety can create :)
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u/JimBrody29 Day 31 15h ago
I don’t worry whether the person I’m interacting with can tell that I’ve been drinking.
I don’t miss any of my planned workouts.
Hangxiety is gone.
I sleep through the night and don’t wake up at 3 am.
I don’t wake up in the morning immediately counting down the hours until I can go back to bed.
Calorie count way down.
Getting through books I’m reading ~5x faster, getting a lot more reading done in general.
Focus and energy at work significantly improved.
No dread opening my phone/looking at messages in the morning.
IWNDWYT
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u/VividNeighborhood165 9h ago
When you realize you’re actually LIVING life instead of just trying to get through it
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u/catsbluepajamas 14h ago
Everything. Every single thing in my life got better. I’m almost 2 years sober- my health alone- including weight loss, bloodwork, scans, hair, skin, nails, sex life, mental health, sleeping, appetite- my work got better, my hobbies got more in depth. My time got richer, my friendships stronger, people can depend on me, look to me for advice, trust me. Every aspect of my life got better in every way. I always say that sobriety brought me back from the dead but it did so much more than that.
IWNDWYT
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u/TraditionFragrant232 Day 25 6h ago
Reading through this, I can feel the hope in it. I genuinely can't wait to feel like my life is getting back on track. I'm glad that yours has improved so much.
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u/Tasty_Square_9153 15h ago
I no longer think of self deleting. Ever
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u/TraditionFragrant232 Day 25 6h ago
Me too, alcohol is the main thing that makes me want to self delete. Once that's out of the picture I bounce back pretty well.
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u/PlanetBarfly 15h ago
Only one is I am regaining trust in myself. It's going to be a while before others do, as well.
That, and my bowel movements are way better.
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u/ihrtbeer 15h ago
Short list because literally every part of my life has improved in 6 months:
Ditched my toxic ex, lost 30 lbs, been out fishing (my favorite hobby) more than ever, my business is crazy busy (because I show up like never before), I laugh a lot, aight I'm gonna stop because I could go on and on
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u/Direct_Broccoli1216 Day 163 15h ago
Having spending money leftover on payday is a new experience. IWNDWYT
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u/Positive_Meet656 1863 days 15h ago
I'm employable and have genuine friendships. I'm no longer in and out of jails or hospitals.
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u/MountainMark 426 days 15h ago
I haven't drunkenly handled a support call late at night in a year. My death at the hands of my wife has been postponed
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u/Silt-Sifter 96 days 13h ago
Honestly I had to make other changes too. It wasn't just the alcohol. And as it turns out, everything is interrelated and built off one another.
I had to leave the abusive relationship I was in, and truly work on processing and healing from that, before I could really start working on myself in the way that me and my children deserved.
I started going out and hiking and exploring more, something I couldn't do when hungover or when doing whatever that ex partner of mine wanted to instead. Being out in nature really helped facilitate all of the healing within me.
The days are a little brighter now. That's all I can ask for.
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u/Acceptable-Ask-8777 11h ago
Clear skin idk why but the glow is glowing you never really notice it until you look at old pictures I’m not even a looks person I’m a construction worker but it’s still a wow every time I look at the difference
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u/soulariarr 7h ago
It’s also the face bloating take at least a month, it takes one day of drinking for your face to get huge again, i remember after one day of relapsing after months of sobriety my face immediately got huge.
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u/StrangeZone7313 14h ago
Learning to trust & care for myself more.
I lost 6 pounds (and counting).
I’m in much better shape because my body can actually process & benefit from the effects of all the exercise I’ve been doing for years.
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u/sziklai-pair 725 days 15h ago
Almost immediately: blood pressure improved, was no longer waking up with mystery bruises, didn't feel like I could die at any moment
Not too long after: concentration back to normal, waking up felt good, was cooking for my wife again, was playing music again, boss noticed distinct improvement at work, bank account balance improved
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u/NorthlineUser Day 79 12h ago
Sober sleep is a gift.
Even waking early is good. Just relax without feeling like shit.
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u/2Twice 1641 days 13h ago
Was shooting blanks. A year after quitting we got pregnant (pregornante?).
My daughter is now the age my son was when I was at my worst. I don't remember a lot of my son's toddler years.
That's the biggest change, but safe to say everything else from top to bottom is better than it was when I was boozing.
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u/The7footr 5452 days 10h ago
Geez, too many to name. Essentially all the good things in my life are a result of a completely changed life, including life itself.
I have a wife of 7.5yrs who has never seen me drink, two wonderful kids, a business I’ve only missed one day of in 12 years (food poisoning), a wonderful community and family life, service commitments that bless 10’s of thousands of lives each year…
I’m blessed beyond belief.
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u/SalamanderWest3468 1060 days 14h ago
I think I’ve emotionally matured quite a bit. I can sit in discomfort easier. Also my sense of smell is back
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u/MostlyHarmless88 13h ago
Not waking up feeling like a POS is nice, not spending money on booze is nice.
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u/sixteenhappycappys Day 52 14h ago
I'm far happier now that I'm sober. I actually have positive thoughts. I joined a gym and got at least 4 times a week. I have a more active social life and weekends feel longer since I dont lose a full day to a hangover.
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u/xosarafaye 14h ago
I don’t get migraines anymore, I get more sleep, I have more energy, I have more self respect, I can show up for my friends and family and be fully present and on time and prepared (bc I’m not hungover all the time anymore), I spend less money, I’m always in control of what I say and do and my emotions… so many things
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u/Dry-Star-6860 15h ago
I don’t spend all day every day crawling toward the bottom of another bottle of Evan Williams surrounded by an ocean of crumpled silver cans.
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u/Cool_Dragonfruit2067 14h ago
Everything. Every single thing in my life has been made better in a positive way. However, sobriety also comes with working on yourself too. If you dont quit AND work on why you ended up in that rock bottom in the first place, it wont work. You will find you seem to feel worse sober than before. Until you can truly work on yourself and change things while youre sober and able to change, it wont work. Do the work!!
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u/glfranco 14h ago
I was able to weed out people who took advantage of me while I was drunk. The hardest lesson I had to learn in sobriety is that some people prefer you when you're broken. Sadly some of my closest family members gave me the hardest time while I was in recovery.
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u/mailbandtony 1611 days 10h ago
I gained a bunch of muscle, stopped smoking, got a girlfriend and a really cool car, went back to college to get a degree, moved into a beautiful mid-century house 😂 I started typing and it sounds like a joke all the recovery room cliches happened to me
Wasn’t trying for any of it either just natural result of how my life self-organized after I stopped sedating myself and running from my fears and resentments. Stopping drinking and working through my sh*t in combination has been incredibly powerful
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u/JupitersLapCat 850 days 4h ago
I lost 45 lbs.
I ran a full marathon.
I am so much less irritated by my boss. He’s still objectively annoying but I handle it so much better!
My relationships with everyone are better. I wasn’t “that bad” aka no one had cut me off or anything, but I’m not hiding how much I’m drinking or how hungover I am and I’m comfortable being much more honest and authentic now.
I don’t have constant brain fog anymore. I’m in the thick of peri(?)menopause and sharper than I was 20 years ago. I sleep well and generally wake up rested. What a fucking flex.
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u/TurnipSmart Day 16 4m ago
The boss thing is so real. I still hate her but I am now able to feel a kind of pity for her rather than just seething rage. Still looking for a new job though.
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u/Cambridge89 884 days 14h ago
The real task for me is this: what negative changes have happened in my life?
I genuinely can’t think of an aspect of my life that hasn’t, in some way, improved due to my sobriety. IWNDWYT.
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u/Additional-Gur4521 1150 days 14h ago
Pretty much everything. I'm starting to be proud of myself again for some accomplishments, small and large.
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u/mocha111395 14h ago
Positive changes:
I’m not a disappointment to my family
Rebuilt trust in relationships, I feel like those close to me respect me again
I feel better about myself, having the energy to do things and sticking to my goals has increased my confidence
I don’t have to worry about the stuff I did when I was drunk anymore
Skin is clearer, bloating is down and I’ve lost weight
Mainly I’m finding who I was before the drinking 🙂🫶🏻
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u/No-Increase6761 283 days 14h ago
I was able to get a lot of my financial situation under control. I lost a fuck ton of weight. I haven’t been hungover. My skin looks better (especially on my face). I am no longer swollen and puffy. I’m not angry all the time. I’m able to focus infinitely better at work. There are still days I get off work and think, “Shit a beer sounds amazing right now.” But it’s not worth risking all the positive changes I’ve made in my life.
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u/revolutionoverdue 2189 days 13h ago
Honestly, for me things didn’t automatically get better. But, not drinking just allowed me to live a real life again.
Also, I lost 20 lb and my anxiety and ocd became much more manageable.
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u/Green_L3af 780 days 14h ago
I've gotten in the best shape of my life, my Crohns improved significantly and my relationship with my wife and kids is so much better. Iwndwyt!
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u/dengibson Day 54 14h ago
Better attitude. Better family life. Fat neck is gone. Man boobs almost gone. Better sleep. Better bank account. Business is growing.
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u/Three_Spooky 302 days 14h ago
I don’t socially smoke or do drugs and have less depressive episodes
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u/goodnightmoira 2639 days 14h ago
I’m in year 7 now so basically everything is different.
Better job, more money, better health in almost every aspect despite aging 7 years, better skin, much better coping skills, my friendships are deeper, anxiety and panic are way down and no more depression. Oh and sleep!
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u/Chadham_Forsythe 14h ago
Graduated college, moved to a new city in a new state, and got the job I wanted. None of it would have been possible if I was still drinking
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u/Ok_Direction_2985 14h ago
My absolute fave is waking up not wondering what the heck I said/did the night before :)
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u/wickedmfreak Day 23 14h ago
I dont have to feel extreme guilt for days after and worry about the things I may have said or did when I couldnt remember.
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u/Different-Kangaroo49 1128 days 14h ago
So many I could go on forever. But the biggest blessing was the birth of my third child- our first boy! I was absolutely done after two. my mental health was a mess and there were no plans for more. He is only here because I got sober and stayed sober. 3 years sober … he’s 7 months! It’s only up!
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u/morrisboris 2673 days 14h ago
So far… one bachelors degree, two masters degrees. Finally divorced. Lost 80lbs. Peaceful life.
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u/Revolutionary_Elk791 2753 days 13h ago
Finished my plumbing apprenticeship and got my plumbing license. Birth of my second child. Got the tools and am in the mental state to handle life's curveballs much better than I would be drunk. Life ain't perfect but every facet of my life is better than it would be if I was still drinking.
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u/mts_of_madness 13h ago
Less anxiety, more motivation/money, better memory, better problem solving in life circumstances.
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u/pippylongwhiskers 13h ago
So much time for fitness!!
Since I quit (just over a year ago) I’ve ran a PR marathon (25 mins), pr half marathon (5 mins), pr half iron man (25 mins), pr full Ironman (1st one), and am currently training for my next pr marathon (hoping to shave another 15-20 mins off). Assuming I hit this next pr that will be 5 prs in 364days.
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u/300_pages 12h ago
I havent almost thrown up all over my friends or think about killing myself as much
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u/StraightOnion1967 12h ago
Only 2 weeks but mentally and physically night and day. A bit boring. Granted
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u/meadowlakeschool Day 584 14h ago
Amazing vacation memories. Sleep is top notch. Down 60 pounds. Anxiety is way down. Literally everything is better now. I left all the shame behind.
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u/Successful-Wall5639 14h ago
As others have mentioned, better digestive health (better pooping!), lower blood pressure - no more pounding chest when I get to bed, lower anxiety (though not always gone), generally better sleep, spending less money on poison, feel better in the morning. I’m honest with myself and my family about my change. Being honest is a huge one. Drinkers find a way to drink, even in secret. I miss it a bit but I like the other changes enough to not go back.
Never worried about a DUI or a spot check at my job, which would be a career ending event and was a legit possibility. I’m gonna 100% blow 0% now. That’s a nice feeling.
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u/Loose-Emu-8626 Day 38 14h ago
The single best thing is my anxiety decreased exponentially. It's not just that I don't have to piece together my night prior, it's also in my interactions with others and how I handle situations that were tripping me up before. For example, just today I was able to talk to my teenage son about some of his behavior I don't agree with. Before I would freeze and panic. Today it just came out calm cool and collected.
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u/photogenic_beets Day 138 13h ago
I’m engaging with my art a lot more! I love scrapbooking, and before I stopped drinking I always spent my evenings drinking, promising myself I’d scrapbook the next night. If I ever did, it was with a bottle of wine.
In the profound boredom that followed sobriety, I found myself back at my desk scrapbooking. A page a week at first, but now I’m doing a couple pages a night. Projects that sat half-finished for years are coming together so quickly.
I used to think art and alcohol went hand in hand. Now I know better: the alcohol was inhibiting the art.
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u/Longjumping_Sea_8359 12h ago
Almost no negative self talk, and I used to be someone who thought negatively about myself 24/7.
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u/RonIsIZe_13 12h ago
No hangxiety, can enjoy driving more, partner happier with me. I guess I'm healthier, but not in obvious ways.
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u/The_Revival 466 days 12h ago
The most lasting, obvious, and impactful for me have been my sleep, my shits, and my weight. I sleep better, I don't have diarrhea every day, and I lost ten pounds.
I also can live on a LOT less money. I don't have more money at present because life still happens and indeed did happen, but if I were still drinking the amount of money I do have would be way less.
Oh, and someone mentioned hangxiety. Holy shit do I not miss that.
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u/FlappinJacks486 11h ago
Sleep is amazing.
Minimal to no regrets.
Mornings. I genuinely enjoy the morning, especially if it’s a day off.
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u/GodsBicep 224 days 11h ago
I have more money from my hobbies. That makes me feel more fulfilled. My problem with drinking is Im a boredom drinker. Nights are easier when youre not perpetually bored, then drinking seeps into weekends where Id previously do hobbies.
My place is also A LOT cleaner. I havent got 10s of empty cans scattered everywhere and I clean up after myself.
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u/bsldestroyer 1089 days 11h ago
Got a promotion at work. Nice raise came with it too. Sleep like a baby now. My wife got a new Honda CRV with all the money we saved from me not drinking alcohol!
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u/DredgenStark56 205 days 9h ago
Outlook on life, general mood stabilized, a lot more present for my friends and family.
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u/NSFW27614 8h ago edited 8h ago
Remarried. Am much better husband, father, pet owner, sibling, friend, worker, volunteer, and self. Lost weight (which went up and down for awhile). Clearer skin. Physically healthier. Mentally healthier. Got some overdue dental work. New job (although there's some negative factors in the new position that were unexpected). New vehicle. More productive with home stuff.
Those positive updates occurred over 3.5 years of sobriety and true recovery. Individual mileage can and will vary. I know numerous people who were diagnosed with serious health issues after a year or more of sobriety. But the reality is that those conditions pre-existed or were inevitable and prioritizing health care simply unveiled them. And other shit happens to all of us throughout life whether we're abusing substances or not. Loved ones die. Relationships end. Jobs are lost. Crimes against us occur. Other people are sometimes disrespectful or abusive towards us. Natural and man-made disasters occur. That's a universal truth. The difference is that we don't have to be as reactive or attached to the inevitable shit, or compound the shit by abusing substances on top of it.
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u/No_Aesthetic 486 days 8h ago
I spent a few minutes on this but couldn't come up with anything. It doesn't seem like quitting really did anything for me. I don't even have more money because household earnings were cut in half after that.
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u/FauxPositif9390 8h ago
Im not an angry bitch anymore, while im still honest, im way nicer. Im softer. My head is clear and I speak more intelligently. My face reverse aged by like 10 years. I lost a lot of weight. I kill it at work.
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u/JustQuestioningCosas 387 days 7h ago
I lost over 50 pounds, my anxiety has gone to almost nothing, I am no longer bloated nor puffy. I am reliable, I have no shame or secrets. No more hangovers. My money goes further. I have so much more time than I ever thought was possible. I am dating amazing guys who would not have even looked at the bloating, fat, unhappy version of myself I was before. Every single part of my life has improved.
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u/Harrysioa Day 26 6h ago
Better skin, better sleep, better decisions, more money saved. The list goes on. What does drinking really do ? All it does is slow you down from leveling up. I’ve been banging the gym 5:30am before work 5 days a week since I’ve stopped. I can’t miss a day now it’s ridiculous how things can just improve like this.
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u/Ruby_Landry 6h ago
109 gestopt. Mijn huid ziet er veel beter, mijn ogen ook, mijn blik is helderder. Ik slaap over het algemeen beter, iig niet meer midden in de nacht wakker worden, kneiter warm en hoge hartslag (na 3, 4 glazen wijn) Véél minder zuurbranden. Mijn algehele gemoedstoestand is wat stabieler. Graag wil ik nog wat afvallen, maar ik verwacht dat dat binnen nu en nogmaals 100 dagen wel beter zal gaan, het is in ieder geval makkelijker om niet gigantisch te gaan snaaien in de avond. Edit: Ik maak me de volgende dag niet meer druk of ik rare dingen heb gezegd of gedaan, te aanwezig was. Als ik iets raars heb gezegd of gedaan, was dat 100% bewust in nuchtere staat! 😂
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u/Fuzzy_Attempt6989 3h ago
I survived cancer treatment without drinking. I switched careers. I realized I was also addicted to xanax, but now I stopped xanax 100 days ago.
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u/so-semi-precious Day 1,275 1h ago
I got to enjoy my last couple years with my dog before she passed. She was a big reason I stopped in the first place. My relationship with my wife too for sure though. But after my dog passed, instead of pushing me back to drinking, I took solace in the clear memories I had with her.
Edit: not crying at work at 9:00 about my dog who died a year ago now or anything 😭
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u/waylondreams 57m ago
I've lost weight and my skin and hair grew and healed and I got a lot of energy now and am a lot happier and I have money for things I actually want like good food n trips n shopping for clothes n candles etc and taking dog on big walks and I sleep so good and like I learned to forgive myself and heal and grow and like life is amazing sober
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u/and-kelp 682 days 53m ago
went to grad school and got my masters, got a promotion at work, and the difference in mental/physical health is something i notice and appreciate every single day
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u/MobileHeight7918 33m ago
i have started giving more time to my family and my health conditions are improving.
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u/Legitimate_Stuff4723 29m ago
Lost 42lbs. I had liver damage that has now cleared up and I have "normal" readings on my LFT's. Physically fitter but mental health and friendships have changed dramatically. The reasons I was drinking are clearer to me now. Some of the friendships I had had to go. Still a work in progress: better than the alternative though.
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u/NotSnakePliskin Day 4,896 15h ago
The following have gotten better / been restored: wife, relationships, work, finances, kids, friends, health, eyesight, currently at high school weight, attitude, honesty, acceptance, critical thinking, trust. To name a few.