“I can’t even put into words how tight-knit a community that we’re a part of.” -Ben

Today, Ben and I will cover the top five unexpected benefits that have come about because of our sobriety. These positive side effects are items that naturally and organically happen through the process of sobriety. But, of course, these come with time and work on ourselves, along with setting goals.

Original Thoughts On Sobriety

Initially, I thought that I would spend 45 days in a sober rehab facility, then go back to Pennsylvania and spend time drinking beer with my buddies. As developments happened over time, I realized that I couldn’t fully comprehend the life I could potentially have for myself. Ben was living in a false reality. From his perspective, every person drank alcohol and did drugs, and that some people have figured out a way to moderate their addiction.

Surrounding Yourself with Other Alcoholic and Drug Addicts 

I surrounded myself with alcohol and drug addicts while living an addiction lifestyle. I thought that they were true friends, but I realized everything that we did revolve around alcohol. There wasn’t a gathering that I attended that didn’t consist of massive amounts of alcohol. So when my friends started changing, and I changed friends, my life started moving in the right direction. You can tell who wants to be sober and do the work to get better, and while in treatment, I surrounded myself with that crowd.

What AA and NA Has to Offer

Not only do AA and NA offer drug and alcohol recovery, but they also offer so much more! One of our clients attending AA wasn’t into the work to achieve the 12 steps. In conversation with him, I mentioned the amount of professional networking at meetings, which can potentially build his business. There are many opportunities outside of sobriety when you build trust in relationships during sessions. We encourage our clients to participate and share with others so that the community can get to know them better.

Change of Hobbies with Sobriety

Golfing, bowling, and archery were all activities that I used to participate in while drinking. It took me some time and effort to realize that I could again do these activities without having alcohol involved. Ben had re-tuned his life and activities and is now better at the hobbies that he enjoyed when he was an addict. Not only is his skill set increased, but he enjoys his hobbies much more now that he is sober.

 

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Show Notes:

[02:51] Ben’s benefits from sobriety that he didn’t expect.

[05:00] Ben thought that every person was an addict when he was addicted.

[07:50] I talk about how my friends’ circle changed when I became sober.

[11:01] How addicts typically view the AA program when they first get into recovery.

[17:15] Using the sober community to support yourself during recovery.

[18:17] Finding and participating in new hobbies and activities sober.

[21:54] Ben explains how much time he wasted on drugs and alcohol. 

[25:32] How I spent all my money before I earned my money.

[30:00] Ben talks about his financial insecurities when he entered sobriety.

[35:12] Hiding alcohol and drugs and learning to cope with reality without the addiction.

[42:38] The importance of filling your spirit when recovering.

 

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