Live life on your terms, not your substance of choice

Being able to break free that the prison of addiction has held you in will be one of the best benefits of becoming sober. You’ll finally be able to live life on your own terms, not whatever your addiction might have in store for you that day. Living a sober life puts YOU in control.

You’ll be present in the moment

Worrying about where and when you’ll be getting your next fix will be gone. You’ll be able to truly enjoy moments and experiences as you’re living them, rather than a constant nagging worry that is distracting you. Time with family and friends will be more precious, as will traveling and going to new places.

You’ll have no more hangovers or dope sicknesses dictating your schedule

Alcohol and drug addiction can leave people feeling very sick and miserable. Being able to wake up with a clear mind and energy will allow you to do everything on your to-do list without having to constantly put things off. Gone are the days of drinking or drug use being the main focus of your calendar, instead you’ll be free to attend events or get things done without feeling physically terrible.

You will have better relationships

While in active addiction, relationships are often strained or completely fractured. Families and friends grow frustrated with their loved ones suffering from addiction, and have likely distanced themselves pretty far, if not completely. This comes from a place of your loved ones wanting to protect themselves from your addiction, so once you are living a sober life, they will be happy to become part of your life again.

Stronger bond with your family

More likely than not, your family was very affected by your addiction. This can include their sleepless nights worrying about you, having to take you to the hospital, watching you deteriorate, wandering dangerous streets trying to find you, arguing with you about your addiction, or putting up with your embarrassing actions at family events. This can cause a lot of strain between you and your family members. Once you become sober, you will be much more pleasant to be around. You’ll be a much happier, healthier version of yourself – back to the “old you” that they love so much. They will be proud of your strength and commitment to being better, and they will be supportive of you along your journey should you ever need them.

Healthy, true friendships

Addiction tends to change one’s social circle. This is a huge red flag to think about when you’re deciding whether or not you need to go to treatment. Friends who also use are held closer, since you feel as if they won’t judge you and they “understand” you better. Unfortunately, these friendships don’t go much below the surface of experiencing addiction together. When in sobriety, it is important to end those relationships and focus on the people who support you in your recovery. Once you start living a healthy lifestyle, you will attract others who also live a healthy lifestyle.

You’ll have more of everything: time, energy, money and more

When you become sober, you will notice that you will start to have a little more of everything. This includes more time. Since addiction tends to dictate the day – either finding the next fix, or spending useless time being high. You’ll suddenly have much more time to spend with family, friends or improving your life. You can start new hobbies, a new job, or be able to check something off your bucket list.

You’ll also have much more money now that you’re not spending it all on substance abuse. You can finally pay off debts, save for the future, or invest in new things. You might even be able to finally go travel on a dream trip.

You’ll be healthier

This is a given, but you will absolutely be healthier in every way once you become sober. You will look better once you stop poisoning your body with substances. Your skin becomes brighter, your eyes will look better from better sleeping patterns, and you will get back to a healthy weight. This might be superficial, but people will notice the difference and you’ll get a nice self-esteem boost!

You’ll feel better about yourself

While your definition of “fun” will change once you are sober, you will absolutely have more fun and feel better about yourself once you’re sober. No longer having to live with feeling hungover, poor relationships, low money and shame from your addiction will make you feel better than ever. Being able to let go of all that and embrace life as it gives it to you will make you feel amazing.

About Cliffside Malibu

Living a sober life is possible, and it is amazing. You can finally break out of the horrible cycle you have been living in while in addiction. It will no longer dictate your life. You will feel better, you will improve your relationships, and you will be happier than ever. The best part? We are here to help you throughout the entire process.

Each patient is then matched with one of these five stages of the Transtheoretical Model: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action and Maintenance. An individualized treatment plan is created based on their current stage of change. This process is in place to ensure that all our patients receive the best treatment path possible for their own specific need. Our goal is to move individuals through their treatment by assessing their readiness for change and formulating stage-matched interventions in order to move them through their respective stage.

It is the policy of Cliffside Malibu to ensure that all individuals who present with chemical dependency issues are assessed for the appropriate level of care. We strive to provide continuum of care including medically supervised detox, residential treatment, day treatment and outpatient services. Services are provided to individuals with a primary diagnosis of substance abuse and/or alcohol addiction. Individuals seeking treatment are assessed by qualified staff to ensure program criteria are met and that each individual admitted is placed in the appropriate level of care for treatment. The program is designed and structured for individuals who are in need of a supportive environment in order to maintain Sobriety.

For more information on Cliffside Malibu, visit cliffsidemalibu.com