Let’s talk about sobriety. Today, November 07, 2022, I celebrate 18 years of sobriety from drinking alcohol.
The thought of this is breathtaking because for years I struggled with not having any limits when it came to drinking alcohol. I drank because I enjoyed the taste of alcohol.
To this day I love the taste of refreshing beverages that make me feel like I am on vacation relaxing on the beach.
The only difference is that I am alcohol-free. I am free from getting a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or Driving Under the Influence (DUI) ticket. I am free from putting my life and other people’s lives in jeopardy.
I am free from experiencing blackouts. I am free from waking up with a hangover. I am free from not being able to manage certain areas of my life.
I am now able to manage all areas of my life. You may be hardwired to resist change. I know that change is difficult, intimidating, and scary, and it requires dedication, but you can do it because I believe in you. All you must do is believe in yourself.
A healthy, sober lifestyle encourages positivity in our minds. With newborn energy and confidence, long-term recovery becomes even more obtainable. Lasting relationships enter arm’s reach. Healthy living habits become routine, providing constant alternatives to drugs and ultimately preventing relapse.
Drug and alcohol abuse, as you know, is expensive. Alcohol costs money, prescription pills cost money, drugs, in general, cost money. Especially when you build up a tolerance to drugs (increasing your dosage and continuously needing more of them), all those dollars add up. When battling an addiction, you tend to focus your energy working to acquire your substance of choice. In turn, you put less time and focus into your career and saving for the future.
One of the most notable benefits of sobriety is that you regain that desire and ability to put money away. You also regain that desire and ability to work hard and be accountable at your job. The best part is, you feel like the work you do is more meaningful than before; you no longer must work for the drugs but instead work for yourself and your family. You can work towards a life. You can pay your rent, buy actual groceries, and still have fun money to go see a movie or grab coffee with friends.
More than likely, some of your relationships with friends and family members were damaged by your addiction. Addiction often has that effect, whether you were cut off from loved ones who tried to help or you yourself pushed loved ones away in the name of drugs.
Sober living allows you to regain the positive aspects of your life, to access and experience them wholeheartedly. Without drugs or alcohol, you will begin to understand feelings of appreciation, love, support, joy, connection. You will create moments with loved ones, remember them, and hold them closely. You will shape a life that is worth living— a life that is mentally, psychologically, and physically positive.
What ethnic group has the highest rate of alcoholism?
Examining Alcoholism Statistics by Race:
- American Indian and Alaska Native: 14.9%
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 11.3%
- Hispanic: 8.6%
- Caucasian: 8.4%
- African American: 7.4%
- Asian: 4.6%
- Women’s drinking patterns are influenced by the cultural norms and practices of the ethnic groups to which they belong, in addition to other environmental and biological factors. This article examines the drinking behavior of women from the four largest non–European ethnic groups in the United States, addressing a specific variable in relation to each group: religious activity among African American women; the facial flushing response in Asian American women; the level of acculturation to U.S. society among Latinas; and historical, social, and policy variables unique to American Indian women. Although little research to date has focused on minority women and alcohol, the current state of knowledge in this area provides a starting point from which to view commonalities among groups as well as the many sources of heterogeneity within and between them. R. Lorraine Collins, Ph.D., and Lily D. McNair, Ph.D.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2608016/
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