As alcohol exits your system, your sleep quality may improve, leading to more restful nights. If you’ve been a regular drinker, you might also experience temporary acute withdrawal symptoms in the early days – if these are more severe or you struggle to cope, it is important to seek help. More recently, Richard-Craven, 29, said she has resumed using marijuana but with greater restraint, typically smoking no more than half a joint at the end of the workday and the rest before bedtime.

CREATING A LIFE OF EXCELLENCE BEYOND SOBRIETY

Sober means being free of intoxicating substances, as in not controlled by them. It’s a state of mind where an individual doesn’t have alcohol or drugs in their system and can think clearly and logically. You’re at a stage when you are only realizing that your alcohol use is becoming a problem. Perhaps you’ve found yourself drunk more does sober only refer to alcohol often than you’d like, or you’re noticing that your drinking is negatively impacting your life in some way. Some people might choose to use the word “clean” instead of “sober”, while others may use the two words interchangeably. In this context, “sober” usually means abstaining from all drugs and alcohol, not just at the moment, but for an extended period.

The sober curious movement

Being sober can have different meanings because the term is used in the context of alcohol, other drugs, or both. In this blog post, we’ll explore different meanings of sobriety and discuss how to determine if you’re really sober from alcohol and other drugs. If you’re sober curious or just looking to cut back on your drinking, you have options.

• It is recommended that you seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.
• Nonetheless, the goal of pursuing a substance-free life and recovery is typically to be clean and sober.
• Sobriety is also considered the natural state of a human being at birth.
• So, even though it’s been legal for a while, it qualifies as an intoxicating substance.
• In late 2011, he was hospitalized with pancreatitis and was told that if he didn’t stop drinking, he wouldn’t see his next birthday.
• Sobriety can be a lifelong commitment, particularly for individuals recovering from addiction.

000 steps, 8 hours sleep: Here’s what science actually says about recommended health targets

The Oscar winner, who turns 70 in December, candidly reflected on his decades-long relationship with alcohol, and why he made the decision to give it up for good. Think about how you will navigate situations where you might feel pressured to drink. Within the first few days of giving up alcohol, your body should begin to respond positively. Alcohol’s dehydrating effect starts to reverse, leading to improved hydration levels. Maya Richard-Craven, a journalist from Pasadena, California, said she has thought a lot about mitigating risk since she went to rehab in 2019 after her alcohol use became a problem.

Overcoming Challenges in Sobriety

Fundamentally there is a need to be comfortable in one’s own skin – to be able to sit still. Crediting Arnett as ”the reason” he went sober, Cooper added, “He took that risk of having a hard conversation with me that put me on a path of deciding to change my life.” “That was the first time I ever realized I had a problem with drugs and alcohol⁠,” Cooper recalled during a 2022 appearance on the Smartless podcast. She said her friends at the time “kind of cosigned” her drug use and “it just kind of becomes this dark pit, bottomless pit.” But, during the pandemic, Cyrus said she was noticing challenges and felt she wasn’t emotionally present. “And unable to keep my head up or keep my eyes open, because I was so far gone.”