7 Reasons to Stop Drugging and Drinking Today

For whatever reason, you may be giving serious thought to stopping your pattern of drinking and taking drugs, even if you aren’t sure how to go about that right now.

Good for you! There are many benefits to ending the use of drugs and alcohol, whether you can just stop or you need help with the process. And if you need convincing that it would be a good idea to stop using these substances, here are some good reasons to stop drugging and drinking today.

1. To regain control over your life

One of the effects of drinking and drugging is the loosening of your inhibitions, which leads to less control over what you do while intoxicated. When you stop using these substances, you will be in better control of your own actions, which can only lead to better decisions for your life.

New York Daily News contributor Annie Grace said about drinking, “I never consciously decided to drink every night. It just happened. And anything that ‘happens’ without my full awareness is concerning. It means—if I am honest—that I have less control than I thought I did.”

2. To stop wanting more and more 

Many who use drugs and drink find that they develop a tolerance to the substance, meaning they need more of that substance to get the same high. The only way to reverse this tolerance is to stop using for an extended period of time.

3. To feel healthier

Drinking and drugging to excess lead to many health problems, and make you feel terrible when you come down from the high. Giving up your substance of choice may feel bad at first as your body adjusts, but after the withdrawal is over, you will feel better and healthier without the alcohol and drugs.

4. To help your brain work better 

Alcohol and many drugs slow down brain function, making it hard to think, react, and remember things. Other drugs may stimulate the brain to work faster, but not necessarily better. In other words, you just make errors in judgment and mistakes faster and more often. Either way, your brain works much better without those substances affecting them.

5. To improve your relationships

Would you want to have a significant relationship with those who don’t remember things they said or did, don’t have control over their actions, and put having a good time above being with you? Your relationships with significant others, family members, and friends will all improve when you stop drinking and drugging.

6. To save money

Drugs and alcohol cost money, and not many people can afford to use them to excess without shortchanging other financial needs like supporting the family or saving for retirement. Charlie Doeg-Smith Dundee says he has probably saved over $1000 in six months by not drinking, although his main reason for giving it up was not financial.

7. To avoid legal consequences

Most drugs that lead to addictions are illegal, so people caught using them will be exposed to legal consequences that they could otherwise avoid. Alcohol may be legal for those 21 and older, but some of the actions (driving while intoxicated and disturbing the peace, for example) that result from using alcohol excessively are not legal.

If you need help to stop using alcohol or drugs, Recovery Village at Palmer Lake is ready to provide that help and get you on the road to recovery. Contact us for more information about our programs.