From Darkness to Radiance: How My Journey to Sobriety Ignited a Healthier Life

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things about myself out loud or in my head.</li><li>I learned that it’s okay for me to be sad sometimes. Now that I’m not drinking, I have more room for sadness and other feelings that come up.</li><li>I’ve learned that it’s okay to feel bad about my mistakes and not be perfect.</li><li>I feel more connected to other people now that I’m sober.</li></ul><figure id="5a8b"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*-4dCBv5nNEb1PG4q"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@olianayda?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Olga Nayda</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h1 id="7855">Quitting drinking created the space for me to make progress in therapy and discover healthy coping activities.</h1><h2 id="0e95">In sobriety, I learned to let go of my fears in order to find my true voice.</h2><p id="07da">After getting sober, I realized that I’ve struggled with <a href="https://daralainemurray.medium.com/its-time-for-all-of-us-to-accept-the-link-between-alcohol-and-depression-4514c1125bd7">depression</a> and anxiety since my teenage years, but it wasn’t until relatively recently that I made the decision to seek treatment for those <a href="https://daralainemurray.medium.com/your-first-year-of-sobriety-positive-physical-and-mental-health-changes-and-challenges-df23dd345507">mental health issues</a>. When I started therapy after about six months, one thing became crystal clear: <a href="https://daralainemurray.medium.com/make-yourself-feel-better-13-helpful-things-ive-learned-about-sobriety-aefdc56f8857">To be happy and feel like myself</a> again, I would need to stop hiding behind alcohol as a coping mechanism and <a href="https://daralainemurray.medium.com/what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-quit-alcohol-a-timeline-b106bfccd09">quit drinking</a>.</p><p id="a1a8">I also started doing yoga in the park, which helped me relax, feel calmer, connect with nature, and sleep better at night. The more I exercised, the more energy I had throughout the day—and not just because working out made me feel great! It’s also because exercise boosts serotonin levels in your brain (the “feel good” chemical) and improves blood flow to all parts of your body, including those areas associated with mood regulation like the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.</p><h2 id="1b21">Exercising regularly helped me deal with my emotions and complete the stress cycle.</h2><p id="bd71">For me, physical activity has always been a great way to deal with my emotions and complete the stress cycle. It’s one of the perfect things to do when getting sober because it can help you feel more positive and less stressed. Exercising regularly also helps release endorphins, which play an important role in reducing pain and improving overall well-being.</p><p id="3be1">Physical activity can help you sleep be

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tter (and thus feel less fatigued), as well as reduce anxiety levels by lowering cortisol levels in the body, a hormone that increases during times of stress or trauma, increasing blood pressure and heart rate while decreasing immune function. Exercise also boosts your confidence by releasing dopamine into the brain; this chemical compound gives us pleasure when we accomplish something difficult, such as running five miles without stopping!</p><h1 id="31d3">Life is beautiful and magical, it is meant to be lived fully.</h1><p id="c899">Life is a gift, and we should be grateful for the life we have. When you’re sober, you start to realize how beautiful and magical life can be. You can feel the sun on your face as it shines through the trees, hear the birds singing in their nests high above, or even smell freshly baked bread at your local bakery. Sobriety makes everything more vibrant and alive!</p><h1 id="e8e5">Final Thoughts</h1><p id="38d5">The first step is always the hardest one, but once you make it through that initial hurdle of withdrawal and start feeling better physically and emotionally, things will get easier from there on out. All change starts from within; By making these changes in my lifestyle—cutting out alcohol entirely; starting therapy; getting enough sleep; exercising regularly—I was able to experience real change in my life: from darkness into radiance!</p><p id="cbce"><b>Read more on Medium about sobriety by Dara Laine Murray:</b></p><ul><li><a href="https://daralainemurray.medium.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-conquering-sober-september-tips-tricks-and-inspiration-a602f14b9ee5">The Ultimate Guide to Conquering Sober September: Tips, Tricks, and Inspiration</a></li><li><a href="https://daralainemurray.medium.com/your-first-year-of-sobriety-positive-physical-and-mental-health-changes-and-challenges-df23dd345507">Your First Year of Sobriety: Positive Physical and Mental Health Changes and Challenges</a></li><li><a href="https://daralainemurray.medium.com/why-arent-you-drinking-how-to-answer-that-dreaded-question-when-you-re-sober-1aa00a9b224">Why Aren’t You Drinking? How to Answer that Dreaded Question When You’re Sober</a></li><li><a href="https://daralainemurray.medium.com/how-does-it-feel-to-be-sober-the-benefits-of-sobriety-beyond-sober-october-e1d1cb5d59c2">How Does it Feel to Be Sober? The Benefits of Sobriety Beyond Sober October</a></li><li><a href="https://daralainemurray.medium.com/alcohol-does-not-belong-in-wellness-spaces-da91e8f93365">Alcohol Does Not Belong in Wellness Spaces</a></li><li><a href="https://daralainemurray.medium.com/how-to-quit-drinking-10-steps-to-success-9ed316db4582">How to Quit Drinking: 10 Steps to Success</a></li><li><a href="https://daralainemurray.medium.com/7-tips-to-help-you-stay-sober-after-addiction-treatment-89a4fc8b1b83">7 Tips to Help You Stay Sober After Addiction Treatment</a></li></ul></article></body>

From Darkness to Radiance: How My Journey to Sobriety Ignited a Healthier Life

The path to sobriety wasn’t easy or quick, but it did bring me incredible joy and happiness in the end. If you’re struggling with drinking, don’t worry! You have so much potential waiting for you on the other side of recovery; you just have to be brave enough to take those first steps toward healing yourself from a lifetime of pain and suffering.

I wanted to be the best version of myself, and that meant giving up alcohol.

I was ready for a change. As I began my journey into sobriety, I found that there were many ways in which my drinking had become an obstacle to reaching my goals. Alcohol had been a way for me to cope with stress, emotions, and anxiety; it had also been used as a tool for managing depression and anger (and sometimes even joy).

I’m not writing this article to tell you that you, specifically, should quit drinking. What I am asking is for you to consider some of the ways in which alcohol can affect your life, especially if it’s negatively affecting your goals. If you find yourself using drinking as a means of coping with stress, emotions, and anxiety; if alcohol has become a way of managing sadness, anger, or joy; it might be time to reach out for help (or join me for Sober October 2023, which is just around the corner).

Getting sober taught me how to be kinder to myself, which helped me become more confident and self-assured and set healthier boundaries.

Self-care is an important part of emotional and physical health, but it can be hard for some people (like me) who are used to being critical of themselves. Here are some ways that getting sober helped me:

I learned how important it is for me to take time off from work on the weekends so I can rest my body and mind.

When I’m stressed out about something at work or life in general, instead of saying mean things about myself out loud or in my head.

I learned that it’s okay for me to be sad sometimes. Now that I’m not drinking, I have more room for sadness and other feelings that come up.

I’ve learned that it’s okay to feel bad about my mistakes and not be perfect.

I feel more connected to other people now that I’m sober.

In sobriety, I learned to let go of my fears in order to find my true voice.

After getting sober, I realized that I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety since my teenage years, but it wasn’t until relatively recently that I made the decision to seek treatment for those mental health issues. When I started therapy after about six months, one thing became crystal clear: To be happy and feel like myself again, I would need to stop hiding behind alcohol as a coping mechanism and quit drinking.

I also started doing yoga in the park, which helped me relax, feel calmer, connect with nature, and sleep better at night. The more I exercised, the more energy I had throughout the day—and not just because working out made me feel great! It’s also because exercise boosts serotonin levels in your brain (the “feel good” chemical) and improves blood flow to all parts of your body, including those areas associated with mood regulation like the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.

Exercising regularly helped me deal with my emotions and complete the stress cycle.

For me, physical activity has always been a great way to deal with my emotions and complete the stress cycle. It’s one of the perfect things to do when getting sober because it can help you feel more positive and less stressed. Exercising regularly also helps release endorphins, which play an important role in reducing pain and improving overall well-being.

Physical activity can help you sleep better (and thus feel less fatigued), as well as reduce anxiety levels by lowering cortisol levels in the body, a hormone that increases during times of stress or trauma, increasing blood pressure and heart rate while decreasing immune function. Exercise also boosts your confidence by releasing dopamine into the brain; this chemical compound gives us pleasure when we accomplish something difficult, such as running five miles without stopping!

Life is beautiful and magical, it is meant to be lived fully.

Life is a gift, and we should be grateful for the life we have. When you’re sober, you start to realize how beautiful and magical life can be. You can feel the sun on your face as it shines through the trees, hear the birds singing in their nests high above, or even smell freshly baked bread at your local bakery. Sobriety makes everything more vibrant and alive!