6 Best Things About Being in Recovery in Your 30s

via wifflegif.com

No doubt, there are some really great benefits to living a clean and sober lifestyle, especially compared to those torturous months, years, and decades spent in active addiction. And it’s never too late to get sober. Here are the 6 best things about being in recovery in your 30s.

#1. You’re (More) Mature

Generally speaking, at and around the age of 30, you have a level of maturity about you that you didn’t have when you were younger. This is one of the best things about being in recovery in your 30s because you have a different perspective on what you deem “problems” (now you see “challenges”) and are open to other people’s advice, perspective, and suggestions. Being mature means that you are willing to accept that you might not know what’s best in a given situation – a willingness to be wrong. Not only does this make you a more likeable person but, it can also be really supportive to your program of recovery because, after all, being open to suggestions is the program mantra.

#2. You’re at the “Golden Age”

I got clean at 32 and so many times I was told that I was at the “golden age” to get clean and sober. At the time, all I knew was that I was completely broken on the inside and ready to do something about it when I sought help. Now, I understand this expression a bit more. It means that I was at a certain age where I had a couple of advantages at getting and maintaining sobriety – age, maturity, experience, which brings us to the next item…

#3. You’ve “Gotten It All Out of Your System”

You have plenty of experience – both general life experience and active addiction experience and so being in recovery in your 30s means being clean and sober with little desire to look back. This isn’t to say that young people can’t “get it,” just that I’ve seen so many younger people go back out because they thought they weren’t “done” yet. I guess the feeling of that last rock left unturned is too much to resist sometimes.

#4. You’re a “Go-Getter” Now More Than Ever

Now that you’re in your 30s and in recovery, you’re probably more motivated to get your life on track – and quickly – because of “lost time.” If you’re like me, you might have put off your goals and dreams for far too long and, now that you’re in recovery, you want to get to all the normal life stuff like starting a family, going for that promotion, and so on. Because life is too short to waste.

#5. You’re Confident

Being in recovery in your 30s also means that you don’t “sweat the small stuff” like you did in your teens and 20s. And, this is such a liberating way to be! Also, being less insecure means being more confident and confidence is sexy. It’s also important for getting the things you want in life: that job, that relationship, that loan from the bank for your dream house, etc.

#6. You Have a New Perspective and Self-Worth

You know not to waste your time in a relationship that just isn’t serving you or at a job you don’t enjoy doing. You now realize that your own happiness is more important than making other people happy or making a certain amount of money. You also have had the realization that, by following your heart, things will fall into place. Call it faith, trust, or spirituality – you just know that it will all work out if you just keep doing the right thing. And that putting yourself first isn’t necessarily a bad-kind-of-selfish.

If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-951-6135.