depression and anxiety.
Those who stayed sober for a whole year experienced improved satisfaction with life, greater executive functioning, and lower psychological distress compared to the others.
This data could be used to motivate those who are going through recovery at an addiction treatment center by showing them that they will feel better and live a more rewarding life after a year of sobriety.
The researchers determined that a gradual learning requirement about cognitive improvements and a lack thereof when a person doesn’t achieve abstinence. The study also highlighted that it is crucial for patients to achieve abstinence from physical withdrawal before they seek treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders.
Author: Ryan Beitler
An editor and contributor to Addiction Now, Ryan Beitler is a journalist, fiction writer, musician, and travel writer. He has written for Paste Magazine, OC Weekly, numerous addiction recovery publications, and his travel blog Our Little Blue Rock. He lives in Southern California. Contact Ryan at ryanrbeitler@gmail.com or ryanb@addictionnow.com.
