Here I am, day 28. I remember searching for alcohol withdrawal timelines and wondering when I would be “better.” I wanted something to look forward to. The rewards that I would reap if I just stuck it out and quit for good. I can tell you that as of today, I am getting better. I am better than I was 28 days ago in many different ways but let me list a few of them. Each of you may have different experiences but I think you may be able to look forward to a few of these things.

–I am sleeping better. My sleep has become much better in the last few weeks. I don’t sweat so much in the middle of the night that I drench the sheets. My legs aren’t restless. I sleep through the night with the occasional potty break exception. I awake naturally and have no headache or cotton mouth. I feel more rested and alert in the morning.

-I feel better physically. Prior to quitting drinking, I was having circulation issues with my feet and hands. I was also experiencing some vertigo in the afternoons. This would occur when I was traveling and as I checked into my hotel rooms. This bugged me so much so that I asked my doctor for a diagnosis. He told me it was Carpal Tunnel and gave me a splint to wear on my arm. 28 days after quitting drinking, I don’t have the tingling in my hands and feet. I have been on the road and have yet to experience the same vertigo. I feel like I am physically better then I was 28 days ago. Mind you that I feel like I can still improve dramatically, but I feel better. I threw the splint away this morning.

-My ambition is returning. By the second week of sobriety, I knew I needed to channel some of my energy to positive things. I felt like there should be a resource on the internet geared toward those who are in the sales profession. A place where someone could read that they are not alone and that they can continue to do their profession while being sober. I couldn’t find the place anywhere online so I created this site. I know very little about blogging and even less about websites but I was going to give it a try. I would have never tried to blog or start a website while I was drinking. My ambition was limited to my work and that was all. Now that I am sober, I have begun to believe that I can do the things that I have always wanted to do. I know I have a long way to go on this, but for me this is the most exciting benefit of sobriety and I can’t wait until it improves.

-My marriage is improving. My wife and I are seeming to connect again like we did when we were younger. We are having conversations about life and dreams that we would only have after a few cocktails and even those were few and far between. My wife has stopped drinking as well in support of me but has not ruled out the occasional cocktail. I appreciate her show of solidarity and know that it is her decision to make. However, she has experienced some of the same benefits I have. She even commented on our last date night that the positives of sobriety seem to far out weigh the negatives of getting drunk. I am excited for our upcoming marital renaissance.

-My mood is way more positive. I had always been a positive guy. My glass was always half full until out of no where it became half empty. Alcohol seems to do that. It seems to make someone pessimistic. I can’t tell you when or why it began but it did and I didn’t like it. At 28 days sober, my glass is not only half full, it seems to be filling rapidly. You can call it a light at the end of the tunnel or a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Whatever it is, I like it and I want more of it. I know that if I drink now, I will give that away.

Everyone will experience different stages in their recovery. But I believe these benefits will come to anyone who honestly attempts to become sober. I just have to keep remembering these benefits when the going gets rough. Because, even with these benefits at 28 days I still have my doubts. I still have desires to drink with my friends or go to a bar. The little devil is still whispering in my ear. However, the drum beat of these positive effects have begun to drown him out. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Little devil.