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13 reasons to go sober this year
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Have you reached a point in your alcohol or drug use that has made you seriously consider getting sober this year? Addiction can be a tough battle to overcome, but it is well worth the effort. - photo by Amy Rothermel
Have you reached a point in your alcohol or drug use that has made you seriously consider getting sober this year? Addiction can be a tough battle to overcome, but it is well worth the effort. Here are 13 reasons why this year is the best time to get sober:

1. No more hangovers

That party on Friday night is always overshadowed by the nasty hangover on Saturday morning. Giving up your addiction means that you will happily wake up in the morning without feeling like your head is going to explode.

2. Improved health

Drugs and alcohol fill your body with harmful toxins that pollute your organs and cause major health problems. You will feel healthier, and look healthier, when you overcome the addiction.

3. Higher energy levels

As your health improves, you will notice that your energy levels increase as well. You will get more sleep at night, and feel more alert during the day. No more brain-fog and mid-afternoon energy crashes -- and you will be more productive throughout the day.

4. Better control of your thoughts

Having an addiction often drives a persons thoughts to focus on when happy hour starts, or where the next fix will come from. Instead of shaping your life around the need to feed the addiction, you can take control of your thoughts.

5. Rebuild self-esteem

Addiction can chip away at a persons self-esteem, especially when they notice that they have a hard time following through with commitments. A higher, more positive self-esteem will be restored when addictive behaviors are overcome.

6. Save money

Addictions are expensive! It can be a shocker to wake up in the morning and look at a receipt for several hundred dollars' worth of drinks. Try using the money that would normally have been spent on drugs or alcohol, and put it in a savings account instead.

7. Smarter decision making

Staying sober means you no longer have to listen to your friends tell stories about the embarrassing things that you did the last time you went out. When your head is clear, you will make better decisions and keep yourself out of embarrassing situations.

8. Lead a more productive lifestyle

Getting sober brings clarity and understanding to help you improve your daily habits and increase your productivity. You will be able to truly relax during your downtime, and you will be much more effective during work time.

9. Develop mental strength

Keeping the commitment to overcome an addiction creates a mental toughness that will spill over into other areas of your life. You will learn that anything is possible when you put your mind to it, and you will have more motivation to set and achieve positive goals.

10. Better memories

If you are constantly viewing the world through beer-goggles, it is amazing to see how much clarity can be gained by taking off those goggles and seeing the world as it is. Sobriety means that you will experience crystal clear memories and remember the people you spent time with and the conversations you had.

11. Stronger relationships

Friends and extended family will enjoy spending time with you when you arent under the influence. Always spending time with people who are stuck in the same addictive patterns can cause you to be stuck in low-quality relationships.

12. Be a better parent/spouse

Do you feel guilty about neglecting your spouse or children while stuck in addictive patterns? Sobriety allows you to improve your interactions with the people that you love, especially your spouse and your children.

13. Gain respect from others

When you are open and honest about your sobriety, it often generates a higher level of respect from others. People love to hear success stories, and you can motivate others to reach greater levels of success in their own lives.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.