The sober curious movement has gained steam recently, such as with the rise of interest in “Dry January” — a time when participants decide to not drink for the month of January. Have some sober friends you can invite as your plus-one to a social event like a party or wedding. And stay in touch with your sponsor and https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/does-alcohol-weaken-our-immune-system/ call them if you’re feeling anxious or uncomfortable. These steps, when done with commitment, can result in sustained sobriety and the potential for you to live a healthy, productive, and substance-free life. This guide includes the steps required to fully support the path and the journey to addiction recovery.

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• Otherwise, the pain, fear, and emptiness that prompted the abuse of drugs and alcohol returns, and the individual ends up suffering through abstinence or returning to their addiction.
• Show support by asking about new skills they learn or milestones they reach, like creating a fancy dish or participating in a 5K.
• However, we live in a culture where alcohol is a common ingredient in all social gatherings, making it difficult to discern what is typical usage and what is indicative of a greater issue.
• Hobbies can also help create a distraction from thoughts of drinking.

You may find yourself leaning on your trusted support system a lot and breaking ties with those who do not aid you in your recovery. Strictly speaking, sobriety is the state of being sober—not being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. However, the word is often used in different ways in different contexts. Many 12-step programs suggest that sobriety means total abstinence, which means never using the substance again. Other definitions, however, focus on the process of recovery and coping habits that support health and wellness over the long term. Among recovering individuals themselves, in order to reduce risks, some choose only to attend sober parties or events.

What Is Sobriety, Anyway?

There’s no easy pass for me anymore, no more getting drunk and slipping past the part where you get to know each other. There’s no more not caring if they see your cellulite or whatever you’re hiding under there; and you will, once and for all, discover that sex is never like in the movies. It is an awkward, vulnerable dance between two awkward, vulnerable humans. If people press that response, sober alcoholic meaning I’ll either stare at them and hold an uncomfortable silence (this is enjoyable at some point), or just change the subject. There are exceptions to this, like if someone alludes to their own struggle with alcohol, and then I might offer up a bit more of my personal experience. While making the decision to be sober was the best thing I’ve ever done, it’s also one of the hardest.

Identify Your Personal Triggers

• Sobriety can be a fixed-term goal like staying sober for a set period (such as Dry January), or a lifelong goal of staying sober from all substances.
• Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
• The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes the word sobriety as the quality or state of being sober.
• For many people with a substance use disorder, it’s simply a matter of never having learned the appropriate way to manage anger.
• In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to support them.

These complications are reasons why it’s important to treat alcohol addiction early. Nearly all risks involved with alcohol addiction may be avoidable or treatable, with successful long-term recovery. It can cause changes to the brain and neurochemistry, so a person with an alcohol addiction may not be able to control their actions.

Identify your reasons for drinking

Step 6: Build Support for Recovery

How to Get Sober Curious

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