According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, sober means not being intoxicated. But does that mean you can be sober without abstinence? If you can have one drink without being intoxicated, does that mean you are sober? No.
It’s generally accepted that sober means not drinking at all and completely abstaining from alcohol.
However, truly being sober means more than not drinking alcohol. Being sober is about transforming your entire lifestyle, mindset, and behaviors to live a healthy, fulfilling life without the influence of substances.
Sober Curious
Sober curious individuals avoid alcohol for personal or health reasons by experimenting with sobriety. In addition to not drinking alcohol, it involves curiosity about the way alcohol affects daily life. The key lies in exploring their relationship with alcohol, questioning why they want to drink, and finding ways to deal with their ‘whys’ that don’t involve alcohol.
Alcohol Addiction
When a person is struggling with addiction, they will drink to cope with whatever life brings them instead of learning tools and healthy coping techniques to deal with their problems. By taking away alcohol without actively seeking recovery, individuals tend to turn to destructive coping habits instead of healthy coping habits learned in recovery.
Addiction recovery starts with abstaining from alcohol, but takes it further. Lasting sobriety requires a fully articulated treatment plan with interventions that assist in recovery - it’s a process of change through which individuals improve their health both physically and mentally, and strive to reach their full potential.
Sobriety Is More Than Abstinence
While stopping alcohol or drug use is a critical first step, sobriety extends far beyond abstaining from substances. It involves changing your relationship with yourself, others, and the world around you. Sobriety means adopting new habits, learning how to cope with life’s challenges in healthier ways, and developing a sense of purpose that doesn’t rely on substances.
An individual who struggles with alcohol addiction can abstain from drinking and be sober, but without addressing the underlying issues that caused them to become addicted in the first place, a person is generally considered to be a dry drunk.
Emotional Sobriety
Emotional sobriety is one of the most important components of recovery. It means learning how to manage and process your emotions in a healthy way, without relying on substances to numb feelings of pain, stress, or discomfort. Many people in recovery face emotional triggers - like anxiety, depression, anger, or sadness - that can tempt them to relapse. Achieving emotional sobriety involves working through those emotions rather than avoiding them.
In emotional sobriety, you develop new coping mechanisms to deal with stress, practice mindfulness, and use tools like therapy, meditation, or journaling to process feelings. The goal is to face challenges with clarity and emotional balance, rather than turning to alcohol or drugs as an escape.
Sobriety & Healthy Relationships
Healthy relationships are a cornerstone of long-term sobriety. Being sober means reevaluating the people you spend time with and the types of relationships you maintain. During active addiction, many people have relationships that are based on enabling or substance use. Once you become sober, it’s important to surround yourself with people who support your recovery and encourage your growth.
This might mean distancing yourself from people who are still using substances or who negatively impact your sobriety. It also means strengthening relationships and building a sober support network of family members, friends, and recovery peers who support you in positive ways.
Sobriety Is a Lifestyle
Ultimately, being sober is about creating a new lifestyle that supports your health, well-being, and happiness. It’s about healing emotionally, building healthy relationships, pursuing fulfilling activities, and maintaining your physical and mental health. True sobriety involves committing to personal growth and finding purpose beyond alcohol or drugs.
So, while not drinking is an important part of being sober, it’s only the beginning. Sobriety is about thriving, not just surviving—and that requires making meaningful changes in every aspect of your life.
Once you remove substances from your life, you’ll likely find that you have more free time and energy to invest in other areas of your life.
Habits and Hobbies
Building new habits and hobbies is an essential part of being sober. Recovery gives you the opportunity to rediscover what makes you happy and fulfilled without the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Engaging in hobbies like exercise, art, music, volunteering, or learning new skills helps you reconnect with your passions and acts as healthy outlets for stress relief while preventing boredom, which can be a common trigger for relapse.
Maintaining Mental and Physical Health
Mental and physical health go hand in hand with sobriety. Addiction can take a heavy toll on both your body and mind, and recovery is about healing from the inside out. Sobriety means taking care of your physical health through regular exercise, proper nutrition, and adequate sleep. Physical well-being plays a significant role in emotional balance and resilience.
In addition to physical health, maintaining mental health is equally important. Therapy, counseling, or support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) can help you work through any unresolved trauma, anxiety, or depression that might have contributed to your substance use. Being sober means consistently checking in on your mental health and seeking help when needed.
Staying Committed to Personal Growth
Sobriety is a journey of personal growth. It’s not just about avoiding alcohol or drugs; it’s about constantly improving yourself, learning from your experiences, and evolving into the best version of yourself. Staying sober requires ongoing self-reflection, accountability, and a willingness to grow.
Setting new goals for yourself, both big and small.
Being open to feedback and learning from setbacks.
Taking responsibility for your actions and choices.
Fostering a growth mindset, where challenges become opportunities for improvement.
Getting Help For Addiction
If you or somebody in your life struggles with sobriety, professional help may be the best option to help continue on the road to recovery.
At Care Addiction Center, we offer treatment plans that address every facet of your addiction, serving individuals in Geneva, Batavia, Sycamore, St. Charles, and Kane County, with online addiction treatment available anywhere in Illinois.
To get started on the road to recovery, or if you have questions about helping yourself or a loved one, call us today or schedule a confidential assessment online and begin treatment.
Want to hear about what being sober means from those that have traveled the path to sobriety? Listen to the Sober.Coffee podcast with Mike and Glenn, sharing stories of experience, strength and hope in recovery.