When you decide to be clean or sober, in some cases both, it doesn’t matter what your addiction is. Be it alcohol, drugs, gambling, food, sex or tobacco. Addiction is the problem and leaving what is yours is a start. But, there is much more to sobriety than just stopping. Living an abstinence-only life without sobriety (recovery) is a quick way to relapse and get back to where you left off.
In recovery, the word Sobriety means much more than being abstinent from alcohol and drugs. Abstinence is something that can be imposed on a person through circumstances and also by others. While Sobriety is a lifelong personal commitment that requires effort and dedication to live a different lifestyle than we had before. Everything must change. Our way of thinking about how we handle stress if we want to live a life of sobriety and not just abstinence.
There are literally so many different ways to express being sober but not sober. Does it all come down to whether you are an addict/alcoholic? It’s okay, I’m an addict. Did you stop using drugs or alcohol? Yeah, I don’t do drugs anymore. I stopped using heroin. Are you working on your recovery? Yes, I am working on my recovery daily. There you have it, three fairly simple questions. To see if he is living a life of sobriety or just abstaining from drugs and alcohol and less the recovery process.
Abstinence vs Sobriety- Which do you want? I know I chose a life of sobriety and it has been the best decision I have ever made. I tried withdrawal before and didn’t do drugs, but I was miserable and still living and acting like I was in my addiction. Today I will choose sobriety because it is my priority! Please make it yours.
I would like to say one more thing. This is for you, reading this right now. I don’t care if you’re the addict/alcoholic or if it’s someone you love. Either way, you are suffering. No matter what your obstacle is in life, only you really know it. I am not here to judge you or anyone else. I say this so that you always know that you are an amazing person who deserves to live a happy life and free from the pain that you have been living with. Let it go and free yourself. You are worth it!