How is Abstinence Different From Sobriety?

Those clients described meetings as helpful at the beginning of their recovery process. However, they no longer found themselves in need of this help and did not express ambivalence regarding their decision to stop attending meetings. On the other hand, some clients in the present study had adopted the 12-step principles, intensified their attendance and made it more or less central in their life. Clients were recruited via treatment units (outpatient and inpatient) in seven Swedish city areas. Inclusion criteria were drawn up to recruit interviewees able to reflect on their process of change.

Even though the model was initially created for alcoholism, the approach is now used for all types of addiction. Perhaps the most telling difference between abstinence and recovery is the fact that abstinence implies you are in control of your addiction. Abstinence is all about your willpower to stop without acknowledging the common opinion that addiction is a chronic disease that you have no control over. Recovery acknowledges that you have lost control and are unable to manage your use of drugs and alcohol.

How to Choose the Right Sober Living

When you are in recovery, there can be no question that you are committed to a complete lifestyle, not just avoiding substances. The journey to changing your relationship https://curiousmindmagazine.com/selecting-the-most-suitable-sober-house-for-addiction-recovery/ with alcohol is about progress, not perfection. Whether you’re working towards sobriety or moderate alcohol intake, the most important thing is to keep going.

Clients experience individual and group therapy alongside proactive case management and peer recovery support. Complete abstinence gives you the best chances for success in the high-stakes venture of relapse prevention. At Monument, you can meet with a physician, such as myself, to discuss if medication to stop drinking is appropriate for you. There’s also specialized alcohol therapy where you receive a personalized treatment plan catered to you and your goals. Lastly, you can join free, therapist-moderated alcohol support groups to get encouragement and gain accountability in a non-judgmental and secure forum.

Your Path to Complete Recovery

Some of those with dry drunk syndrome end up relapsing, yet there is still a population that stays sober for a long time but does not succeed in restoring their lives. AA sponsors and mental health counselors often recommend a full year of sobriety before tackling other major life issues, such as moving, changing jobs, and adopting new healthy habits. At sober living centers, individuals can adjust to sobriety through structured programs that make sobriety more appealing. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle didn’t think of sobriety as a virtue but as a gift that should be treasured. Based on this view, a full recovery from addiction is the valuable reward you can get from a sober lifestyle.

Instead, it sentences them to think of themselves as addicts, people who can never be allowed—never allow themselves—to have any psychoactive substance again. And these definitions of sobriety carry great value when we speak about addiction. If you believe Wordfence should be allowing you access to this site, please let them know using the steps below so they can investigate why this is happening.

A Look at the Abstinence Approach

As the IP had a successful outcome, six months after treatment, their possibilities for CD might be better than for persons with SUD in general. On the other hand, as the group expressed positive views on this specific treatment, they might question the sobriety goal in a lesser extent than other groups. They may still smoke cigarettes, use marijuana or other recreational drugs, and consider themselves sober. By literal definition, they are not wrong since the word sober is tied directly to alcohol. Others use the term to state that they refrain from using all substances.