Often, the concept of ‘sobriety’ is most applied to individuals who have struggled with alcohol use disorder (also referred to as alcoholism) and have recovered from this, going on to lead a sober life.
However, sobriety can be applied to all addictions, including both substance use disorders (SUDs – drug addictions) and behavioural addictions.
When an individual achieves sobriety, they no longer engage in addictive behaviours such as consuming substances or partaking in behaviours that they are addicted to.
Sobriety is vital for recovery and is the starting point for all individuals hoping to overcome their addictions and the effects that go alongside this.
Sober curiosity generally refers to an interest in overcoming an addiction but can also refer to specific and addiction-based activities in which an individual can experience sobriety.
For example, one study looked at the effects of sober curiosity in the form of exploratory or experimental abstinence, as well as the effects of temporary alcohol abstinence challenges and found that both methods were effective in terms of young people continuing this sobriety in the future (1).
In most cases, these short-term experiences of abstinence and sobriety helped through the encouragement of seeking further forms of support for addictive behaviours, including contacting specific and professional forms of support such as addiction referral services – Rehab 4 Addiction being just one of the many forms of support that fall under this category.
Despite the bountiful knowledge the modern world has into the benefits and effects of sobriety, it is still a concept that is highly misunderstood and often stigmatised by those who do not fully understand the process.
The following subheadings highlight some of the common misconceptions, as well as some of the key benefits of sobriety, highlighting the importance of understanding sobriety and how it may aid individuals within their recovery process.
In general, those who achieve sobriety through rehabilitation or through support services such as Rehab 4 Addiction are far more likely to experience positive effects in relation to their overall wellbeing.
This is due to the removal of the addiction from the individual’s life. Although no addiction can ever be truly ‘cured’, achieving sobriety is the first step to making meaningful steps toward an individual’s ongoing recovery and long-term wellbeing.
Many studies link an individual’s ‘willingness’ to achieve sobriety based on its cost-benefit analysis (2), showing how important it is that individuals view sobriety as a beneficial and meaningful change to make in their lives.
For many individuals, seeking help and getting support for addiction is viewed as a weakness and something that makes you less of a person.
Common amongst men, especially, seeking support is viewed as a failure of character and the requirement of external support something that makes them unworthy of many different things.
However, there is no psychological basis nor research that shows this to be true.
In fact, the opposite is quite true; having the courage to seek help for an issue that you are struggling with is a daunting prospect, showing great courage and bravery in asking for help, admitting that you have a problem, and knowing that you need help.
Many people also believe that by practising sobriety, individuals will be less able to engage in social activities, having fun, and enjoying oneself in these situations.
However, this is also completely false and is a very common misconception. Not every individual requires substances to have fun, and there are many ways in which individuals can enrich themselves in these types of situations.
Many places and gathering locations now offer sober options such as mocktails, special discounts for those practising sobriety, and other benefits to not drinking or engaging in addictive behaviours.
Though still often misunderstood, addiction is not a moral failing and is, in fact, a highly dangerous mental health issue in which we often have little control over the development of.
If having an addiction itself is considered to be a moral failing, then this highlights the taboo held over the topic and the lack of understanding over the mental health risks of these disorders.
As a non-discriminatory disorder, this means that any individual could develop an addiction and is not related to the individual’s mental fortitude or failure in any field.
To cultivate a curiosity in sobriety, the benefits of this must therefore be understood by the majority of the population in order to learn from others.
Though this seems like a big change for the modern world, it is not so unachievable when looking at the development of the understanding of addiction over recent times.
Addiction was once a disorder that immediately caused admission to mental health facilities and extreme treatments, whereas today we understand that care and treatment is of utmost important when supporting those with an addiction.
The more that addiction is researched and tested under different circumstances, the more that we understand the disorder and are able to help those who are struggling.
The remainder of this article covers how a curiosity in sobriety may be cultivated and encouraged within the modern world.
As a host, or as the owner of an establishment in which people frequent for recreation, it is vital that those practising sobriety are included.
Whether this means having separate areas in which these individuals can seek help and support, or just providing sober alternatives, there is something that all individuals can engage in.
For example, bars and restaurants may offer alcohol-free alternatives such as mocktails or special orders which contain no alcohol with a code word to avoid potential embarrassment in the explanation of why the individual is sober.
In all instances, individuals should understand that those who are living a sober lifestyle do not require alcohol or other substances to have fun, and this is often just a social construct in many cases to sell more of the substances.
Many people can have fun and enjoy themselves without the need for substances and this is something that individuals must not be pressured over or encouraged to act against if they do not want to.
As there is currently a strong misbelief that seeking help for addiction or practising sobriety is a ‘weakness’, this is something that must be strongly combatted.
The opposite is quite true; those who are strong enough to admit that they have an issue and recognise that they need support are far stronger than some may believe.
By admitting to an addiction, individuals open themselves up to a sober future and a recovery programme that matches their needs – something which all individuals should strive to achieve the same level of strength in.
To get specialised and fully supported treatment for an addiction today, or to learn more about sobriety and how to achieve it, individuals should get in touch with Rehab 4 Addiction to learn how we can help you.
Our dedicated addiction hotline in available at 0800 140 4690 24/7, with dedicated, non-judgemental, and professional call handlers waiting to support any individual with the future of their recovery journey.
[1] Siconolfi, D., Tucker, J.S., Pedersen, E.R., Perez, L.G., Dunbar, M.S., Davis, J.P., Rodriguez, A., Seelam, R. and D’Amico, E.J., 2024. Sober curiosity and participation in temporary alcohol abstinence challenges in a cohort of US emerging adults. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 85(2), pp.201-209.
[2] Lapp, W.M., Polcin, D.L. and Korcha, R.A., 2011. A Reciprocal Effects Model for Achieving and Maintaining Sobriety. Gestalt Theory, 33(1), p.9.
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
