There’s a lot of talk in the world of recovery about degrees of sobriety that involve moderation, or even a “less potent” form of your drug of choice (for example, only drinking beer if you used to binge Vodka tonics or moving from opiates to marijuana).

 

Here at Openly Sober, we can’t tell you what sobriety should look like for you. That’s for you to make peace with. But we can lead you in helpful exercises that might bring clarity to some of the questions you may be wrestling with. 

 

(Which, by the way, are questions most of us ask ourselves or ask others at some point in the recovery process.)

 

Here are a few thoughts to meditate on:

•  Does drinking alcohol improve my life? 
• What is the financial, emotional, and relational cost of my drinking? 
• Does alcohol grow or shrink this one, beautiful life I have to live? 

 

If you are pursuing full sobriety, your “why” (the answers to these questions) will become increasingly important as the consequences of your drinking get farther behind you in the rearview mirror. 

 

But if your answers to those questions still leave you feeling unsure about whether or not alcohol works for you, your life and your health can only be improved by an honest effort to drink responsibly. 

 

The truth is, not everyone can remove alcohol from their lives entirely on the first (or second, or third) try. If all you can commit to right now is reframing sobriety through incremental improvements, we believe when a person becomes (even a little) healthier, we all stand to benefit. 

 

You can:

• Instead of keeping count of how many consecutive days you’ve stayed sober, focus on how many days out of each month you’ve maintained sobriety. 
• Focus on being healthier versus sober-er.
• Connect with others (like us!) in the sober space and begin to rewire your brain by seeing how others manage their recovery. 

 

Sobriety is not often-–if ever-–linear. It’s a process. It’s just as much about internal changes as it is the external actions. 

 

Wherever you are on the road to recovery, know that you’re not alone. We’re here. And we want the very best for you. 

 

But it’s up to you to want the best for yourself.