Sobriety

In 2016, a study conducted by researchers from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and Stanford University focused on how long alcoholics participated in 12-step programs. The target horizon for the study was 16 years, meaning the findings were gleaned from individuals who could affirm they had been sober for at least that long. On average, these individuals participated in programs such as Alcoholics

Even though the power of human emotions is subjective, regret stands out as being one of the most complicated and negatively powerful. Regret is invariably associated with sadness, disappointment, and remorse. It can be painful and crippling, but it can also be a powerful motivator for change. Regret is what drives many individuals to substance abuse and addiction in the first place. Moreover, this negative

American actress Jamie Lee Curtis, winner of the 2023 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the blockbuster film Everything Everywhere All at Once, isn’t widely known for her work as a photographer. A couple of decades ago, Curtis was hopelessly addicted to opioid painkillers that were prescribed when she was recovering from a surgical procedure. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Curtis explained that

An unwritten rule among newspaper and magazine editors involves publishing lifestyle articles related to sober dating during the period between the beginning of the holiday season until February or so. These trend pieces have been around since the middle of the 20th century, and nothing suggests they’ll be going away. In fact, they’ve inspired other trends, such as the Dry January challenge, which started as

When looking at substance use disorder as a spectrum, the most desirable end is sobriety, which can be interpreted as a life without the perturbation of substance abuse. The least desirable end will always be addiction. Going from one end to the other isn’t always easy for people who fall into alcoholism or drug dependence. The factors that drive someone to addiction can become barriers

When someone makes the wise decision to embark on a journey to recovery from substance abuse and addiction, sobriety is one of the main goals, but it’s not the only one. Sobriety is a condition that allows individuals to refrain from using liquor and psychoactive substances because they’re aware of the risks involved. It’s a conscious decision that can lead to a better way of

The journey to recovery from alcoholism or other kinds of substance abuse is often marked by sobriety milestones. Addiction counselors use these milestones to guide treatment plans along. This is largely based on the chip tradition established by Alcoholics Anonymous and its 12-step program. Color-coded chips are given to AA members when they reach monthly milestones of sobriety—for example, red chips after one month and

Insomnia and other sleep disorders that prevent a good night's sleep are quite common among people who are in search of sobriety. In Between Breaths, an addiction memoir written by American journalist Elizabeth Vargas in 2016, the subject of sober insomnia takes up a few chapters, and it’s described as one of the most physically uncomfortable aspects of her journey to recovery from alcoholism.  In 2003,

When people embark on a journey to recovery from alcoholism or substance abuse, they may not realize that achieving sobriety doesn’t automatically bring the recovery voyage to an end. Sobriety is a wonderful stage in the journey to recovery. It serves as a prelude to what needs to be at the center of an addict's new life, and it deserves full respect and attention. During

All psychoactive substances are potentially transformative in the physiological, mental, and behavioral sense. Almost invariably, the changes caused by substance abuse are negative. For example, alcoholics are at greater risk for developing cirrhosis of the liver after years of daily drinking. Even though the harmful effects of substance abuse and addiction can differ substantially from one person to another, many changes are reversible and can