“I’m sober.”  

“I’m in recovery.”

Two statements that very often get interchanged.  If you think they mean the same thing, think again.  There is a distinct difference.  Being sober is very different from being in recovery.  You can be one or the other…or you can be both.  

Choose both.  

What Is Sobriety?

When you have eliminated alcohol from your life you are deemed “sober,” and although sobriety is part of recovery, sobriety alone is often a temporary and fragile state.  Think of the terms “white knuckling it” and “dry drunk”.  

White knuckling your sobriety means you are trying to manage your addiction without help. You are using your will power or trying to fix yourself with your mind. 

A “dry drunk” is someone who is sober but is struggling with the emotional and psychological issues that led them to have a problem with alcohol in the first place.

Just because you no longer live under the influence of alcohol it doesn’t mean that other unhealthy aspects of your life have changed. For example, you may still have poor or damaged relationships, behavioral health issues, mental health issues, or emotional issues that need to be addressed. 

Sobriety is considered to be the natural state of a human being at birth. A person in a state of sobriety is considered sober.

What Is Recovery?

There is no “standard” definition of “recovery” in the addiction community, and part of the reason why is because everyone’s recovery journey is unique. 🙌🏼

According to SAMHSA, recovery is “a process of change through which people improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential.”

A person in recovery is continually making an effort to work through the issues that caused the alcohol abuse to occur in the first place. 

In recovery is a powerful period because beyond everything else, it signifies that you know you have a problem and you are trying to fix it.  Recovery allows you to make positive changes and deeply examine your feelings, beliefs and behaviors.   Recovery does not mean you fix your issues right away. It means you recognize something is wrong, which is the first step and a critical part of getting help.  

People in recovery have the greatest chance of maintaining long-term sobriety. Better yet, they have the opportunity to live a happy and productive life that is free from addiction.

I love this list that Odette shared on the podcast, episode 316…titled the same as this blog…”Sober” VS “In Recovery”.  

When you are in Recovery, you:

• Feel a kinship to those who are also in Recovery. (SO true!)
• Make decisions based on how it could impact your Recovery. (“My recovery must come first so that everything I love in life does not have to come last.”)
• Adjust friendships and relationships based on how they could affect Recovery. (BOUNDARIES!!) 
• Never let down your guard. (I don’t got this!) 

So, can you be sober and not be in recovery?  Absolutely!  And although you can achieve a state of sobriety with simply abstaining from alcohol, with time, you will come to find that the life you want comes not just from being sober but from entering into the recovery mindset. 🧠

And you know what the cool thing is?  You don’t have to be an alcoholic to live in this mindset. 🤯 The mindset that allows you to grow and develop your self awareness, the mindset that allows you to see beyond the surface and question many things in life like relationships and boundaries. That mindset is for everyone.  

Once I got past the early days of sobriety I started thinking of my sobriety journey as my recovery journey.  I realized that it was about SO much more than just ditching the booze.  That the recovery process is one of ongoing healing and that there is no part of my life that my recovery doesn’t touch.  

I also learned that it is rarely accomplished alone.   I wanted to be around others ‘in recovery’.  Not just because they were sober and could relate to that part of my life.  But because they want to grow, want to learn, want to be better.  

Transitioning from sobriety to recovery takes both commitment and action.

If you are a grey area drinker or someone who doesn’t even know if they belong here because you are not alcoholic enough…I hope you know that recovery is for EVERYBODY. 

E V E R Y B O D Y.

You have your seat at this table, no matter what.

Until next time, be well.

Kerri Mac 🤟🏼