Are You Sober or Abstinent?

There’s a difference, and it’s an important one. It’s possible to abstain from drugs, alcohol, or other addictive behaviors and yet feel miserable. That misery, fed by growing resentment, can make abstinence unsustainable in the long run. You might stay abstinent for years without experiencing an actual change in your heart or mind. True sobriety, on the other hand, is a content and peaceful state where there’s no desire to alter your authentic self. It’s a space where fulfillment is found within, and external substances or distractions aren’t needed.