Jabberwocky
Frumious Bandersnatch
How do you define Abstinence, Sobriety and Recovery?
There are so many different understanding of sobriety, abstinence, and, especially, recovery out there. At least in America, the definitions you hear about most often seem to originate within 12 Step culture. They are rather absolute and dogmatic, as in abstinence means cessation of all drug use (no exceptions), sobriety necessitating abstinence from all drugs, and recovery revolving around the aforementioned definitions. In doing so the paradigm of recovery promoted by 12 Step culture presupposes it is the only way to meaningful recovery. It ends up excluding any meaningful possibilities that might propose a meaningful sobriety, abstinence and recovery can be founding in other less absolute (and less moralizing) understandings of drug use and misuse.
Given that this is the norm for discourse surrounding understandings of sobriety, abstinence and recovery (which I should note conform perfectly to prohibition and the War on Drugs), it is hard to find competing paradigms addressing addiction and recovery. Harm reduction is probably the most meaningful alternative to the status qua's old 12 Step perspective. One of the main tenants of harm reduction is meeting the drug user where they are at, that by creating goals specific to each individual's particular situation and patterns of and issues with drug use and misuse will result in the most effective, compassionate and sustainable treatment outcomes.
The harm reduction movement is so broad though, and I am more interested in here from BLers how you have experience abstinence, sobriety and recovery in your own lives. We desperately need some kind of uniform understanding of these concepts (especially "recovery"), one which is able to address the multitude of different perspectives and world views on the subject. Given its history and how it is still almost always employed in practice, the 12 Step story of recovery is rather exclusive and exclusionary, a "my way or the highway" type perspective. Because it is the most powerful voice in the present recovery community in the US, it tends to be treated as mutually exclusive and a priori other paradigms of recovery. Accordingly less prominent or powerful voices are often left unheard. I feel like it would be a great service to our community on BL is we could come up with our own definition of abstinence, sobriety and recovery. One which would help guide the good work we do within our community here.
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Myself, abstinence is about not using any substances or classes of substances I have ever had a problem with or their use of has created harm to my overall wellbeing. So where as opioids and benzodiazepines are out of the question, I feel I am still abstinent if I indulge in some cannabis or empathogens in moderation (moderation being the key word here). If their use ever became a source of harm regarding my quality of life, then I would have to either stop use of said drug in order to remain abstinent or no longer treat myself as abstinent.
Sobriety requires abstinence, but it encompasses much more. Sobriety for me is about not engaging in harmful behaviors, especially in terms of harmful behaviors that factored into my past history of problematic drug use. So for instance, if I cheated on my significant other, that would constitute a relapse. If I stole or intentionally manipulated someone for my own material or emotional gain, that would constitute a relapse. Though I indulge in cannabis, alcohol and empathogens/entheogens in moderation, I consider myself sober.
Recovery is probably the broadest of topics here. What does recovery mean to me? It has meant getting my life back in order, achieving some semblance of balance in all areas of my life. It has meant pursuing my education, working on improving my relationships with loved ones and both building bridges I once burnt as well as new ones yet to be travelled. Recovery has meant getting my health in order, getting regular physics and teeth cleanings and whatnot at the dentist. It means seeing and working with a therapist. It meaning being a part of recovery oriented communities, such as SL and BL as well as support group meetings I feel safe and can be genuinely myself at, as well as working with a mentor/sponsor figure.
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Here is an interesting paper to get the juices flowing: "Producing the problem of drugs"
There are so many different understanding of sobriety, abstinence, and, especially, recovery out there. At least in America, the definitions you hear about most often seem to originate within 12 Step culture. They are rather absolute and dogmatic, as in abstinence means cessation of all drug use (no exceptions), sobriety necessitating abstinence from all drugs, and recovery revolving around the aforementioned definitions. In doing so the paradigm of recovery promoted by 12 Step culture presupposes it is the only way to meaningful recovery. It ends up excluding any meaningful possibilities that might propose a meaningful sobriety, abstinence and recovery can be founding in other less absolute (and less moralizing) understandings of drug use and misuse.
Given that this is the norm for discourse surrounding understandings of sobriety, abstinence and recovery (which I should note conform perfectly to prohibition and the War on Drugs), it is hard to find competing paradigms addressing addiction and recovery. Harm reduction is probably the most meaningful alternative to the status qua's old 12 Step perspective. One of the main tenants of harm reduction is meeting the drug user where they are at, that by creating goals specific to each individual's particular situation and patterns of and issues with drug use and misuse will result in the most effective, compassionate and sustainable treatment outcomes.
The harm reduction movement is so broad though, and I am more interested in here from BLers how you have experience abstinence, sobriety and recovery in your own lives. We desperately need some kind of uniform understanding of these concepts (especially "recovery"), one which is able to address the multitude of different perspectives and world views on the subject. Given its history and how it is still almost always employed in practice, the 12 Step story of recovery is rather exclusive and exclusionary, a "my way or the highway" type perspective. Because it is the most powerful voice in the present recovery community in the US, it tends to be treated as mutually exclusive and a priori other paradigms of recovery. Accordingly less prominent or powerful voices are often left unheard. I feel like it would be a great service to our community on BL is we could come up with our own definition of abstinence, sobriety and recovery. One which would help guide the good work we do within our community here.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Myself, abstinence is about not using any substances or classes of substances I have ever had a problem with or their use of has created harm to my overall wellbeing. So where as opioids and benzodiazepines are out of the question, I feel I am still abstinent if I indulge in some cannabis or empathogens in moderation (moderation being the key word here). If their use ever became a source of harm regarding my quality of life, then I would have to either stop use of said drug in order to remain abstinent or no longer treat myself as abstinent.
Sobriety requires abstinence, but it encompasses much more. Sobriety for me is about not engaging in harmful behaviors, especially in terms of harmful behaviors that factored into my past history of problematic drug use. So for instance, if I cheated on my significant other, that would constitute a relapse. If I stole or intentionally manipulated someone for my own material or emotional gain, that would constitute a relapse. Though I indulge in cannabis, alcohol and empathogens/entheogens in moderation, I consider myself sober.
Recovery is probably the broadest of topics here. What does recovery mean to me? It has meant getting my life back in order, achieving some semblance of balance in all areas of my life. It has meant pursuing my education, working on improving my relationships with loved ones and both building bridges I once burnt as well as new ones yet to be travelled. Recovery has meant getting my health in order, getting regular physics and teeth cleanings and whatnot at the dentist. It means seeing and working with a therapist. It meaning being a part of recovery oriented communities, such as SL and BL as well as support group meetings I feel safe and can be genuinely myself at, as well as working with a mentor/sponsor figure.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Here is an interesting paper to get the juices flowing: "Producing the problem of drugs"
