Recipe for Real Recovery

So what is sobriety? What do you need to have, see, feel and do to say you are sober or really recovering? I’ve been chewing on this question while writing the book of this blog.

One of the best short versions of what constitutes sobriety comes from Terry Gorski who has written a lot about recovery and relapse. If you’ve done some ACOA work you’ll also know his name from the fabulously funny talk on recovery and dating that he gave. In my early years we passed his tapes around and quoted his lines to each other –it was recovery stand-up, brilliant and funny.

I’ve gone back to his 1986 book, “Staying Sober” for this recipe for recovery, and here is what he says:

“Sobriety is Abstinence from addictive drugs PLUS Abstinence from compulsive behaviors PLUS Improvements in bio/psycho/social health.”

That’s a pretty good way to ask the daily question: Am I sober now?