Sobriety versus abstinence. How 12-stepper negotiate long-term recovery across groups

Abstract

Background: Most research on recovery focuses on abstinence. Also, the term sobriety tends to be equated with staying abstinent. This understanding is being questioned by people in long-term recovery who despite being abstinent have not been satisfied with their progress.

Method: The discussions of 12-Steppers in different groups as well as their autobiographic writings are being studied in order to find out how they negotiate long-term recovery.

Results: Looking at internal discourses across different 12-step groups provides insights into new ways of conceptualizing recovery. One way is to differentiate between abstinence and sobriety. While abstinence exclusively refers to the symptomatic dimension of the disease, sobriety goes deeper, also referring to its emotional and mental dimensions.

Conclusion: It is being concluded that clearer differentiation between abstinence and sobriety can sharpen our understanding of recovery by helping us to recognize better the processes taking place during long-term recovery.

Keywords:

• Cross-addiction
• long-term recovery
• sobriety
• abstinence
• 12-step groups
• ethnography

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the many 12-Steppers who supported this work by speaking to her and by providing her with personal testimonies and other information as well as the A.A.-trustees who volunteered as interview partners and the staff of the A.A. central archives who was always very warm and welcoming.

Disclosure statement

The author declares no further conflicts of interest in writing this paper.

Additional information

Funding

The research done to realize this paper was supported by funding from the German Research Foundation [1681/1] and the German Academic Exchange Service. Currently Paula Helm is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation.

The research done to realize this paper was supported by funding from the German Research Foundation [1681/1] and the German Academic Exchange Service. Currently Paula Helm is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation.