Definitions of sobriety and recovery have become contested as some people abstain from one substance while occasionally using others without signs of substance use disorder. Scenarios include alcohol-recovering individuals using cannabis or former heroin users drinking alcohol without apparent problems, commonly labeled California Sober. Alcoholics Anonymous and its 12-step model have strongly shaped common usage, with about 75% of treatment involving the steps and an emphasis on abstinence despite membership requiring only a desire to stop drinking. Harm reduction prioritizes reducing negative consequences and separates abstinence, sobriety, and recovery as distinct concepts.
This has become a live question as more people identify as being in recovery or having sobriety from the use of one substance while still also using other substances occasionally or without the challenges typical of an addiction or Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Someone who identifies as an alcoholic might use cannabis products in a recreational way. Someone in recovery from a heroin addiction may enjoy an occasional glass of wine.
The confusion stems, in part, from the common usage of those terms, which has been shaped by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). For decades, AA's 12-step model has dominated in- and out-patient treatment centers; almost 75% of treatment involves the steps. While the model does not explicitly require abstinence-the only requirement for AA membership is an expressed desire to stop drinking-it is strongly recommended throughout the literature and fellowship of AA.
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