The Many Benefits of Sober Curiosity

Tragically, the widespread availability of such drugs has made it more challenging than ever for people in the throes of addiction to fight off these illnesses. Thankfully, despite these burdens, individuals dedicated to helping people overcome addiction issues continue to develop potential methods for treating substance use disorders. This includes new therapies and philosophies.

Sober curiosity has emerged in part as a response to the issues caused by alcohol use disorder and addiction. It may also be perfect for many people who are not addicted to alcohol but are interested in exploring the benefits of a sober lifestyle.

Sober curiosity is almost designed for people who want to be “casual” users of sobriety.[3] People who are “sober curious” go sober for a short period, like a week or a month. Such sobriety can be started for many reasons. Many do it for health reasons, realizing that their drinking has become problematic and is causing them physical or emotional problems. Others do it because they think they need a break from alcohol.

Part of the benefit of the sober curiosity movement is that many others get engaged in being sober curious, thus creating a positive social reinforcement. Indeed, one of the greatest challenges noted by people who seek treatment for substance use disorders is losing their friends, social group, and social standing. These issues can add to recovery stress and make it hard to attend holiday gatherings. However, there are extensive social media and support groups around the idea of being sober and curious. This social support makes it easier for people who are pursuing this avenue to stay true to their desire to avoid alcohol — even if they want those changes to only be temporary.

The benefits of stopping alcohol consumption can be extensive. Like most things, drinking alcohol in moderation will not damage your health. However, regular and extensive alcohol consumption will. As such, ceasing this level of consumption is associated with many health benefits:[4]

Furthermore, sober curiosity can help a person break bad social habits. The role of our social groups in enhancing an alcohol use disorder is extensive and well documented.[5] Social groups can enhance alcohol use and reinforce drinking habits as being necessary for peer approval. But, the reverse is also true: Friends can be a positive influence and help people break away from alcohol use. By going sober curious, a person may be freed of the negativity caused by friends who do not have their best interests at heart. At the same time, the social opportunities of the sober curiosity movement may help someone find new friends who support their desire to live a sober life.

Finally, a benefit of sober curiosity is it helps the family, particularly for people who have a loved one with an addiction issue. Individuals can try to press their family members to adopt a sober curious lifestyle for a set period. If they cannot do that, or if they are unwilling to do that, this may serve as additional proof that an individual needs real help to treat their alcohol use disorder.

The sober curious movement is still relatively new. There have not been any studies about the long-term benefits of sober curiosity. However, many news stories have noted that people who start as sober and curious wind up enjoying it so much that they significantly reduce their alcohol intake or stop drinking altogether.[6]

Furthermore, sober curiosity may be capable of reducing one of the more serious problems of drinking: binge drinking, something that one in six adults have said they do[6]. Binge drinking is defined as drinking an extensive amount of alcoholic beverages in a short period of time. There are serious health problems associated with binge drinking, including an increased likelihood of suffering an injury, heart disease, cancer, liver problems, and more.[7] By definition, sober curiosity means that people stop drinking. This, in turn, can also reduce binge drinking.

Sober curiosity may also convince some people to stop drinking altogether, even if they aren’t alcoholics or in need of real therapy. Many articles on the subject have noted ample anecdotal evidence that demonstrates people stop drinking after they experience the many health benefits of sober living. Sober curiosity can serve as a precursor to a more sober lifestyle.[8]

Absolutely. Sober curiosity is not a “once and done” thing. It is something that people can choose to engage in whenever they feel overwhelmed or want the health benefits that come with not drinking.

Being sober curious is not only for people who have a drinking problem or alcohol use disorder. It’s simply for people who may want to reset their alcohol consumption patterns and reap the health benefits that doing so can bring. It is also appropriate for individuals who are unsure if they are drinking too much and thus want to take a break from alcohol to see how their bodies and minds respond to stopping alcoholic intake for some time. As such, there is no limit to ongoing sober curiosity, nor is there any harm in doing so multiple times.[7]

It is important to note that sober curiosity is not meant as a value judgment against those who drink, nor is it meant as a shot against individuals who choose to enjoy alcohol. Instead, it is simply meant for people who are curious to explore the effects of sustained sobriety.