If you have given up alcohol recently, I want to say two things: 1. I’m so proud of you. 2. Welcome to the sober movement!
Why is Sobriety Gaining Momentum?
As time goes by, society evolves.
“Bloodletting,” is a term that describes how people across the globe used to deal with fever by cutting someone so that the “bad blood” would leave the body. This practice lasted for thousands of years despite its ineffectiveness!
Humans used to think that there was absolutely no relationship between hygiene and disease. In the 1840s Ignaz Semmelweis tested the theory that washing hands and utensils in a chlorine solution could significantly reduce deaths during childbirth. His tests yielded positive results and saved many lives. Unfortunately, the general public overlooked the proof of his experiments, favoring their old assumptions instead. Ignaz was even ridiculed for his beliefs.
Think about how many advancements you have seen in just your own lifetime. When I was a kid, the internet wasn’t even a thing. Cell phones were technically around, but they were called “cellular phones,” were very large, and hardly anyone owned one. In high school, I carried around a piece of paper with a list of phone numbers and quarters for pay phones. Now, pretty much everyone has a cell phone and can use it to access the internet whenever they want.
Society evolves. Things change with time, even if those changes take a long time.
Alcohol has been around for thousands of years, which inevitably means that addiction has been around for just as long. However, advancements in self-awareness, emotional intelligence, mental health, and physical health have only recently flourished.
For example, lobotomies were still being performed for addiction when my parents were in high school, with the last lobotomy taking place in the late 1960s. I don’t want to give you nightmares, but in case you don’t know what a lobotomy is, it is a highly traumatic and ineffective procedure in which a sharp instrument is forcefully inserted through the victim’s eye socket and into the brain. Ouch.
For decades, lobotomies were considered a cure-all for a variety of mental health conditions that ranged from depression to schizophrenia, to disobedience (in the case of rebellious housewives.) The mortality rate was high, but if patients managed to survive the procedure, they were often reduced to adult children or even “zombies.”
These days, you have access to more mental health remedies than ever before. There are a variety of avenues that can guide you toward improved emotional wellness, like therapy, life-coaching, support groups, awareness through education, and more.
Sobriety is gaining momentum because of these advancements in emotional intelligence.
Just like bloodletting, poor hygiene, and lobotomies, alcohol is ineffective at improving or curing anything. Society is collectively waking up and realizing that it’s time to let it go. A more enlightened and educated public is more likely to be concerned with hangovers, drunk driving fatalities, organ failure, mood swings, and all of the other numerous consequences that result from alcohol abuse.
Sober Movement Hits Hollywood
Advertising and movies make it seem like everyone drinks, but many celebrities actually don’t.
My first year of sobriety was difficult because I had to deal with cravings that were intensified by my favorite TV shows. For some reason, peer pressure in real life had no effect on me, but when I saw my favorite character drinking, I’d get the itch.
I recently started watching Yellow Jackets, an incredibly binge-worthy show about a girl’s soccer team that gets stranded in the wilderness following a plane crash. Juliette Lewis’ character is an alcoholic, and Christina Ricci’s character follows her to a bar and orders a drink. Neither of them drink in real life.
It’s almost as if they were acting. (They were.)
An article on Mama Mia reports that 36-year-old Megan Fox has been sober since her mid-twenties. She said that when she was in Costa Rica, a local was describing the function of alcohol as a means of extracting the essence from a plant. Fox realized that is exactly how alcohol made her feel; like it was extracting her essence, so she quit.
Supermodel, Bella Hadid, recently posted a video on TikTok celebrating her sobriety with girlfriends on a trip to Vegas.
Daniel Radcliffe, A.K.A. Harry Potter, used to have a drinking problem, until he realized that if he wanted to move forward with this life, he would have to quit. He has been sober since 2010.
A sober movement is happening in Hollywood. If you Google a few of your favorite actors and actresses looking for a sober one, I’m betting it won’t be a difficult search.
Some Of My Friends Have Quit Drinking
Some of my friends have quit drinking, and nothing makes me happier than seeing someone I care about taking care of themselves!
Many of them have rock-bottom stories, but not all of them do. Some of my friends quit drinking just because they didn’t like the way alcohol made them feel. I love listening to them talk about their proud milestones and all of the positive improvements they have experienced in their sobriety like: mental clarity, better relationships, increased creativity, increased productivity, weight-loss, better skin, and more energy.
Social Media Sobriety
It seems like almost every time I log in to Facebook, I see a post about another person joining the sober movement! Just like my friends, they report the same life improvements.
There are also many sober Facebook groups that you can join, and TikTok and Instagram accounts that you can follow for encouragement and inspiration. This can be especially helpful for your recovery if you don’t have sober people in your personal life. You aren’t alone! Sobriety is becoming more popular each day! Do a quick search, and you will see what I am talking about.
Sober Bars and Mocktails
Sober bars and mocktails are on the rise. In a society that has prioritized drinking for so long, it can be difficult for sober people to imagine socializing without alcohol. Sober bars are working on filling this gap.
Sans Bar is a sober bar in Austin, Texas that offers all of the same fun times as a regular bar, minus the vomit, fighting, and blackouts. In addition to offering a fantastic selection of mouth-watering mocktails that are completely alcohol free, Sans Bar keeps customers entertained with events like: karaoke night, trivia night, costume contests, drag shows, stand-up comedy, live music, and so much more!
But, Sans Bar isn’t only about having healthy fun. It is also a place where communication, community, education, and inspiration thrive through motivational speaking, networking events, and support groups. I especially like the “Booze Free Bill of Rights,” that can be found on their Instagram page.
The founder of Sans Bar, Chris Marshall, is working hard to help the sober movement grow. He has created a space for sober people to feel included, but he takes it a step further with the Sans Bar Academy, which is an online course that teaches students how to start their own sober bar businesses. Previous students of Marshall’s have opened sober bars all across the country!
Help the Movement Grow
Whether you are an introvert or extrovert, there are so many ways that you can help the movement grow!
You inspire others just by being the best version of yourself. People take notice when others stop an unhealthy addiction or habit. It shows because you shine!
If you are comfortable sharing your sober story, then share it loud and proud! There are so many platforms for you to do so, whether you are simply talking with a friend or family member, posting on social media, or speaking at meetings and groups.
When someone offers you a drink, there are many ways to decline, but a simple and direct assertion like, “I don’t drink,” can stop someone from offering and plant a seed in their mind that maybe they don’t need to drink either. Good habits are just as contagious as bad ones.
Help the sober movement grow! Maybe someday we will live in a world where drinking alcohol is no longer the norm.
