How to Reach Emotional Sobriety & Why It Matters

When we think of sobriety, it’s usually in terms of no longer using alcohol or recreational drugs, but it’s more complicated than that. According to the definition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), sobriety means “not being intoxicated,” then goes on to explain that sobriety is more about the absence of drinking problems, not about total abstinence.

There’s also emotional sobriety, which Rachel Fintzy Woods, a licensed marriage and family therapist says involves “learning to deal with the uncomfortable feelings, thoughts, and behaviors that the addictive behaviors attempted to cover up or avoid. It entails confronting and managing our emotions in healthy and constructive ways, rather than resorting to methods that harm ourselves or other people.” In an article on PsychCentral, Woods discusses emotional sobriety and how to achieve it. Here’s what you need to know. Continue reading this article from Lifehacker here.