The new year is just around the corner, and some people may want to turn to new habits. NCSolutions found that this year, 34% of Americans are trying to drink less. Maybe you simply want to drink less or maybe there’s something more serious going on, maybe you want to be sober, or, not quite. Almost sober? How about sober curious?
What is sober curious?
Sober curious, according to VeryWellMind, is a social movement where people dip their toes into the concept of sobriety. Based on NCSolutions findings, 63% of people heard about the sober curious trend from social media. On TikTok #sobercurious has 768.8 million views and is attached to many creators speaking on what it means to be sober curious and showing their journeys. “There’s this shift in our society to prioritize health over alcohol and Gen Z seems to be on the right track,” said user @afdrinks on TikTok.
This social movement aims to fight back against the impulse or expectation to drink in order to be social or have fun — meaning, you don’t need to drink to have those things. Often, society looks down on those who don’t drink as boring or prude, but why? Sober curious calls into question and challenges that.
One of the things that defines being sober curious is the active choice to be sober, or at least sober-ish. That’s what separates it from being sober due to a past of alcoholism. In an ideal world, the rising presence of sober curious individuals will make the world a friendlier place for those recovering from addiction, or even people who can’t have a drink for other reasons.
Alcohol Culture
It seems that most occasions surround drinking. If you want to meet people, you go to a bar. If you want to have fun in college, you go to a frat party. When you have brunch, you have mimosas. Going on a date? Most revolve around getting drinks. “It’s a form of discrimination,” said Morgan DeBaun on TikTok.
As someone who is sober curious myself, I go to a party and have one drink, feel a little sick, and then hang around as I watch everyone around me get drunker and drunker. I don’t want to shame people for having fun in their own way, but I wish there could be places for me to go have fun and meet people without someone slurring in my ear that they are a little drunk and then trying to hit on me. The rise of the sober curious culture could make that possible.
There are endless articles about things like maintaining a social life and being happy while being sober, and there’s something sad about it. It feels strange that simply not drinking alcohol is such a massive and hard change for people to make. Is it the culture? The addictive qualities? Well, yes, and that’s why people are fighting back against the way alcohol is ingrained into our culture. Sober curious is wondering why something that impairs you and could put you in danger is so normalized, especially in large quantities.
Why should you try being sober curious?
Sober curious might be an option for you if you are getting tired of waking up in the morning with a nasty hangover and still having to go to work. It might be for you if you’ve had too many nights where you can’t remember anything that happened and now you’re faced with some horrible decision you made while under the influence.
It could also be for you if you just think alcohol is yucky and would rather have some juice. Maybe you are concerned about your physical or even mental health. There are plenty of reasons to cut down on alcohol consumption.
How to be sober curious
The answer seems super obvious (drink less alcohol) but that may be hard for people who already drink regularly. You should always be upfront with the people you are close with about your situation, and if they aren’t supportive, that sounds like they are having skill issues and you should get some sobriety buddies. Consult a health care professional if you are in doubt.
Kathryn Sauser on TikTok, shares that she drinks soda water and a lime when she goes out. Keep away from bars until you know you are capable of saying no, whether it’s to another drink or any drink at all. Remember there are always fun things to do that don’t require alcohol, so check out events going on around you. There’s no shame in not drinking, now and forever.
If you are struggling with alcohol addiction, contact the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-4357. Its free, confidential, and available 24/7.