Difference Between Abstinence and Sobriety

January 2023 · 6 minute read

Most people are indulged in drugs, smoking, and other bad habits due to depression and stress in everyday life. But when they realize that it is spoiling their life and relationship, they try to overcome it and that’s where people use the method of Abstinence and follow the rule of Sobriety. It is the process of refraining from bad habits and making the mind calm and steady to think in the right direction.

Abstinence vs Sobriety

The main difference between Abstinence and Sobriety is that Abstinence is the power which helps us to refrain from our bad habits, whereas Sobriety is the state of mind that helps us to make the right decision in our life. The life we are living today is full of tension, depression, anxiety, and everyday problems. We are running a race and it’s very difficult to keep up in the competition be it our personal or professional life. Sometimes, to ease our burden we are indulged in bad habits but when we realize its ill-effects we try to overcome it. The two most effective methods that help us to overcome our bad habits are Abstinence and Sobriety.

In simple words, Abstinence can be considered as a method or a way through which people refrain from doing things that they consider or realize to be wrong. Nobody is perfect, at some point in our lives we all break down, and to overcome that situation we choose the wrong ways. But when we realize what’s good and what’s bad we refrain from doing it, this process is called Abstinence.

Sobriety is the way that leads us to the growth and development of our mental, physical and spiritual health. When we realize that the things that we are doing are spoiling our life and when we try to bring our life to normal, that’s the point when we choose the way of Sobriety. People take this path to calm their minds from being obsessed with their bad habits and have control over it.

Comparison Table Between Abstinence and Sobriety

Parameters of ComparisonAbstinenceSobriety
DefinitionThe act of abstinence refers to the self-imposed restraint from engaging in bodily activities that are perceived as enjoyable.The state of sobriety is being sober, which can either mean not being intoxicated or being serious
MeaningAvoiding something by restrainingThe quality of being steady or steady-minded
UseIt used to get rid of bad habits by detoxification.It is used to get rid of bad habits by making the mind strong
Related toIt is related to bad habits alcohol, food, sex, and drugsIt is related to alcohol and other drugs
ProcessIt is the process of refraining and achieving the desired goal.It is the process of self-control and being steady to achieve the desired goal

What is Abstinence?

In today’s world, the suffering of the people has worsened a lot, people are craving for peace of mind and freedom from the hassle of life. At that point, we desperately look for relief from our pain and anxiety, and as a solution, we came across drugs, alcohol, and other habits that start to ruin our lives.

 But when we realize the fact that these things that we consider as an aid to our pain are adding up to the miseries of our lives, we try to find a solution. And Abstinence can be one of the solutions that we are looking for. It is the process of making our self ready to halt ourselves from doing or taking the things that give us pleasure or peace of mind, these things include alcohol, drugs, food, etc.

 Abstinence is a decision which we choose, it is not an easy path to follow as to when we develop a bad habit, it is very difficult for us to get rid of it. But if our willpower is strong enough, to follow the path of Abstinence we can make our life better. No doubt that there will be many obstacles in the path that we have chosen, but we have to be strong and remember that our life can be normal and we can live a happy life again.

What is Sobriety?

When we are indulged in drugs, alcohol we are in our own world, we have nothing to do with the real world. But there is a point when we realize that something is wrong with us and we need to fix it. That’s where Sobriety shows us the light towards a healthy and toxic-free life.

Sobriety is the process in which people try to be more calm and steady so that, they can ponder on the matters of their lives and make their life better. It is our inner power that helps us to make the right decision. Sobriety can be defined as the freedom from something that is holding us back from living the life that we want to, it is also the freedom from the things that entangled us from moving forward.

Sobriety is the power to change and when we are rigorously honest, we can start our journey to Sobriety that ultimately leads us to the freedom that we were craving for. It is not only concerned with the physical health of an individual but also the mental and spiritual health. Sobriety is the power of our mind and spirit and it only comes when we are honest to ourselves and want to make changes in our lives for good.

Main Differences Between Abstinence and Sobriety

1.  Abstinence is the process of refraining ourselves from bad things that give us joy and peace of                     

   mind, whereas Sobriety is the method of self-control that helps us to fight with our carving of bad   

     habits.

2.  Abstinence is the mainly related to detoxification of our body on the other hand Sobriety is mainly

     related to the detoxification of our mind and spirit.

3.  Abstinence works for the body that is related to bad habits whereas Sobriety works on the mind and

     spirit that is related to the bad habits.

4.  Abstinence concentrates on drug-free living without evaluating other aspects of life, whereas

     Sobriety focuses on living a drug-free lifestyle while also taking other aspects of life into account.

5.  Abstinence is a conscious decision to refrain from engaging in or indulging in activities or substances

     whereas, Sobriety is the absence of measurable effects or levels of alcohol or other drugs in a person.

Conclusion

We have many problems in our lives, every day brings new challenges, struggling with all these challenges every day makes us stressed, frustrated and depressed. We try to find a way to get over all these suffering and pain and try to give ourselves a temporary relief in the form of alcohol, smoking, drugs etc.

For some times it gives us freedom from our struggling life, but when we encounter its ill effect on our life and relationship we become eager to make things right. To fight all these bad habit and to make our life better we take the path of Abstinence and Sobriety. But it is no that easy, when we are truthful and honest to ourselves; Only then we can follow the path of Abstinence and Sobriety to restrain ourselves and make our mind calm and clear to achieve our goals.

We should remember that we all face so many problems and difficulties in our life but that does not mean we have to indulge in bad habits. Indulging in bad habits will add up to our problems. Instead try to refrain from these bad habits and try to calm your mind and think what is the root cause of the problem is and to fix it.

References

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