The 5 Stages of Sobriety.. simplified

Advice & Questions
23

I’m so glad that another post brought me to this one…my response will bring this back to the top and hopefully some new folks will see this.

Right now I’m in 4. The funny thing is that for YEARS I thought I was in 4 but really it was 3…which is why I kept relapsing over and over and over. It wasn’t until I finally said that “wanting” wasn’t enough, I needed to “do”. I got myself in to see a therapist and off to AA meetings. What a HUGE difference “doing” makes. I’m hoping to get to stage 5 soon.

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24

Cool to see my progression. I felt firmly in 3-4 in Dec. Now feel in 4-5 (I think both are ongoing simultaneously for me).

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25

Think 4-5 should always be the goal, those 2 stages go hand in hand. How do you maintain sobriety? By actively working it every day.

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26

It’s nice when these pop up. It’s always useful for them to be bumped back up.
As you said @VSue, there is always new people who will benifit.
I feel I’m definitely 4/5 total acceptance that dogs bark and cats meow! But constantly working on it.

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27

That is true. I think I’m in the middle too. I’m still actively working in 4 though.

28

I think when your active working on your sobriety becomes your normal daily routine, that’s what makes it step 5 or maintenance. Cause your maintaining the work that got you there, but it’s not so much of a force.

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29

happy to be a 4 :muscle: and working towards 5. i love your simplified descriptions of each stage!

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