Could common myths about addiction be keeping you or someone you love from getting the treatment and support needed to recover?
Sobriety: 10 Myths That Stop People From Getting Sober
Sobriety is the state of living free from alcohol and drugs. But deciding to get sober is harder than it sounds, and it is not because the path is unclear. It is because myths about sobriety make people second-guess whether recovery is even for them.
Could one of these myths be keeping you or someone you love from getting sober? For rehab to work, these myths need to be challenged. That is why Changes Rehab in Johannesburg has staff in recovery themselves, who can speak honestly about what sobriety actually looks like.
This article is part of our blog series on rehabilitative treatment, informed by the European Association for the Treatment of Addiction’s evidence-based framework.
Below, we break down 10 common myths about sobriety and what the evidence and lived experience actually say.
10 Myths About Sobriety and Addiction
Myth 1: I can’t have fun without drinking or using. Recovery is boring
A common myth about recovery is that life without substances is boring, dull and dreary. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Many people mistakenly view chaos of active addiction as exciting and think recovery will be bland in comparison. But the chaos of addiction is painful, not fun. For an addict, drinking and using has ceased to be fun for a long time.
In recovery, a person finally has time for pursuits other than getting and using substances. Many people learn about what they like and find pleasurable only after they have put down drugs and alcohol. They finally have time in their lives for passions and hobbies.
“When I came into recovery I thought having a ‘normal’ life would be boring when, in fact, recovery gave me the opportunity to explore different options for fun,” said Taahir, who has been sober for just over a year and is based in Johannesburg.
“For example, I enjoy playing football. It’s like magic when I touch the ball – I don’t want to stop. In addiction I didn’t bother playing and rather watched from the side-lines drinking and smoking. In recovery you can go and try things to find out if you like an activity. I’ve tried playing table tennis, going to gym and hiking – all things I never would have known I enjoyed if I was still living in addiction. Really, recovery has allowed me to feel joy again,” he said.
Getting sober is also becoming more popular. The ‘sober curious’ movement has grown, and alcohol-free events are more common in South Africa than ever before.
Myth 2: I need to drink or use to cope with life
Many addicted persons use drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with life’s stressors and the resulting uncomfortable feelings. But drugs and alcohol don’t help you to cope, they help you to temporarily escape life’s problems. More often than not, this only makes your problems become bigger as you repeatedly refuse to deal with them.
But the idea of getting sober can be scary to people who have never really learnt healthy ways to cope with life, normal responsibilities and difficult emotions. The prospect of having to learn to cope instead of run away can be overwhelming.
For an addict, using drugs and alcohol is a maladaptive coping mechanism that has long ago stopped working. Most people find that once they put the substance down and start to face ‘life on life’s terms’, their problems become more manageable. In recovery, people learn healthy coping mechanisms to deal with life and uncomfortable emotions. Although this process can be overwhelming at first, it is incredibly rewarding.
People who self-medicate for underlying mental illnesses like depression or anxiety run the risk of making those conditions worse. Self-medicating is no substitute for proper medical help. A correct diagnosis, therapy and medication are the only reliable routes to treating mental health problems alongside addiction.
Myth 3: You must hit rock bottom to be ready for sobriety
Comparing our ‘rock-bottom’ with another addict or alcoholic is dangerous. It has kept many people from getting sober because they tell themselves that their addiction isn’t ‘as bad’ or ‘bad enough’ for them to qualify for recovery.
Every person’s ‘rock-bottom’ is different and you don’t need to lose your job or end up on the street to ‘qualify’ for recovery. Many people keep themselves in denial because, for example, they buy their drug of choice at a pharmacy and not on a street corner. But, by definition, you are not an addict based on the specific substance you use or how much you have lost. If you have no control over your using and drinking and it is causing negative consequences (no matter how trivial these consequences may seem when comparing them to others’), you are an addict and your life will improve if you get sober.
Accepting you are an addict and that there is a solution earlier, rather than later, is always better. The less destruction you have caused to your life, the easier it is to rebuild and manage your life when you get sober. A lot of pain and heartache can be avoided if this myth is properly challenged.
Myth 4: Addicts and alcoholics are bad people
It is a widely-held belief that, because many people cause pain and destruction while feeding their addictions, they are inherently bad people. This is completely false: Using substances doesn’t determine whether you are a good or bad person. Just because you have done bad things in active addiction, it doesn’t make you a bad person at your core.
Many addicts and alcoholics experience overwhelming guilt and shame when they come into recovery. A large part of addiction treatment centres on overcoming these feelings and aligning your behaviour with your morals, so guilt and shame can ease over time.
Many bad people have no addiction problems and many addicts are kind and compassionate. While using, many people do things that they would never do while sober. This does not make bad behaviour okay but realising this allows a recovering addict to make sense of what they have done in the past. Recovery affords one the opportunity to start behaving in ways that align with one’s true moral nature.
Myth 5: Being in recovery is lonely
Another myth is that being sober sets one up for an isolated and lonely life when, in fact, much of recovery is about connection. You might have to remove some toxic friends from your life once you become sober but there are many well-established 12-step fellowships where like-minded people regularly meet.
In recovery, one has an opportunity to get to know oneself and develop serenity from within. An aversion to spending time on one’s own is often rooted in an inability to face or sit with oneself. In recovery, people are encouraged to develop self-love and this often solves the problem of being unable to spend time alone.
In reality, people become more fulfilled and engaged human beings capable of maintaining strong and healthy relationships. People are more able to authentically connect while not using substances making recovery much less lonely than active addiction.
Myth 6: You have to be religious to get sober
While many people do get sober with the help of religion, religious faith is by no means a prerequisite for recovery.
Many 12-step fellowships use the word ‘God’ which can put non-religious people off. In this case, ‘God’ refers to any Higher Power of your understanding. That power just needs to be greater than you. It can be the universe, a sense of morality, or the 12 steps themselves.
The concept of surrender as contained in 12-step fellowships is important because self-will alone, relying on one’s own will, is not enough to keep one sober. One needs to find a source of power from outside oneself to be able to stay clean and sober.
Being an atheist or agnostic should never be a reason to avoid recovery.
Myth 7: Addiction is a choice
Nobody wants to become an addict. Only a very small percentage of people who use drugs or drink turn out to become addicts or alcoholics. This is why addiction, termed substance use disorder, is an accepted mental health condition in Western medicine. Like other illnesses, there are several criteria used to diagnose addiction. One of the hallmarks of addiction is the loss of control when it comes to substances. Addiction is, by definition, when one loses the very ability to choose when it comes to taking drugs or drinking.
While addiction is not a choice, recovery is and, to stay sober, one needs to actively choose sobriety every day.
Myth 8: You can’t be an addict if you hold down a job
Many high-functioning addicts don’t fit with the stereotypes in society of what an addict or alcoholic looks like. A person can be diagnosed with addiction even if they still have their material possessions, are still married, are still employed etc.
It is a dangerous misconception to think addicts need to look visibly broken or have completely dysfunctional lives. Many people wait until it’s too late to try to get sober simply because they use the fact that they still have a semblance of a normal life as an excuse to keep them in denial of their addiction.
Myth 9: Rehab is a cure
Many people need treatment for their addiction or alcoholism and, put simply, rehab works. But there is a belief that when a person completes treatment, they should be cured.
Rehab gets you clean, but you are responsible for keeping yourself clean. Like other chronic diseases, you have to keep taking treatment to stay well. In recovery that means using the tools you have learnt and attending aftercare. Recovery is a life-long journey that gets easier with time, though you are never completely ‘cured.’
Myth 10: Life in recovery is worry-free and always great
There is often the belief that once you put the drugs and alcohol down, all your problems will be solved and you will live an enchanted life. This delusional thinking can be tempting because of the horror and terror one often faces in active addiction. It can therefore comfort a person to think that sobriety will be free of conflict and anxiety.
While life in recovery is certainly less chaotic and dramatic and infinitely more pleasant than in addiction, it isn’t perfect. You will have to face hurdles and problems that any other human being has to face. But it is always better to face these challenges sober. The chances of overcoming these challenges are much higher if you face them with a clear mind and a healthy attitude.
In rehabilitative treatment, you learn tools to overcome problems in healthy ways. Recovery brings both positive emotions and difficult ones, but the difficult emotions are far less likely to overwhelm you when you are living sober. These myths matter because they keep people stuck. Challenging them in treatment and in society is how more people find their way to sobriety.
What to do next if you’re thinking about sobriety
Myths about sobriety only stop you if you let them. The harder part is what comes after you decide to get sober: figuring out what treatment looks like and how to pay for it. Then how to stay sober once you are out.
Here is where to start:
1. Get an obligation-free assessment
A professional assessment is the first real step. It tells you what level of treatment you need (inpatient, outpatient, or detox first) and gives you a clear plan instead of guesswork. Changes Rehab offers obligation-free assessments in Johannesburg.
2. Use your medical aid to pay for rehab
Most South African medical aids cover inpatient rehab under Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs). The Changes team handles the pre-authorisation process for you so you know exactly what is covered before you arrive.
3. Plan for aftercare before you leave
Leaving treatment is not the end of sobriety. It is the point where real life restarts, and aftercare is what keeps sobriety going through that transition. Ongoing therapy and peer groups reduce relapse risk significantly. Structured check-ins keep accountability in place.
4. Talk to someone who has been there
Sobriety starts with one honest conversation. The Changes admissions team includes people in long-term recovery themselves. Call 081 444 7000 or message us for a confidential chat. No sales pressure, no judgement.
You do not have to hit rock bottom. You do not have to have all the answers. You just have to take the first step.
Thinking about sobriety but held back by fear or doubt? We break down 10 common myths about getting sober and show you what recovery in SA actually looks like.. Changes team counsellors are here to help you.Sobriety: 10 Myths That Stop People From Getting Sober | Cha
