‘sober curious’, have a day off…

[ThatsVertigo]

I’ve just seen an acquaintance post an instagram story labelling themselves as ‘sober curious’ and encouraging people to ask them questions and others to reassess their relationship with alcohol. I’m all for them making changes that make them happier and healthier, but the positioning of the whole thing just made me roll my eyes, not everything needs a label. And if you need to label yourself as ‘sober curious’ in order to cut back then maybe you’re avoiding a more accurate label ‘alcoholic’.

I've noticed there's an option on Bumble to describe yourself as sober curious now. I think its a weird way to describe yourself tbh. Make your mind up before you announce it

What on earth does it mean? Like you're curiously trying to be sober?

Jesus bloody christ on a bike.

Is it just a fancy way of saying you've sworn off the sauce for January?

f me solid
So many people think the rest of the world cares about their life

I just don’t understand why people are always falling over themselves to label themselves. Why would anyone care that you’re trying to cut back on the booze? Why do you want to introduce yourself from that angle?? Why make that a big part of your persona?

It's as nauseating and attention seeking as people who make 'wine o'clock' their whole personality. Very performative.

I personally find it very tasteless to use the language associated with addiction for people with no medical issue with alcohol use but who just want to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

One of DHs family members describes herself a ‘sober curious’. We just roll our eye when she brings it up. In reality, she’s an alcoholic who knows that her drinking is out of control but doesn’t want to commit to being sober.

I'm not understanding what it means .

Sober curious - being curious what it is like to be sober?

Yes! I think this explains a lot about today’s world

I have friends who say this too 😆 I suppose it's like being on a diet? They're trying to restrict their drinking and/or cut down, so they're trying out non-alcoholic alternatives or challenging themselves to do things like weddings/Christmas sober (and blogging about it obviously)

YANBU. That sounds idiotic. If someone is honestly considering cutting back on (or fully cutting out) alcohol, they need to just do it or look for legitimate sources that can help, if it's a struggle. Making a song and dance about being 'sober curious' is just navel-gazing, attention-seeking nonsense.

Sober curious? Does that mean those of us who are non drinkers are sober concious?

YANBU btw op.

I would assume this would mean a person who is an alcoholic, permanently under the influence, who occasionally wonders about not having another swig at the hip flask.

Does it mean:

Sober curious = so rarely sober they are curious to know what it feels like 😂

Nauseating term. Some people just want to be ‘better’ than everyone else all the time and just find reason after reason, cause after cause to support or champion. They learn a lot about one thing (usually at the expense of someone else’s time) and then bore everyone to death about it. These people are exhausting.

We may just have alcohol avoidant personalities.

Sober Curious = I wonder what it’ll be like not to down two bottles of Blossom Hill a night on my own and not wake up feeling like shite and scared to look at my phone because I’ll have sent nonsense messages to people at 01.34 am.

To me, sober curious means someone who is questioning what life would be like without alcohol without committing to never drinking again. Trying it out for size and seeing how they would deal with events like cultural events and socialising without booze. Can’t say it bothers me massively, as a recovering addict. If people want to normalise not drinking let them. I suspect the phrase itself is a play on the phrase bi-curious.

I'm curious about being sober too. Not curious enough to try it though 😂

It's terrifying isn't it.

Yeah, I'm with you. Doesn't it just mean 'cutting down on alcohol'?

Agree, we’ve gone from trying to get away from labels to everything having to have a label. It strikes me as regressive. I also don’t know what it means, you are curious about what it would be like to not drink? Well dint drink k for a bit then. Or when out just say no not for me tonight’s

What a load of wank🤷

I've never heard of it.
Think I'll get back under my rock

It’s like calling yourself “vegan curious” because you occasionally eat a vegan meal. Until you fancy a bacon sarnie.