Sobriety is physiological and psychological balance from healthy attachment to intimate relationships.

Sobriety possesses a beauty among all the experiences of life.  Healing diseased addiction neuro pathways, mending broken relationships and meaning making of pain rival the richest events in our lives like the birth of a child, forgiveness, compassion for others and love for self.

Let’s define sobriety.  Multiple dictionaries describe the 14th century Old French term sobriete, in the positive sense meaning moderation, steadiness, clear of mind altering substances, life balance, or the human condition at birth. The early 15th century Latin term ebrietas, ebriety, means the state or habit of intoxication.

Therefore in this context sobriety is life balance opposed to ebriety which means the state of intoxication and life imbalance.  When a patrolman does a field sobriety test for a driver suspected of driving under the influence, the officer assesses the balance of the suspect physically, verbally, and cognitively. Imbalance in the driver will provoke the officer to administer a blood alcohol content test. The criteria for arrest is not presence of a substance, but sufficient alcohol content as to cause impairment.

So, can we agree that sobriety is life balance without impairment of substances or problematic behaviors?