Intermittent Sobriety

Among the most peculiar peculiarities of the mental health field is this: the twelve-step programs that have become standard for treating addictions did not arise from an academic psychiatry department. They were concocted by a couple of drunks in Akron, Ohio. Their names were: Bill Wilson and Bob Smith.

Strictly speaking, this treatment modality is not even science. It comes to us from religion, specifically from evangelical Christianity. So much for trusting the science. 

True enough, there is a medical side to addiction. For some people the medical difficulties are predominant. Twelve step programs may have been co opted by psychiatry, but they are more about religion than about medicine.

This is to introduce the thoughts of one Arwa Mahdawi. As you might know she write a column for the Guardian. This suggests that it is very rare that I find something in her neo-feminist rants to agree with. Mostly I do not. Yet, I am always interested in hearing what the other side thinks, so I keep track of her ramblings and musings.

Yesterday she outlined her approach to her own alcohol consumption. She was not-- we take her at her word-- an alcoholic, but she was drinking too much, too often. She chose to practice what is called intermittent sobriety. 

Evidently, she stopped drinking alcohol from time to time, and then took it up again in moderation. At a time when young people, for example, are drinking less, we do well to check on Mahdawi’s approach.

I will not outline all of the steps in her approach, but consider this one:

For a lot of us, a glass of wine in the evening is a comforting way to end the day: a nice little ritual that says it’s time to relax. You get a lot of the same satisfaction, I find, by having kombucha or sparkling water in a fancy wine glass instead. It’s easier to replace a habit with something else than to give something up entirely. 

If you have a bad habit, replace it with a good habit. Do not try to suppress it entirely. This astute observation echoes a point made by Aristotle himself, more than two millennia ago. It was valid then; it is valid now.

In 12 Step programs, people are advised to replace the ritual of dropping into a bar after work with the ritual of attending AA meetings. It sounds easy. Yet, doing it on a regular basis is not quite so easy. 

Two of Mahdawi’s other points deserve emphasis. First, when wanting a drink she asked herself whether it was worth how she was going to feel the next day. And second, she noted that having a meal can take away the craving associated with being hungry, angry, lonely or tired:

Now when I get a craving, I’m far better at thinking about playing the tape forward and asking myself whether a drink is really worth feeling tired the next day. I’ve also trained myself to go through a system called Halt and ask if I’m “hungry, angry, lonely or tired”. Sometimes simply having a meal can take away an urge to drink.

And, of course, she notes that regular aerobic exercise improves mood, to the point of not needing alcohol to do the same:

…exercising improves your mood, reduces stress and makes it much easier not to want a glass of wine after a bad day.

She concludes:

As anti-alcohol sentiment rises, I think this nuance is important to bear in mind. I personally don’t find it useful to demonize alcohol or commit to never drinking anything again – yes, it might not be inherently healthy but there’s a reason even our most ancient ancestors were knocking the stuff back. For now, intermittent sobriety has helped me find a balance that works for me. For other people, however, committing to complete sobriety may be more viable.

Evidently, 12 Step programs require complete sobriety. For some people it’s the only way. For others intermittent sobriety might just serve the purpose. 

Please subscribe to my Substack, for free or preferably for a fee.