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Addiction

Reframe Addiction: Why Sobriety Is Not Just Recovery

Expanding beyond recovery and out of your comfort zone.

Key points

  • Sobriety can be a journey of self-expansion, creating new possibilities beyond alcohol.
  • Building healthier habits in sobriety strengthens brain resilience and supports long-term growth.
  • Sobriety isn’t about returning to a past self but stepping into a stronger, more flexible mindset.

When I was a little girl, I had a ratty old safety blanket—frayed edges, faded colors, and all. I carried it everywhere, from the breakfast table to backyard adventures. It was my comfort, my shield against the world of the unknown.

I still remember the night before my first day of school—with Grandma by my side, I folded it up and tucked it away in the trunk under my bed.

That childhood memory reminds me of our journey to let go of alcohol. Just as I folded away my safety blanket, moving away from alcohol is not just about putting something away—it’s about embracing something new.

People often call sobriety recovery, but I’d like to call it expansion.

Beyond Traditional Recovery: Why Recovery Is More Than a Return to Normalcy

Unlike recovery, which often suggests going back to a former state, expansion in sobriety means growing forward, into something new.

With sobriety, we don’t just return to a pre-drinking state; we grow into a post-drinking state. Letting go of alcohol is a kind of change that resembles a toddler letting go of their parent’s hand to explore, a young adult leaving home for college, or a person moving on from a long-term relationship that no longer suits them.

These are not a return to what once was but an expansion into what can be. They represent courageous steps away from comfort and familiarity and into the unknown, all in pursuit of something possible and new.

The Nature of Expansion: Embracing Your Growth in Recovery

Just as leaves reach for sunlight, birds migrate to warmer climates, and the universe itself constantly expands, we too have an innate drive to grow. The first thing toddlers do when they learn to walk is to explore. This drive—to expand from who we are to who we might become—defines the journey toward sobriety.

Even neuroscience supports this perspective. When we form new habits, replace old thought patterns, or find healthier ways to cope, our brains don’t erase the old neural pathways; they build new ones over them. Instead of erasing old habits, our brains add new, healthier pathways, creating resilience. In sobriety, we’re not returning; we’re progressing.

Brain Growth in Recovery: A New Post-Drinking Structure

Research shows that, over years of sobriety, our brains actually grow.

A study published in the Public Library of Science in 2013 found that while long-term substance use can reduce gray matter volume in specific regions of the prefrontal cortex, this volume doesn’t just “return to normal” after abstinence. After six to 12 months of sobriety, gray matter volume begins to not only normalize but even grow beyond baseline levels found in those who never struggled with addiction.

Why? This brain growth likely reflects that as we learn to outgrow substance use, we are creating new neural structures for coping and resilience in our brains. The brain becomes more elaborate, flexible, and resilient—showing, in real terms, that we are not just going back to who we were but evolving into something more.

Embracing Discomfort: Step Beyond Your Comfort Zone in Recovery

Of course, just like any growth, moving away from alcohol comes with its own set of challenges. As Tony Robbins says, “All growth starts at the end of your comfort zone.”

Throughout this journey, you’ll encounter many firsts—moments that push you beyond comfort and closer to something new:

  • The first night going to bed without the familiar, alcohol-induced slumber.
  • The first evening unwinding without a glass of wine in your hand.
  • The first time ordering an alcohol-free drink in a restaurant.
  • The first sober birthday celebration.
  • The first alcohol-free date night.

There will be many “firsts.” But each step beyond comfort brings with it a reward.

Finding Your Unique Prize on the Path to Recovery

You may wonder—what is that reward?

I can’t tell you exactly what it is because it’s unique to each of us. I’m here to help you uncover your unique prize—the one waiting for you on the other side of your comfort zone. It’s a reward so meaningful that the growth is worth every moment of discomfort.

Every step you take beyond comfort brings you closer to your own powerful sobriety story. If you’re ready to turn those small steps into meaningful, lasting change, check out my Reimagine Sobriety Experience.

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