by Sally Rosa | Nov 11, 2014 | Addiction Articles, Recovery
Sober Clothing: Rad or Fad?
I’ve noticed a trend over the last few years of women in recovery rocking some b*dass sober clothing.
In fact, from the humble beginnings of wearing a recovery shirt to a meeting, sober clothing has grown into a booming industry. Don’t believe me? Check out Party Sober Clothing.
Party Sober, and a handful of other recovery clothing lines, are trying to redefine how the general public views sobriety. They’re seeking to change the popular conception of recovery and let the world know we’re not a glum lot.
Is this new trend of sober clothing something rad or simply a fad? Will our alcoholic grandchildren wear sweatshirts that proudly proclaim “Never Hungover,” or will recovery clothing make some waves and fade away? And what about personal anonymity? So many questions!
Recovery Clothing: Trend or Game Changer?
Is recovery clothing here to stay? Well, the answer depends largely on the end goal of sober clothing lines. Are they making shirts that read “I Heart Sober Boys” to make money or is their goal to raise awareness about what recovery is really like?
The longevity of any company, especially those involved in social causes, rests on their overall mission. Think about it – if a company is genuinely interested in bringing about positive change, people are going to respond.
Look at TOMS shoes. For every pair of shoes bought, they donate a pair to those in need. That’s a win-win. That also generates the best kind of advertising – word of mouth from satisfied customers. In short, TOMS is selling more than shoes. They’re selling hope.
So, are recovery clothing lines like Party Sober in it for the money or to help people? Well, the guys behind the brand write, “The Party Sober mission is simple, to glamorize a sober lifestyle opposite of what mainstream media glorifies.”
I can get behind that. Imagine if we saw honest and accurate portrayals of sobriety in the media. We’d see a lot more women walking through the doors of meetings! Speaking of meetings, how does anonymity factor into sober clothing?
Are We Broadcasting too Much?
Ah, the age-old question of anonymity. How do we balance our personal anonymity with our personal style? For that matter, is wearing recovery clothing breaking anonymity at the levels of press, radio, and film?
I think, like most questions of anonymity, this is a personal choice. Personally, I’m okay with wearing a shirt that says “Still Hot When You’re Sober” or “All This & Sober.” That’s me, though. What’s okay for me might not be okay for others.
It’s important to point out that we should be living by spiritual principles before we start wearing recovery clothing. After all, if I’m wearing a “Still Hot When You’re Sober” shirt and acting like a brat, well, I’m not making sobriety look attractive. Remember, this is a program of attraction!
Why Stores Would Never Carry a Sober Clothing Line
One of the largest challenges, maybe even the largest challenge, recovery clothing lines face is getting stores to carry their clothes.
Now, in the age of the internet, when so many of us shop online, this might not seem like a problem. It’s not a problem, if a company’s goal is simply to make money. But if they’re attempting to change how society at large views recovery, it is a problem!
Right now, stores aren’t going to carry recovery clothing because it hasn’t reached that critical mass of cool. I mean, are teenagers lining up to get a sobriety date bracelet? I don’t think so.
If brands like Party Sober continue their good fight to break the stigma of addiction and recovery stores will one day carry their clothes. Unfortunately, we haven’t reached that day yet.
Would You Wear Sober Clothing?
Like I said above, I know what’s okay for me, but I don’t know what’s okay for you. Learning this lesson is one of the greatest gifts sobriety has given me!
So, would you wear sober clothing? Let us know!
by A Women in Sobriety | Aug 4, 2014 | Addiction Articles, Drug Addiction
Written By: Fiona Stockard
Why is There an Addiction Stigma?
Addicts and alcoholics are misunderstood people. I don’t even understand them and I’m an addict and alcoholic myself! There are a bunch of different types of addiction stigma. What are they? Why do they exist?
Stigma can be understood in terms of how it manifests at the self, social, and structural levels. Self-stigma is defined as “a subjective process that is characterized by negative feelings (about self), maladaptive behavior, identity transformation or stereotype endorsement resulting from an individual’s experiences, perceptions, or anticipation of negative social reactions on the basis of a stigmatized social status or health condition” (Livingston, 2011). This basically means the judgements addicts and alcoholics carry about themselves.
Social-stigma “describes the phenomenon of large social groups endorsing stereotypes about and acting against a stigmatized group” (Livingston, 2011). So, social-stigma refers to how a society, and various subcultures within that society, view addicts and alcoholics.
Structural-stigma “refers to the rules, policies and procedures of institutions that restrict the rights and opportunities for members of stigmatized groups” (Livingston, 2011). So, structural-stigma refers to the negative attitudes held by institutions. Think the government, the healthcare system, and the criminal justice system.
An Addiction Stigma to the Power of Three
All three manifestations of stigma influence one another. For example, social-stigma has a deep effect on self-stigma. In turn, self-stigma can affect social-stigma. It’s a vicious cycle.
Several studies have identified these stigmas as significant barriers to addicts and alcoholics accessing treatment. An example of this is former President Richard Nixon’s famous term “War on Drugs.” This phrase allows the public to view those suffering from addiction as enemies of the state, rather than as sick people in need of help. It makes anything related to addiction a crime. Substance use disorders are treated as moral and criminal issues, rather than health concerns.
Livingston echoes this idea. He states, “criminalization of substance-using behaviors exacerbates stigma and produces exclusionary process that deepen the marginalization of people who use illegal substances.” Therefore, the social processes and institutions that manage substance abuse may actually contribute to its continuance (Livingston, 2011). With all three stigmas working together as one comprehensive addiction stigma, the stereotypes that follow become difficult to overcome.
There’s More
Substance use disorders are also linked to, and overlap with, a large amount of other stigmatized health conditions (HIV/AIDS, HCV, etc.), unsafe behaviors (impaired driving, unsafe sexual practices, etc.), and social problems (poverty, criminal activity, etc.) (Livingston, 2011). The stigmas and addiction stereotypes attached to these health conditions, unsafe behaviors, and social problems, make substance use disorder even more stigmatized! Additionally, as there’s truth to some stereotypes (for example, many people suffering from addiction do drive under the influence) it becomes even more challenging to counteract these stigmas.
Combating the Addiction Stereotypes
Some measures have been found to be effective when combating addiction stigma and other stereotypes associated with drug abuse. For example, self-stigma can be reduced through therapeutic interventions in drug abuse treatment. These are things like group-based acceptance and commitment therapy.
Interventions found to be successful for reducing social-stigma include motivational interviewing and communicating positive stories of people with substance use disorders.
Changing stigma at a structural level can be achieved through contact-based training and education programs targeting medical students and professionals (police officers, counselors, etc.) (Livingston, 2011).
Works Cited
Livingston, J. (2011). The effectiveness of interventions for reducing stigma related to substance use disorders: a systematic review. Addiction Review , 107-39-50.
