June 18, 2019

Missy Pollack, alumni coordinator at Recovery First Treatment Center, was interviewed for an article in Vox on the influx of sober Instagram influencers and the burgeoning “sober curious” movement.

Sober influencers are becoming more and more prevalent on Instagram. Instead of images of partying, these users post various images surrounding sobriety and show their followers the lives they lead without alcohol. There is also the concept of being “sober curious,” which is becoming a popular hashtag across the platform. Those who are sober curious are merely interested in the benefits of sobriety, not actively living a life in recovery.

“As an addict, I have to be extremely careful about ever identifying myself as ‘sober curious,’ and this is why this movement concerns me just a little,” said Missy. “Whether the problem was alcohol or heroin, addiction is a disease that affects how we think. We do things obsessively and compulsively … there is no ‘trying on sobriety’ for us.”

The rest of the article can be read at Vox.com