What's being sober?

Am just interested in what folks think being sober are?
I watch a lot of reality tv, mostly USA, in a lot of states weed is legal, but if you give up alcohol but use weed, is that being sober?
Sober to me means being clean of alcohol and drugs.

Sober to me means not drinking.

I am older but the definition could have changed to include drugs but not using drugs to me would be 'clean'

laughing said:

Sober to me means not drinking.

I am older but the definition could have changed to include drugs but not using drugs to me would be 'clean'

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I get that, but normally drink and drugs can go hand in hand, you give up one, but then might use the other, so is that sober or clean?

Maid22 said:

I get that, but normally drink and drugs can go hand in hand, you give up one, but then might use the other, so is that sober or clean?

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I'd say that's sober but not clean.

Sober = not drinking

Clean = not using drugs

Sober and clean = not using drink or drugs

laughing said:

Sober = not drinking

Clean = not using drugs

Sober and clean = not using drink or drugs

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I was just going to say the same thing about the difference between sober and clean.

Another question, can you go to an AA meeting, but can still do drugs?

Think it's an American thing where giving up both goes hand in hand. It's all or nothing, so going sober means abstaining from any addiction.

UK wise, sober I'd associate with not drinking.
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Maid22 said:

I was just going to say the same thing about the difference between sober and clean.

Another question, can you go to an AA meeting, but can still do drugs?

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I think it depends on the country and how bad your drug use is tbh.
I guess in the UK smoking a little weed is acceptable if it stops you drinking.

Also depends on how you are as a person. Often a lot of addictions are inter linked.

So it's best to give everything up. Not easy!

Maid22 said:

I was just going to say the same thing about the difference between sober and clean.

Another question, can you go to an AA meeting, but can still do drugs?

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You don’t have to be sober to go to AA (obviously try not to go along drunk and disrupt the meeting!) I have found them welcoming to get you started and attended a few before I had quit, lots of others do the same. Some meetings frown upon all substances, even vapes, but there are so many meetings that take place you can find one that you can get along with. Remember that alcohol is also a drug (and would be class A if it just came out now). If you struggle with both then NA is a place to go. I haven’t been myself but people I have spoken to found it a bit more laidback than AA. There is always a 24hour online AA meeting if you feel unable to go along in person and I found it helpful when I just needed some company and words of support. You can access it via the AA website. If you want to do AA it’s worth reading about the 12 steps and seeing if that’s an approach that would work for you. If not, there is HAMS, harm reduction, they have groups on Facebook you can join. I used both, I liked the fellowship of AA but didn’t do the 12 steps. I liked the camaraderie and humour of HAMS.

there is also 'california sober' which is

using weed but no other drugs or alcohol.