35 Quotes on Sobriety and Getting Sober

Our Favorite Motivational Quotes for Sobriety and Recovery

When you choose a sober life over addiction, you make life-changing commitments. You may know in your heart that you have gained freedom, health, and the ability to live in the present moment.

When you feel you might waver, sobriety quotes can provide the motivation you need to remain on a solid foundation. We’ve assembled meaningful quotes on sobriety to help you keep on the path to a better life.

The team at Icarus Behavioral Health Nevada provides clients with more than a JCAHO-accredited addiction recovery experience. Many of our team members have chosen recovery, as well. After we’ve moved in the right direction, we have committed to helping others write a brand new ending, even when rising back up from rock bottom.

We hope the words you read in these motivational sobriety quotes remind you that sobriety is the best decision you’ve ever made.

Quotes from Celebrities Who Chose Sober Living over Chaos

Your favorite celebrity who chose to get clean and sober is undoubtedly not the only one who has had to bounce back from addiction. The difference is, they often must ace their demons in the spotlight. Their lives often become someone else’s survival guide.

Matthew Perry Addiction Recovery Quotes

We remember Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom Friends. We acknowledge that we lost him too soon to a ketamine overdose. His quotes serve as a reminder about the fragility of sobriety:

“The thing is, if I don’t have sobriety, I don’t have anything.”

“No matter how much far down the scale I’ve gone, I’ll be able to help someone who’s gone that far down too. So I keep going.”

“There are two ways to go when you hit that crossroads in your life: There is the bad way, when you sort of give up, and then there is the really hard way, when you fight back. I went the hard way and came out of it okay.”

Sir Elton John Sober Quotes

Sir Elton speaks openly about how drugs and alcohol nearly destroyed his health and career. He calls addiction “a living hell” and knows he was worth recovery. His sobriety quotes show how sobriety makes life meaningful again:

“34 years clean and sober. My life has never been better.”

“When you come out of treatment, it’s like being reborn. You are so stripped down and completely vulnerable. It’s like starting life over with a new rule book for living.”

Russell Brand Found Inner Peace When He Stopped Drinking and Using

Brand’s decision to quit drinking and seek lasting recovery came from several three pivotal events: health scares, professional setbacks, and failed relationships. He learned to stay focused on growth and find self-respect. May his words remind you of why you can’t let your past steal your future joy:

“It is 10 years since I used drugs or alcohol and my life has improved immeasurably.”

“The only way to change is to change your behavior every day.”

Charlie Sheen Motivational Recovery Quotes

Sheen’s behavior during the height of addiction made headlines, including a separation from his long-running sitcom Two and a Half Men. After years of struggling, Sheen recovered and has shared words of encouragement with others:

“You have to be willing … only you can save your own life.”

“I keep a [mental list] of the worst, most shameful things I’ve done, and I can look at that in my head if I feel like having a drink.”

Rob Lowe Got Sober to Stay Focused on Family

Lowe often explains how getting and staying sober has improved his relationship with his wife and children. He often defines sobriety as a powerful tool for rebuilding his life, perhaps the best gift ever. Try finding inspiration here:

“I have other obligations now — the show, my family, my life… though I know that without my sobriety I wouldn’t have any of those things.”

“Sobriety was the greatest gift I ever gave myself. I don’t put it on a platform. I don’t campaign about it. It’s just something that works for me. It enabled me to really connect with another human being — my wife, Sheryl — which I was never able to do before.”

“For someone in recovery like me, the single greatest hurdle — the number one with a bullet that will make you drink — is resentment. You can’t have it. People always say, ‘How have you been sober 26 years? What’s the secret?’ Well, that’s it.”

Robert Downey, Jr. Found Self-Love in Sobriety

Downey was exposed to drugs from a young age. He nearly lost his entire career before seeking professional treatment. Today, the self-described former alcohol and drug addict inspires others to start again. Here are some wise words he’s shared:

“I don’t drink these days. I am allergic to alcohol and narcotics. I break out in handcuffs.”

“Remember that just because you hit bottom doesn’t mean you have to stay there.”

“Job one is get out of that cave. A lot of people do get out but don’t change.”

Jamie Lee Curtis’ Best Sobriety Quotes

Curtis has used her platform to share how addiction has reached across generations of her family. She has many inspirational quotes about sobriety, but we found the most motivation from these:

“I’m stopping what has been a generational issue in my biological family.”

“Getting sober remains my single greatest accomplishment.”

“The process of being a sober person puts you in the one day at a time mentality.”

Alcoholics Anonymous Quotes on Getting Clean and Sober

Since its inception in 1935, AA has become one of the best-known support groups to help people get and stay sober. The Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book contains too many sobriety quotes to share in one post, so we picked our favorites:

“One day at a time.”

“Progress, not perfection.”

“It works if you work it.”

“When I focus on what’s good today, I have a good day. When I focus on what’s bad, I have a bad day. If I focus on the problem, the problem increases. If I focus on the answer, the answer increases.”

Rev Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ministered to Struggling People

Dr. King did not personally struggle with addiction, but likely ministered to those who did. He often spoke about the courage and perseverance it took to change hearts and minds; his words also struck chords with people in recovery. Here are some inspirational quotes:

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Carrie Fisher Quotes About Recovery

Fisher didn’t let addiction remain a shameful secret. When the pressure caught up with her, she got help and went public to help others regain motivation to have a positive outlook:

“Sometimes you can only find Heaven by slowly backing away from Hell.”

“Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.”

Other Notable People with Sobriety Quotes

Not everyone who struggles is an A-list celebrity. Many authors, athletes, and others can inspire you to look after your needs:

“Getting sober is a radically creative act.” – Meredith Bell, author

“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” – J.K Rowling, Harry Potter creator

“When I got sober, I thought giving up [alcohol] was saying goodbye to all the fun and all the sparkle, and it turned out to be just the opposite. That’s when the sparkle started for me.” – Mary Karr, poet and songwriter

“The first wealth is health.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson, author

“Sobriety has given me everything I value — my family, my career, and my health. Without it, I’d have nothing.” – Chris Herren, former NBA star

“Self-care is never a selfish act — it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others. – Parker Palmer, educator and activist

“First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.” F. Scott Fitzgerald – author

“Your best days are ahead of you. The movie starts when the guy gets sober and puts his life back together; it doesn’t end there.” – Bucky Sinister, Comedian

You’re the Only Person Who Can Change Your Life – Are You Ready?

Reading inspirational quotes on sobriety for about fifteen minutes a day can help the person on the road to recovery stay motivated and find new possibilities. What if you are just starting the journey? Icarus Nevada provides a full continuum of care to meet you where you are right now.

If you’re ready for that first day sober, call us today for a confidential, judgment-free conversation.