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Addiction Recovery Bulletin
HOW IT WORKS –
March 7, 2025 – Svenja, age 24, works at an artificial intelligence (AI) startup in Berlin, Germany. She is also Germany’s first content creator for sober living. Growing up in the north of the country, drinking alcohol seemed like the norm. Yet Svenja realized that alcohol was damaging her physical and mental health. Two years ago, she made the decision to stop drinking for good.
“I just stopped. There was no transition period. I woke up one morning and just decided I wouldn’t do it anymore. I haven’t had a single sip since!”
Challenging societal norms
Svenja recalls, “I had my first sip of alcohol when I was 13 years old. I drank all the way up until I was about 22. When you grow up in the countryside in Germany, it is just a very normal thing to do – to drink with your peers and with your families. You do it because otherwise you will be seen as weird or an outsider.”
She reflects on the societal norms she grew up with: “Growing up, having your first hangover is almost expected of you. It is weirdly romanticized in our culture.”
CONTINUE@WHO
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