"Clean and sober" → in recovery

Stigma-preferred language

Definition

Imported from alcohol and drug recovery and a poor fit for gambling, where nothing is ingested; many people harmed by gambling say it makes their experience sound like it does not count.

Preferred phrasing

in recovery · gambling-free.

Source

Primary source for this whole section: https://www.recoveryanswers.org/addiction-ary/ Supporting: https://pttcnetwork.org/non-stigmatizing-language/ · https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/person-first-language-heroin-use-disorder/

Cite this

Betttr. ""Clean and sober" → in recovery." The Gambling Recovery Glossary. https://betttr.net/glossary/clean-and-sober/ (accessed 2026-09-20).

Last updated: 2026-09-20.

Corrections: support@betttr.net