Over the past several years, I’ve noticed a pattern with some of my clients in recovery. It cuts across political parties, belief systems, and personal backgrounds. When people become deeply immersed in politics—especially through social media—something often begins to shift. Emotional regulation weakens. Anxiety increases. Anger becomes more accessible. And for some, sobriety quietly starts to erode.
This isn’t about being politically engaged or caring about the world. It’s about what happens inside us when our nervous systems are constantly fed fear and outrage.
Modern political content isn’t designed to inform—it’s designed to activate. Fear and anger keep people scrolling, sharing, and engaging. Social media algorithms quickly learn what you respond to and then deliver more of the same. Over time, your feed becomes an echo chamber that reinforces your existing beliefs and emotions. It can begin to feel like everyone agrees with you—and that those who don’t are dangerous, ignorant, or immoral.
That illusion is powerful. And it’s destabilizing.
I want to say this clearly: this has been a struggle for me too. There have been seasons where I thought I had this under control. I believed I could stay informed, engage thoughtfully, and not let it affect me. But in the current political climate, I’ve had to admit that some old patterns have resurfaced. I’ve noticed increased agitation, reactivity, and distraction—signals I’ve learned to take seriously in recovery.
So I’m having to set new boundaries. That includes how closely I follow political news, how much time I spend on social media, and whether I participate in political discussions at all. Not because I don’t care—but because my emotional health and sobriety require honesty and humility.
In recovery, emotional sobriety matters just as much as behavioral sobriety. When fear and anger dominate our internal world, we move into survival mode. Our bodies shift into fight-or-flight. The part of the brain responsible for reflection, restraint, and long-term thinking goes offline. Old coping strategies—the ones addiction wired into us—become more tempting.
I often ask clients a simple but uncomfortable question:
“Would you rather be convinced you’re politically right, or would you rather be sober?”
It’s not a trick question. It’s a recovery question. And It’s a question I am asking myself a lot recently.
Sobriety requires humility, emotional regulation, and connection. Political outrage thrives on certainty, reactivity, and division. Those two states don’t coexist easily. When we live on a steady diet of fear and anger, something has to give—and it’s often our recovery practices that slip first.
Recovery is about learning to live in reality rather than emotional extremes. Algorithms don’t care about your sobriety. They care about engagement. If fear and anger keep you hooked, that’s what you’ll be fed—no matter which side you’re on.
Choosing sobriety sometimes means choosing boundaries others don’t understand. That includes boundaries around political content. Not because you don’t care—but because your life, your healing, and your recovery matter more than being constantly outraged.
So the question is worth revisiting—again and again:
Would you rather be convinced you’re right…or would you rather be sober?