Sobriety as the path and serenity as the final goal.

 The words serenity and sobriety are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference between the two. It can be helpful to think of sobriety as the path and serenity as the final goal. It is not possible for people in recovery to achieve serenity without sobriety. This is also more to it than just being sober. Sobriety means that the individual is doing all the right things to achieve good mental health. In most instances the individual will need to put plenty of time and effort into their sobriety before they achieve serenity – it can take decades. They will likely get glimpses of the final goal long before they arrive.