Star-Studded: Ringo Starr
After the Beatles broke up in 1970, their drummer Ringo Starr spent almost two decades “lost in a haze of alcohol and drugs.”[1] “It got progressively worse, and the blackouts got worse, and I didn’t know where I’d been, what I’d done,” he said. “I knew I had the problem for years. But it plays […]
Releasing the Need for Control in Recovery
Sometimes I wonder how I spent so many years getting obliterated with alcohol and drugs, because in recovery, I struggle with a strong need for control. Active addiction seems like giving up control; your life becomes chaotic, and you can’t make clear-minded decisions. However, in active addiction, we’re often trying to control our emotions (which […]
Can Exercise Play a Role in Addiction Treatment?
Addiction recovery is different for everyone. Some people find 12-step groups helpful, while others might do therapy or meditation. Often, it is a combination of several methods. However, there are practices that tend to be helpful for many of those in recovery, and exercise is one of them. Working out releases dopamine and other neurotransmitters […]
Star-Studded Addictions: Sia
TW: Talk of suicide The night musician Sia wrote the song “Breathe Me”—a 2004 hit that was on the season finale of the TV show Six Feet Under—she tried to kill herself by taking 22 Valium with a bottle of vodka. Six years later in 2010, she again planned to kill herself. She had […]
Sober Stories: Carly*

What led you to the decision to get sober? I got kicked out of my house—and I think I didn’t like drugs anymore. I don’t remember getting high or feeling good. I had nothing else to do with my life, so that was at least a start. I don’t think I was ever actually an […]
Study Evaluates Healthcare Quality for People With Opioid Use Disorder
A study published April 8th measured the quality of care that people with opioid use disorder (OUD) receive for healthcare unrelated to OUD.[1] It analyzed preventative care, chronic illness treatment, and care coordination in 79,372 insured people with OUD—and for comparison, 46,601 insured people without OUD. The study used data from OptumLabs Data Warehouse, which […]
Think Outside the House

Now that the weather is warmer, it’s a good time to get outside. Being outdoors for even a short amount of time is incredibly beneficial for lowering stress and improving mental health. I’ve written on this blog about how weekly hikes with a friend were an important part of my early recovery. When new sobriety […]
Can Older Adults Become Addicted?
When it comes to addiction, there’s often a lot of focus on younger people. However, older adults can also become addicted—and in fact are using drugs and alcohol at higher rates than previous generations. When Baby Boomers were coming of age in the 60’s and 70’s, experimentation with drugs and alcohol was becoming more mainstream. […]
What to Expect from a Drug Rehab Program
Choosing to enter drug rehab is vital for making the lifelong changes necessary to quit substance abuse. However, not everyone wants to jump straight into a rehab program. Some of the reluctance may come from not knowing what to expect. By finding out what happens in substance abuse treatment programs can make the decision to […]
Star-Studded Addictions: Elton John
The musician Elton John has been sober since 1990. At the beginning of his career, John dealt with multiple addictions—to drugs, sex, and shopping—as well as bulimia and anger management issues. “There were times I was having chest pains or staying up for three days at a time,” he said. “I used to have spasms […]