Sober Stories: Angel
TW: Suicidal thoughts What led you to enter recovery? I had known for a long time that I was an alcoholic; I was just never ready to do anything about it. But then when alcohol wasn’t working as well as I needed it to—and I couldn’t cope with my life circumstances […]
Sober Stories: Seth
What led you to get sober? I had tried to stop several times, and I would maybe make it three days, or three weeks, or even three months—but I couldn’t really get past that. I was probably drinking for two years knowing that I shouldn’t be. At the end, I was dating somebody that had […]
A Conversation With Author Melissa Febos
I spoke with author Melissa Febos over zoom about recovering from addiction, channeling addictive tendencies in healthier ways, and viewing substance use disorders as a way to self-soothe. First I wanted to say, I feel such a kinship in your writing. Besides being queer and sober, I have a history of all-consuming romantic relationships and […]
Alec Baldwin
Actor Alec Baldwin got sober on February 23rd, 1985. He was 26 years old. Addiction runs in Baldwin’s family; his brother, Daniel Baldwin, has also spoken publicly about his substance use disorder. When he was younger, Baldwin struggled with drinking and drug use. Soon before he stopped using substances, he nearly died of an overdose. […]
Rob Lowe
This past May, the actor Rob Lowe—most recently known for his role in the show Parks and Recreation—celebrated 31 years sober. Lowe first started drinking at age 13. He then began using drugs and getting heavier into drinking during the filming of the movie The Outsiders, during which he turned 18. For a year before […]
A Conversation With Author Sarah Hepola
I spoke with the author Sarah Hepola over zoom about her book Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget, society’s changing attitudes towards alcohol, and finding identity and connection in sobriety. So first of all, I loved Blackout. Regarding the subtitle, “Remembering the things I drank to forget,” can you talk about some […]
Dax Shepard
The actor Dax Shepard was sober for 16 years before relapsing in 2020. Relapse in celebrities often becomes fodder for jokes, which adds to stigma, but Shepard addressed his relapse candidly and directly. He and his wife, the actress Kristen Bell, were also candid with their daughters. They told them in an age-appropriate way that […]
Sober Stories: Charlie
What led you to get sober? There was a series of thoughts. The first was I was starting my medical transition, and part of getting on hormones is having a psych evaluation. I did the psych eval and they identified that I had an alcohol abuse problem. By the time I saw my therapist for […]
Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers has been continuously sober since the year 2000. He’s struggled with cocaine, heroin, and alcohol use. The song “Under the Bridge,” one of the band’s most popular, is about a time Kiedis used drugs under a bridge in LA. One day during his first attempt at sobriety, […]
Florence Welch
Florence Welch, lead singer of Florence and the Machine, has been sober since 2014. In recent years, she’s opened up about her history of addiction and eating disorders. Welch says she grew up with a sense of terror that could only be quelled by music or self-destruction. “I learned ways to manage that terror—drink, drugs, […]