Breaking Myths About Recovery
Before I got sober, I only had one close sober friend. I didn’t learn much about sobriety from him until after I got sober, because once he entered recovery, I often avoided him. I thought people in recovery were miserable and bored—or, worse, boring. I didn’t think I could have fun around someone in recovery, […]
Why Recovery Is a Gift, Not a Punishment
In the years I knew I had a problem before I got sober, I had two ideas about sobriety. 1. It would be the end of all that was good, dooming me to a life of denying what I wanted, and 2. Sober people who touted the miracle of recovery were exaggerating or lying. Nearly […]
Sober Role Models
There are a lot of stigmas about addiction that keep people from seeking help. If you don’t know (or think you don’t know) any sober people, those stigmas have room to grow. When you speak to a person in recovery, it challenges preconceived ideas about what addiction or sobriety looks like. Sponsors In 12-step fellowships, […]
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 […]
4 Ways to Stay Sober During a Crisis
In crisis situations, your brain reacts by pumping stress hormones into your blood. It’s meant to help give you the tools you need to fight the situation or flee from it. Yet, in today’s world, that crisis isn’t always fleeting. It may last, and the stress you feel doesn’t get better. This can make it […]
Taking it One Day at a Time
When you first get sober, the future can feel overwhelming. I wanted to fast-forward time, so I could get to the part where I imagined sobriety would feel natural. But I also couldn’t fathom forever without alcohol or drugs. I’ve been sober almost five and a half years. But the first time I tried full […]
How to Move Past the Pink Cloud Experience
Have you experienced the pink cloud experience? You may have if you have reached sobriety from your drug or alcohol addiction. The pink cloud occurs when you find yourself excited and living your best life right after you have ended treatment. You are sober, and it feels terrific. The problem is, it can all come […]
Dry January: Assessing Your Relationship to Alcohol
While there is a lot of heavy drinking during the December holidays and New Year’s Eve, millions of people spend the following month abstaining from alcohol. Dry January is a campaign—begun in the UK in 2013—encouraging people to stay sober for the month of January. It normalizes sobriety. Dry January started with about 4,000 people; […]
Enjoying Labor Day, Sober
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Learning to do Labor Day Sober” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]Whether you are newly in recovery or have been for quite some time, the holidays are, without a doubt, a stressful time of the year. Sobriety during the holidays may even seem completely impossible at some points. How do you possibly not drink on the last weekend of […]