Welcoming all parts of ourselves Want to hear Ellie read this article? Listen here The power of “I am” I used to think that I was my emotions. I thought that the thing I was feeling and “me” were one and the same. I would think and say: “I am sad” or “I am stressed” or “I…
“It is never too late to start this journey, and you will be giving yourself the greatest gift ever.” This series showcases personal stories of addiction recovery and sobriety. Today’s edition features Carolyn Clark, a 62-year-old grandmother who, after drinking for 40 years, quit alcohol just after her 58th birthday and changed her life. Carolyn lives…
Sober people share the strategies that got them through wine o’clock Before quitting alcohol, I’d make my way through difficult, dread-inducing times by leaning into the mantra: Well, at least there’ll be wine with dinner. Envisioning that full glass of red at the end of the day brought renewed-if-false energy and a sense of relief. And…
When I removed addictive substances, I didn’t lose my creative edge—I found it. While substances promised me liberation, they actually constructed invisible barriers between myself and my most authentic work, masking emotional depths that fuel meaningful creativity. Sobriety has created spaciousness in both my mind and body, allowing my natural creative rhythms to emerge without…
Q&A with author, TEDx speaker, and educator Samantha Perkins This series showcases conversations with experts who are sober themselves and working in the recovery space. Today’s edition features Samantha Perkins, an author, TEDx speaker, and educator. Samantha works with women and teens to help them break free from alcohol culture. In her influential workshops, she encourages people to identify…
“The program saved my life then and continues to do so today.” Thirty-one years ago, on April 20, 1994, I entered a room full of strangers sitting around four long tables. Men and women who had Styrofoam cups of coffee and big blue books in front of them looked up at me and gave me…
Meet sober writers and connect in the comments! Welcome! As part of celebrating and growing the Sober App Substack community, this periodic feature showcases recent contributors. Check out their bios and publications below, find their guest posts on the homepage, and share your own sober publication or say hello in the comments. Jo Christian (they/them) is a non-binary…
I don’t know about your mind, but mine can make a religion out of anything. I’m in a Zoom workshop with Laurie Stone and Richard Toon when Barbara, one of the eight participants, mentions she’s writing about taking a tour of the Museum of Natural History in NYC and viewing the gorilla exhibit. “There are 28 dioramas,”…
Our sober community shares how they handle drink offers—from witty one-liners to vulnerable truths. “How do you handle that moment when someone offers you a drink and you say no? Does it feel different depending on where you are or who you’re with?” I recently asked a version of this question on Substack Notes and…
It’s about learning to climb the mountain. I’m writing in my local coffee shop, enjoying an iced matcha with a hint of honey. It’s sweet but not overly so. I paired it with a slice of chocolate banana bread, which is definitely sweet, perhaps too sweet. But that’s okay. There was a time when the…