How to get back on track after a relapse or slip For Beth Recently, at the bakery, change has been afoot. New employees. New equipment. New business trends. These changes have paralleled my lived experience, especially in my journey towards sobriety, leading me to redefine what it means to be sober. One change in the…
Recently, someone pointed out that “rage” is hidden in “courage.” Finding my rage, I discovered courage—the courage to be. I had already navigated rugged terrain to align with my true self, my emotional intelligence had grown (at least I had some now), and I was largely emotionally sober. For decades in recovery, I had no…
Navigating friendships in sobriety What will they think of me? Will people still be my friends? For too many years, this type of thinking kept me stuck in an unhealthy pattern of behavior, and I allowed myself to be controlled by the opinions of others. My entire life, I’ve worried about what others thought and…
37 years of growth, gratitude, and community I did not mean to get sober. However, over a couple of years, several friends strongly suggested to me that my drinking behavior was not normal, and they were concerned for me. I was not appreciative in the least of their concerns and thought their comments about my…
“Two cans of Tennent’s Super and a packet of neurodivergences, please.” It’s 1984. A world before the internet, Google, and ChatGPT. On one hand, innocent and simple. On the other, there’s me, a teenager, pretty messed up in the head, diagnosed with OCD at age 11 and then… nothing. Just the words, “OCD, next.” No…
From family shadows to personal recovery My mom and dad have been married 39 years and I’m the youngest of three. My brothers are close, both in age and confidence. Each preceded me by a decade and some change, so I guess you could call me a surprise. I was little, but I was perceptive….
Embracing life’s challenges and finding strength in sobriety When we choose sobriety, our problems don’t suddenly disappear. Like any deep and genuine healing, a sober life often feels more painful and problematic before it starts to get easier—or at least it can seem that way. Since I let go of alcohol in 2020, I’ve faced…
How I use grief as a recovery tool A sober curious friend asked me the other day if there is any one thing I credit as being the thing that got me sober. My answer: grief. Grief scared me into drinking more. Drinking more made me scared of myself. Like many, for me 2020 was the year…
“Nearly all of my mental and physical self-diagnoses were just symptoms of drinking alcohol.” This series showcases personal stories of addiction recovery and sobriety. Today’s edition features Chris James, a 36-year-old debt adviser from England who works for a charity and is passionate about educating others on the dangers of alcohol. With a wonderful partner…
When my alcoholism was at its peak, there was no functioning without it. After having witnessed some of the most tragic scenes humanity had to offer during my army service, my ability to function without chemical assistance was impossible. Trauma and substance abuse often go hand in hand, and my case was no exception. Truth…