“It’s never been easy, and I’d never go back.” This series showcases personal stories of addiction recovery and sobriety. Today’s edition features Marya Hornbacher, an award-winning journalist, New York Times bestselling author, and recipient of numerous awards for her work. Shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize, Marya has spent a prolific quarter-century writing and teaching across genres. Now, she’s…
Open thread, share your thoughts! 💬 How do you care for your body now that you’re sober? Do you have routines, habits, or practices that help you feel stronger, healthier, more at ease, and more nourished? As a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor, I take a holistic approach to wellness. Physical care is inseparable from caring…
Sobriety is part of my mommy magic. My kids are 4 and 2. I am so deep in the trenches of parenting that there are times I can physically feel the pressure sitting on my shoulders. The responsibility I have to shape their little minds and hearts is both magnificent and terrifying. Although I try…
Today, nearly a year later—I am sober. I am free. It took me eight months to finally decide to quit drinking. Eight months of rumination, mulling over the decision as if it were life or death. In some ways, I guess it could have been. Honestly, I’m not sure if being blackout drunk is all…
Getting sober helped me stop running from something. Going public helped me feel safe from the stigma. I first “went public” with my recovery in May 2024, when I launched my Substack newsletter, Recoverettes. I had been working on a piece for many years about my recovery, about how I felt I was an unlikely “alcoholic”…
Learning to pause, observe, and choose differently When I decided to stop drinking, it was really hard to sit with the cravings. I would wake up and tell myself, “I’m not drinking later today.” However, my subconscious mind had already made the decision. A difficult situation, moment, or thought would arise during the day, and…
Believe me, I tried. In 2021, I untangled myself from alcohol. Prior to that, my dance with drinking had become a nightly tango. The steps were automatic, the choreography my own. Ice tumbling into my glass mere minutes after walking through the door was the only thing that helped me exhale. Just hearing the sound…
“I had to retrain my brain to not think of alcohol as the first and only solution to every problem.” This series showcases personal stories of addiction recovery and sobriety. Today’s edition features Katie MacBride, who writes the Ask a Sober Lady newsletter on Substack. She’s also a journalist who frequently covers substance use, mental health, and…
And being in it still counts. You came back. Again. That alone says more than you think. Maybe it’s been months since anyone saw your face on a meeting screen. Maybe it’s been years. But there you were—raw, tired, blinking through the screen, voice trembling, saying what you didn’t want to say again: “I just…
A journey through abuse, addiction, and healing This series showcases personal stories of addiction recovery and sobriety. Today’s edition features Alle C. Hall, an author in recovery for 35 years. Alle’s autobiographical novel, As Far as You Can Go Before You Have to Come Back, has received 16 honors, including first place in The National League of…