Before honesty felt safe, it felt unbearable. “You smell like alcohol.” A sentence that sounds like a simple sensory observation, especially when it comes from the mouth of a child, can land like a siren when you’re carrying a secret with the potential to turn deadly. Recently, I had a moment to myself and decided…
A monthly roundup from the alcohol-free Substack community Welcome! This is our monthly roundup of reads and resources from the alcohol-free Substack community. We publish twice-weekly posts year-round and welcome new and returning contributors. If you’d like to contribute your story or insights, reach out for submission guidelines. Now, on to the links. Below, you’ll find personal reflections on…
“My trajectory was rock bottom, but I found my way out.” This series showcases personal stories of addiction recovery and sobriety. Today’s edition features Rilee Wagner, an avid blogger, runner, and coffee connoisseur. In March 2025, at age 27, Rilee stopped drinking and began sharing raw reflections on life before and after sobriety, helping others struggling…
Time on meth is very different from time with no meth. When I was on meth, I was busy. Very busy. There was gardening to do, color-coding the closet, taking apart doorknobs, trying to put doorknobs back together and trips to Home Depot at 3 a.m. to look at light fixtures and nails. I had…
“Alcohol wasn’t saving me—it was slowly erasing me.” This series showcases personal stories of addiction recovery and sobriety. Today’s edition features Lisa Schmidt, the storyteller behind The Sober Hipster Journal and the message You Matter. Your Story Matters. Twelve years sober, she shares her lived experience at the intersection of recovery, faith, mental health, and LGBTQ+ identity. She…
On my sober birthday, I wanted to ask… As I turn six years sober on February 11, I’d love to ask you… What surprised you about getting sober? You can find my answer here. And since we ask this in the My Sobriety Story series, I’ve pulled from those responses below. You can find the full stories here. Whether…
“Don’t try to make your sobriety look like someone else’s.” This series showcases personal stories of addiction recovery and sobriety. Today’s edition features Sydney Allen, who has been sober since November 2022, when she realized alcohol no longer had a place in the life she wanted. Noticing a gap in support for people who stop drinking without…
Creating a vision board for the life you’re ready to live Growing up in a family of six children with a narcissistic mother/stepmother required that everyone play a role in her central story. As the bridge between sets of siblings, I was the physical and emotional connector. As such, my body and emotions were never…
“How do you want to live your new life?” This series showcases personal stories of addiction recovery and sobriety. Today’s edition features Kat Whetstone, a freelance writer who covers hockey, sobriety, and neurodivergence. She is the creator of Hockey in Heels, a blog devoted to covering all sides of the hockey world from a queer woman’s point…
A monthly roundup from the alcohol-free Substack community Welcome! This is our monthly roundup of reads and resources from the alcohol-free Substack community. How were your sober holidays? Super sweet? Glad they’re over? A mix of the two? If you got sober for Dry January, how’s that going? How are you feeling? Wherever you are…