“I was either going to continue and let it kill me slowly, or I was going to decide to live.” This series showcases personal stories of addiction recovery and sobriety. Today’s edition features Jessica Dueñas, an educator, sober life coach, and TEDx speaker who writes about self-worth, the cost of success, and recovery. Her work explores…
How surrender saved my life I am eleven. I am beaten up every day in gym class because I am weird and poor and one of only two white kids in the whole school. At home, I am my stepfather’s emotional punching bag. On the weekends, my hippie dad who I adored my whole life…
“I never knew what it was like to get to the other side of anything without drinking over it.” This series showcases personal stories of addiction recovery and sobriety. Today’s edition features Vince Puzick. Over the course of his 42 years of sobriety, Vince has been an English teacher, a fly fishing guide, a single father,…
Physical, emotional, and spiritual strategies that made the difference Towards the end of my drinking, I was putting together two and three months of sobriety at a time. And I was reaping the benefits of my work: I wasn’t hungover, my face was less puffy, I was feeling—dare I say it—closer to comfortable in my skin. My…
How I redefined sobriety and rebuilt my life After two unsuccessful short-term stints in alcohol and drug addiction treatment centers, an 11-month residential program gave me the support and time I needed to “do the work” and find sobriety. This time around was different. After three years in and out of the AA program, living…
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…