Author: Contributor to The Sober Curator

Life has a way of tossing chaos at you. One minute, everything’s fine. The next, you’re dealing with a breakup. A sudden layoff. An accident on the road. Or news that shakes you to your core. Big moments like these push old cravings to the surface. They make your mind race. The temptation is at fever pitch. But you’re not powerless in these moments. You can stay grounded even when sudden stress hits. Everyone says relapse is a part of recovery. But it doesn’t have to be. Not even when life throws something huge at you. Here are ways to…

A comprehensive analysis of public health data reveals that individuals who switch from traditional smoking to vaping report significantly improved sleep quality, with 52% of switchers experiencing better rest patterns within six months of making the transition. The analysis, commissioned by Discount Vape Pen and based on CDC health survey data and sleep research studies, examined sleep quality metrics among 12,000 individuals who transitioned from combustible tobacco to vaping products between 2022 and 2024. “The connection between respiratory health and sleep quality is well-established in medical literature,” said Beau Elliott, spokesperson for Discount Vape Pen. “What we’re seeing in the…

Choosing an engagement ring is one of life’s most meaningful milestones. For people living intentionally — whether in recovery or simply seeking a more mindful lifestyle that is alcohol-free — the process can be about far more than carats or cost. It’s about designing a symbol that reflects authenticity, clarity, and commitment. If you’re exploring custom options, here are three jewelry companies that make the process as personal and transparent as possible. James Allen has established itself as a prominent online retailer for engagement rings, but several other companies offer comparable or superior services for couples seeking custom designs. Each…

If the phrase “We are not a glum lot” feels distinctly or even vaguely familiar, chances are you’ve been to an AA meeting or two in your life. The quote hopped off page 132 in the 1939 originally published edition of Alcoholics Anonymous’ Big Book, as an insistence that those in sobriety enjoy life, maintain cheerfulness, and use their experiences to help others. Nearly 85 years later, it is still voiced to counter the misconception that sobriety is joyless. It highlights that members find fun, support, and a vibrant community, and that cheerfulness and laughter are integral to recovery. The…

Traditionally, substance abuse recovery was concerned with face-to-face counseling, rehabilitation centers, and support groups. Though such techniques are still effective, cost, location, stigma, and scheduling measures frequently make the help these people require unattainable. Treatment is now more accessible than ever due to virtual addiction recovery programs that are delivered via websites and apps, video calls, and online communities. This article explores the benefits and features of online addiction recovery programs, offering guidance on selecting the most suitable program. Key Benefits of Online Addiction Recovery Programs Online addiction recovery services have become increasingly popular as they address many of the…

Thailand’s beverage culture extends far beyond the tourist traps serving bucket cocktails and beer towers. Walk through any traditional Thai neighborhood early morning or late afternoon, and you’ll discover a parallel drinking culture that’s existed for centuries, one that has nothing to do with getting drunk and everything to do with feeling genuinely good. These herbal drinks, sold from colorful carts and humble shopfronts, are Thailand’s age-old knowledge of plants, health, and pleasure without the hangover. These aren’t bubble teas or smoothies. They are medicinal beverages crafted for specific purposes, produced from roots, flowers, leaves, and barks that have been…

Every guitar carries a story. Some are born in the workshop of luthiers, where the air was filled with cedar and spruce, and those that are discovered second hand, with their decades of fingerprints, sweat and remnants of songs that are long forgotten. Musicians who take them up pay little attention to the little scrap of stuff that lies at the bridge–the saddle. But it is this little item, barely visible to the naked eye, which bears the weight of getting the vibrations produced by the strings to the instrument body. And without it, the guitar is silent. The saddle…

Recovery teaches us that living well is about more than avoiding what harms us—it’s about intentionally choosing what heals us. Whether you’re in recovery yourself or caring for a loved one in senior care, the principles of conscious living offer a roadmap for nurturing health, peace, and connection at every stage of life. Just as sobriety invites clarity and self-awareness, conscious aging invites us to extend those same values—mindfulness, balance, and compassion—to our bodies, minds, and environments. A long and vibrant life is not determined solely by chance. The way we choose to eat, move, and live each day has…

Tired of cakey, creased makeup? Discover the best NARS Light Reflecting Powder alternatives—from Fièra to Charlotte Tilbury—tested for real performance, longevity, and glow. Perfect for intentional, sober beauty lovers.

If you’re choosing an addiction‑focused practicum for an MSW, you’re balancing two priorities that matter deeply. Safeguarding hard‑earned sobriety and building marketable clinical skills in places where need is high and impact is real. The path is absolutely doable for anyone pursuing a masters in clinical social work when selection is guided by reliable evidence on where the demand is, how telehealth expands safe training options and what supervision and boundaries look like in practice, not just on paper. You will need to see how to match setting to personal safety, use structured supervision to prevent drift, harness telehealth for robust clinical…

Getting sober often leads to a desire to reinvent yourself, and there are few better ways to do that than through education. Modern online education options make reinventing yourself and starting a new career much easier than it ever has been before. For people who have gotten sober and are looking for a new life, undertaking education and working towards a new career could be the perfect start. It’s not a new story, you wake up after 10 years or more of alcoholic haze and find you aren’t at all where you want to be in life. Once you are…

I walked into rehab carrying more than a bag of clothes. I carried the silence of generations. The kind of silence you only know if you grew up Black, where therapy was for white folks and rehab was a word you never dared to say out loud. I carried the shame coded into Sunday mornings, where prayer was the only prescription and crying out for help meant you were weak in faith. The faces I saw were all white. Every single one. Not unfriendly, not dismissive — but careful. Too careful. They bent over backward to make me feel included,…

Do you remember the first night after you stopped drinking? The way a Friday night felt impossibly long, the hum of laughter in a bar that suddenly seemed like a world you no longer belonged to? I do. I thought, Well that’s it. Fun is over. When I got sober, I couldn’t picture myself laughing without a drink in my hand. But more than that, it felt like I’d lost the glue that held my social life together. So many connections had been built around clinking glasses, late-night bars, “just one more” rounds. Without alcohol, I didn’t just feel like…

Is there another song from the ‘90s with such an immediately recognizable signature drum intro as Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life”? I would guess that anyone who had even half of a fingertip on the pulse of pop culture back then will likely be transported back to 1996 within the first three seconds of the song’s opening, possibly experiencing visual flashbacks of a pale, emaciated, heroin-addicted Ewan McGregor running from Scottish police down an Edinburgh thoroughfare. For those who don’t know, this scene is from “Trainspotting,” which celebrates its 30th birthday in early 2026. It is a film based on…

Highways, Heartache, and Hangovers: Our Rehab Odyssey Along the Least Coast We were addicts in love, hitchhiking through chaos. The least coast didn’t just witness us—it swallowed us, spat us back broken, bleeding, still clutching each other. Recovery was a moving target. Relapse was a shadow. Love—messy, relentless love—was the only compass. Reynolds, Georgia – Beginning Sun barely up. Disinfectant in the air. First rehab. First tremble. “You think we can do this?” I whispered, voice cracking. “You don’t get it,” he said, squeezing my hand like a lifeline. “We have to.” Hallways buzzing, peeling paint, nervous whispers. Our first…

Recently I celebrated my sixth year of sobriety. Am I an expert on the topic? God no. But something that I can share confidently and tangibly is my personal experience, plus more than 5 years working as a frontline addiction worker throughout the COVID era and beyond. I myself can only share through the lens of someone who is fortunate enough to have a supportive family and the means to seek the right help that was appropriate for me. I believe my sharing points are applicable to most, though, and I think a lot of the symptomology of early recovery…

Now that you’ve achieved sobriety, you might be looking for a new start in the workplace. Whether you’re easing yourself back into the workforce or seeking a change, the following tips can help you land the job you want. After that, we’ll frankly discuss some lingering habits that might make your work life harder. But don’t worry—we’ve got tips on how to conquer them! Getting Back on the Horse You’ve probably heard the old saying about “getting back on the horse.” It’s a whimsical way of saying, “Don’t stay down; get back up and keep going.” If employment is the…

Pride means different things to different people. For some, it’s a time to dance. For some, it’s a time to protest. When we think about Pride parties, oftentimes images of people getting together and drinking and partying till sunrise come to mind. Some people can handle their drinking and drugging, and some simply can’t or don’t want to partake. According to a study by the National Institute of Health, up to one-third of gay men and two-thirds of lesbians admitted to having drinking problems. In the trans community, these figures are even higher. First, LGB communities historically have been centered…

I cried as an alcoholic. I cried as a mother. I cried as a 41-year-old woman raising a nearly three-year-old child, reading in the rare, quiet moments of a busy life. A busy life that recovery has given me. The life of recovery I wanted for Mama Love as well. This book cracked something open in me. I couldn’t put it down. I started it late one night, thinking I’d read a few chapters before bed, and instead I stayed up far too late with a racing heart and full tissue box. I finished it the next day, completely gutted and grateful.…

When people talk about sobriety, the conversation often stops at not drinking or not using. But for those of us who’ve taken the leap into sober living, we know that’s only the beginning. Sobriety isn’t the finish line, it’s the doorway to something much bigger. It’s a doorway to a life that’s full, joyful, and deeply satisfying. Living sober is not about losing. It’s about gaining a life you love waking up to every day. A life that’s balanced, meaningful, and fueled by purpose and connection. And while staying sober takes real effort, there’s never been a better time to…

You don’t need a cocktail in hand to enjoy the magic of a tropical island. The Bahamas’ Out Islands offer stunning blue waters, secluded beaches, and thrilling adventures, all without the haze of a hangover. These lesser-known islands provide a serene, authentic escape perfect for a sober vacation. Why the Out Islands Are Perfect for a Sober Adventure While a Bahamas cruise can drop you at major ports like Nassau, this is just the starting point for one of your most memorable trips yet. The lesser-known gems of the Out Islands offer a slower, more intentional pace that is perfect…

I hit seven years of sobriety on February 10, 2025. When I got sober, one of the first things I put on my bucket list was to get to NYC and witness the fashion world in real life. I wanted to feel the pulse of the city, to be where Halston, Studio 54 and all the great misfit creatives once came alive. I didn’t know how or when, but I knew I wanted to be in the room where style and self-expression weren’t just accepted — they were worshipped. Now, every February — on my soberversary — I go to…

“You get sober and then life gets real weird, real fast.” — Alysse Bryson If you’ve ever worried that the party ends when the drinking stops—buckle up. Because Episode 28 of The Killjoy After Party is here to blow that myth wide open. Rude and Goody were joined by the one and only Alysse Bryson, a trailblazing force in the sobriety space and the powerhouse behind The Sober Curator, a lifestyle site that proves sober doesn’t mean boring—it means boldly, beautifully, and hilariously alive. In an episode full of laughs (our cheeks actually hurt), real talk, and musical mischief, we…

I’ll never forget the first time I met Sarah Morgando. We were two nurses, walking parallel paths. Both starting our coaching practices around the same time. Board-certified. Seasoned. And no strangers to holding space for the hard, messy, deeply human stuff. But what struck me immediately about Sarah wasn’t just her clinical knowledge or calm presence — it was the way she carried her story. Gracefully. Bravely. And with a kind of purpose that makes you sit up a little straighter and listen a little harder. Sarah’s sister, Jenny, died after a long battle with addiction — one complicated by…

It does happen to the best of us. That 2021 product tutorial? Cut too close. That behind-the-scenes photo shoot for your campaign? All the action was chopped out of frame. And don’t even begin with the TikToks created before you knew what “safe zones” were. But what if you never had to leave that old content in the dust? For sober content creators, who are often a team of one or building their message with limited resources, every piece of content counts. And let’s be honest, cleaning up old content should be easier than writing out your fourth step inventory…

In Episode 9 of You’ve Been Selected, I sit down with Alysse Bryson, founder of The Sober Curator, a BuzzFeed-style online magazine for the sober-curious and alcohol-free crowd. Spoiler alert: we talk fashion, recovery and the kind of friendship that starts with saying yes to something you have no clue how to do.  Alysse shares the backstory of how The Sober Curator came to life (hint: it involved a whole lot of passion and probably caffeine), and how I somehow ended up writing a fashion column — without any formal fashion experience but plenty of bold opinions and dopamine outfits. …

The first time I stole, I was six. I stuffed a Milky Way down the leg of my corduroy bell-bottoms. It slid down my pants onto the pavement outside the store. My stepmom made me bring it back to the cashier. At home, I wasn’t allowed candy, but I liked it, I wanted it and I stole more. M&M’s, malt balls, Swedish Fish. In second grade, I stole cotton candy and strawberry Bonne Belle Lip Smackers. I would come to school in gold-threaded saris that my dad brought me back from India, and the kids would make fun of me. But…

Unresolved issues from the past can weigh you down and prevent you from achieving your true potential. This is especially true when it comes to rifts in relationships with people you have deeply cared about, like a parent, sibling, romantic partner, or close friend. Ultimately, walking away is easy. But it doesn’t necessarily allow you to move forward. Your mistakes can consume you with guilt, sadness, and shame for years. They can manifest in numerous ways (from anxiety and withdrawal to an inability to form healthy relationships and, sometimes, even physical health issues). To avoid all these, it is important…

Visiting the “Superfine Tailoring and Dandy Style” exhibit at The Met was nothing short of a masterclass in style, artistry and cultural significance. Walking through the exhibit, I was struck by the sheer range of influences on display, from impeccably tailored suits to streetwear, from Muhammad Ali’s iconic boxing shorts to the regal grandeur of Sunday church style. It was a celebration of fashion in all its forms, but more importantly, it was a celebration of Black artists and designers who have shaped this industry, often without receiving their due credit. In a time when DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion)…

I read “Soberful” by Veronica Valli on a flight to NYC once, and I underlined page after page like I was cramming for a final. I didn’t need to scroll her bio or stalk her Instagram to know she was legit — her words hit hard because they were true. So when I had the chance to sit down with her for an episode of You’ve Been Selected, I knew exactly what I wanted to talk about: the wild, weird and often wonderful world of sober social media. Let’s be real: Instagram is loud. And when it comes to sobriety,…