Stopping was only the beginning. In this personal essay, a reader reflects on the quieter work of recovery: facing uncomfortable feelings, rebuilding trust through everyday actions and discovering a definition of success that leaves room for presence, connection and self-worth.
Tara Oporto loves the gang at Paddy’s Pub. But when “The War on Alcohol” turns a request for nonalcoholic beer into a setup for drink spiking, the joke loses her. A reader’s perspective on satire, consent and respecting the choice not to drink.
“The shortest distance between a truth and a human being is through a story.” I was told that more than…
One person brought Kim to London: her beloved Nattee. What began as a deeply personal journey of grief became a celebration of friendship, sober connection and the people who can make a place thousands of miles away feel like home.
Brad Pitt’s revelation that he is no longer sober after seven years without alcohol quickly became a debate about relapse, moderation and who gets to define sobriety. Danielle Elliott Smith argues that we may be asking the wrong question entirely.
Dr. Jeff Sandoz reflects on growing up in Cajun country, finding recovery through AA, and discovering how honest stories can transform shame, isolation, and addiction into hope.
Sober Curator Sports Contributor Justin Kinney started using kratom for energy, focus, and better workouts, but what looked like a legal performance edge became a dependence he never saw coming.
In this lyrical sober poetry piece, Kim Bellas reflects on a lifetime of waiting for permission, confidence, and rescue before discovering the truth that changed everything: the person she had been waiting for was herself. Honest, hopeful, and deeply encouraging, “I Rescued Myself” is a reflection on courage, reinvention, connection, and the beauty of building a bigger life at any age.
Author Anna David reflects on the evolution from her early “will-say-anything” sober party girl years to motherhood, trauma recovery, and a more grounded understanding of herself. In this personal essay, she shares why she re-released a cleaner version of Party Girl 15 years later — and what happens when the wildest version of your past is still searchable, sellable, and occasionally handed to you by your child’s school principal.
Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence, Overdose, Loss When I got sober, I thought I had cracked the code on life. I…
I have a habit of turning my job into my identity. If I am employed, I am stable. If I…
I wake up in sweat My heart it pounds I can’t catch my breath The dark surrounds I am in…
I was introduced to the idea of glory through my Christian faith. Or maybe through watching Raiders of the Lost…
For most of my adult life, I believed I was a “moderate drinker.” I worked hard, rarely missed a day…
Life has a way of tossing chaos at you. One minute, everything’s fine. The next, you’re dealing with a breakup.…
Apparently it’s getting on for eight years since I had my last alcoholic drink. Wow. Pause for thought. Opening the…
A nerdy look at a great reason to stay sober!
When I was in my 20s and bartending in Alaska (yeah, talk about a kid in the candy shop!), I…
It was July 2010 and even though I don’t remember the exact date, I think I’m pretty close with the…
I never dreamed of becoming a low-level female drug dealer in small-town America. Yet after my home was raided and…
I walked into rehab carrying more than a bag of clothes. I carried the silence of generations. The kind of…
“I am a harm reduction advocate who uses marijuana, not a marijuana advocate who uses harm reduction.” Andrew Littlefield That distinction…
Highways, Heartache, and Hangovers: Our Rehab Odyssey Along the Least Coast We were addicts in love, hitchhiking through chaos. The…
I am bipolar, but my Recovery is not. Deep down I knew addiction was only a symptom for me, the…
Recently I celebrated my sixth year of sobriety. Am I an expert on the topic? God no. But something that…
Fifteen years sober. Fifteen years of meetings, therapy, inventories, step work, helping others, getting help, relapsing only in dreams, and…
All my life, I’ve felt haunted. Haunted by ancestors past, whose abuse would have devastating effects for generations. The two…
We’ve all heard of body dysmorphia—that painful disconnect between how we think we look and how we actually do. But…
“This is it; this is the end.” The warning was sudden and clear. It wasn’t a bellow nor a whisper,…
I used to be the drinker. The one who always said, “Just one more!”—and meant at least five. I drank…
