Whether you're on it, off it, or somewhere in between
The holidays. They say it’s a joyous time for family, feasts, and festive cheer. But, if you’re in recovery, it can be a time for navigating the treacherous waters of the “Holiday Bermuda Triangle.” The Bermuda Triangle, a term coined in the rooms of AA, consists of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Three back-to-back points […]
Fatigue in early recovery is real and I forgot how absolutely drained I felt all the time till my friend complained of exhaustion when she was counting days. For anyone beginning the journey of sobriety, physical and mental fatigue can feel overwhelming and unmanageable. You’ve taken an incredible first step by choosing recovery, but early […]
When I realized that I had a drinking problem, I immediately told myself I would moderate how much I drank. If I could just control my drinking, then I wouldn’t have to give it up. I told myself I would only drink on weekends, I would only go out for one beer after work, I […]
As the little sister to an enormous Phish fan, I have been dragged to many Phish shows. Like many diehard fans, she has followed the band all around the country, clocking in over 80 shows in the past 25 years. Due to my sister’s undying love and devotion to the band, I have come to […]
Even though alcohol is considered a social substance, many people who become dependent on it find themselves feeling alone. When my drinking was at its worst, I could be in a room surrounded by people and still feel absolutely isolated. Active alcoholism kept me separate from my friends and family, my hobbies, my work, and […]
Five years ago, a medical scare got me sober from alcohol and on my 150th day alcohol-free, I relapsed. I had a family trip to Ireland on the horizon which I was anxious about, and I decided I couldn’t be sober during that trip. So three weeks ahead of it, I drank. After that relapse, […]
At the age of 18, I entered my first relationship. I was head-over-heels for this dude and in love with being in love. 9 months later, he dumped me for another chick — and I completely lost my mind. I became the crazy ex-girlfriend. I would call him several times a day even though he […]
I set out to write about my experience at inpatient detox, hoping it would encourage or inspire people to go to detox if they were considering taking the leap. However, after having written a draft, I was fearful my story would dissuade someone from going — because my experience was not great. So, I tossed […]
Many times throughout my drinking career, I tried to sober up, and each time I had the dilemma of when to tell people. It was really nobody’s business but my own, but for whatever reason, I felt the need to tell people right away. Maybe I wanted to hold myself accountable, or perhaps it was […]
The thought of getting sober petrified me, so I continued drinking for a long time to avoid a horrifying unknown. How would I live without alcohol? I couldn’t imagine life without it and I was convinced that my life would be over if I gave it up. But that’s what being addicted to a substance […]
The vast majority of my close friends and family knew that I suffered from alcoholism, for obvious reasons. So when I sobered up, I heard “I’m proud of you” a lot. And while my family and friends meant it as a respectful acknowledgment of my accomplishment, it always felt patronizing and dirty to hear early […]