At the end of my drinking, there was no longer anything fun about being a functioning alcoholic. I had crossed over the threshold of functioning into complete alcoholic dysfunction quite quickly. Yet, I continued to fool myself into thinking I was “functioning” because I could pay my mortgage on time, look put together (at least some of the time), and hold down a job.
Learning to Cope with Social Anxiety in Recovery
Social anxiety is more than shyness — it’s a mental health condition that can seriously affect a person’s ability to interact with others. This can make addiction recovery challenging, especially when so many programs emphasize social interaction and fellowship as a means to long-term sobriety. For me, this was a big problem.[…]
Cocaine: Dancing with the Devil at Dawn
When it comes to my struggles with addiction, alcohol was king. From the second I caught my first buzz, alcohol became my master and I was its sloppy, drunken servant. Since I preferred to drink, drugs were never really my thing and I seldom ever sought them out for recreational use. However, if the opportunity […]
How I Practice Gratitude in My Addiction Recovery
As a person in recovery, practicing gratitude is a key part of my daily life. It has to be — otherwise, I start to slowly slip back into a self-centered, self-pitying, reckless way of thinking that if left unchecked, will most likely lead me back to the easy-out comfort of my former best friend, vodka. […]
Rock Bottom: A Sometimes Scary Means to Change
Webster’s definition of rock bottom is “the lowest point possible.” While the expression can be used to identify low points on Earth, people hitting rock bottom from a substance use disorder can feel lower than the lowest points on the planet. What is a rock bottom? Hitting rock bottom means […]
5 Totally Random Celebrity Recovery Stories
The Wagon loves a good recovery story. Here are five of my favorite, totally random celebrity recovery stories that you may not have heard — yet! Adam Clayton, U2 Adam Clayton, the bassist for U2, has been outspoken about his mental health struggles and history with alcoholism. […]
How to Survive the Deep Freeze — Without Alcohol
I hate winter. Especially once January hits, and we’ve got three long months ahead and nothing but freezing forecasts and deceptive wind chills. I get blue. Really blue. Like a lot of us do: Seasonal Affective Disorder is in the DSM and while I may suffer from a touch of it, I think most of […]
Less Is More When It Comes to Crying in Recovery
There’s nothing like a good, cathartic cry. You know, those let-it-all-out sob-fests that leave you feeling so much better once you’ve purged yourself of pent-up emotions. I used to have such soothing feelings of calm after one of these, as I wiped away those purposeful tears, like I’d just cleaned […]
5 Delicious Non-Alcoholic Drinks That Hit All the Right Notes
When I was drinking, especially towards the end, the quality of the spirits I imbibed was of little meaning to me. Sure, I loved fancy Manhattans and very dirty Ketel One martinis, but at the end of the day, a cheap bottle of any vodka worked just fine. All I really needed was a chilled […]
Never a Hopeless Case: Laura Turns 2 Today
Today, I am two years sober. That’s two full years without a hangover, drunk crying, causing a scene, puking in the shower, picking fights with people, passing out at parties, hiding drinks, doing cocaine, drunk driving, and many other horrifying nightmares. […]
Confronting My Reflection in the TV Show ‘Intervention’
When I was in active addiction, I thought the TV show Intervention was the best thing ever. Not because I identified with or cared about any of the people I saw on the screen. Rather, it served as a wonderfully effective way to justify my drinking.