Name: Natalie Fairbrook Age: 44 Location: Santa Rosa, CA Recovery Date: August 31, 2015 Recovering From: Alcohol About Natalie: I am a mama, wife, nanny (instead of granny – LOL), daughter, sister + friend. Teetotaler, light seeker, truth teller + yoga junkie. For my day job I am an office manager but I have also […]
Name: Laura Silverman Age: 34 Location: Washington, DC metro area Recovery Date: July 14, 2007 Recovering From: Alcohol abuse, OCD/anxiety/panic disorder, people pleasing About Laura: Spent 14 out of 18 years of my upbringing overseas. Went to college; majored in Sociology, Spanish, and binge drinking. Got sober at 24. Started The Sobriety Collective at 32. […]
It’s not truly broken until you look at all the shattered pieces and have no idea how to put them back together again. Right? That’s what I used to think. It’s how I used to live my life, even after I stopped drinking. I was content to let my health and finances suffer … as […]
Name: Tandi Age: 40 Location: Detroit, Michigan Recovery Date: December 13, 2013 Recovering From: Prescription Pills/Alcohol About Tandi: I am a loving, kind, empathetic Mom that is completely sober for the first time in more than half of my life. I am also a Vegan that loves to cook as well as write, do yoga, […]
Name: April Duncan Age: 36 Location: Chicago, IL, but I travel A LOT for work. Recovery Date: June 8, 2016 Recovering From: Overdrinking Alcohol and Xanax Use, escaping reality About April: I am a laugher, lover, and crier. I love to travel and eat new foods. I have goals in life like having children and […]
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been living in the future. A fantasy future. Acting as if the life I imagine I deserve will magically appear if I pretend I already have it. I don’t remember when I started living this way. College, maybe? Tail end of high school? It’s bitten me in […]
Ever since I started writing about my alcoholism and sobriety and recovery, I’ve received a lot of praise from people congratulating me not only for acknowledging and battling my addiction but also for being brave and courageous and honest and truthful in the way I tell my story. While I appreciate their kindness and respect […]
A reader wrote to me and asked a great question about replacing one addiction with another, specifically replacing booze with sugar. Below, is her question, followed by my response. Hello, I saw a link to something you wrote about how your relationship to food seemed now more of a struggle than the one with alcohol. […]
Earlier today, I ended a two-and-a-half week hiatus from recovery/sobriety writing and social media sharing/engagement. Something has been missing for me, and I didn’t know what it was. What I did know was that I was looking on social media for whatever I had lost (or never had to begin with) — constantly scrolling through […]