Posts by Ashley Ann
3 Simple Habits That Are Changing My Life
The way we build and break habits endlessly fascinates me. When I read The Power of Habit last year, something shifted. I stopped worrying that a fleeting (and sometimes not so fleeting) desire for a drink would turn into an actual drink. This book helped me to pay more attention to what my brain was…
Read More“A Star Is Born” Scared Me A Little Bit
******SPOILER ALERT WARNING****** Sometimes, I like to go to the movies by myself. It’s rare. Just going to the theater in the first place is pretty rare for me. It’s hard for me to sit still that long, my mind always racing to the work I should be doing, errands I should be…
Read MoreHow I’m Tackling Weight Loss and Food Addiction in Recovery
I rarely do trigger warnings (mainly because my entire blog is probably one big trigger), but this post will deal specifically with weight, eating disorders, etc. Heads up if you’re particularly sensitive to that or struggle with it. Also, I am not a medical professional and none of this should be seen as medical advice.…
Read MoreWriting Away Anger
It’s been a tough week. I don’t even know why, to be honest. Everything is normal. Nothing crazy is happening. Maybe it’s just the season, or the heat, or whatever. I could sit here and feel sorry for myself (and I do that, plenty). It’s really tempting. Let me just sit and mull over how…
Read MoreGuest Post: My Daughter Is a Drug Addict
This is a guest post from my husband. It’s been a rough year, and he wanted to write and share this. Beyond some simple formatting, I didn’t edit it. This is his story, not mine, to tell. Currently, his daughter is clean and in recovery. We continue to take life one day at a time.…
Read MoreThe Darker Side of Sharing My Story
“Your story is powerful.” Share your story. Put yourself out there. Be authentic. Be real. None of this is necessarily wrong, but I’ve seen some downsides since I wrote about sharing your story, and it’s been on my mind lately. I write this, knowing full well it’s hypocritical as hell. It’s also purely me writing…
Read MoreLet’s Absolutely Insist On Enjoying Life
Recovery is not all sunshine and rainbows. But there are sunshine and rainbows. Earlier this week, I watched Remember the Titans with my daughters. It’s one of my favorite movies, and they had never seen it. I laughed and cried like it was the first time to watch it (my girls thought I was a little…
Read MoreA Woman of Extremes
From my private journal, May 10, 2015: “This is the first time that I felt even mildly confident that I could quit, the first time in a long time that I truly feel I’ve just had enough. I’m just done. Any other promises to quit were met with screaming voices in my head. Now, I…
Read MoreA Sober Birthday: 32 Life Lessons
Birthdays feel a lot different as I get older. It’s just another day, really. Not because I’m depressed about aging or anything, but the celebratory nature of it just isn’t there. I wish I was one of those people who could make everything a party. Every holiday, every birthday, every accomplishment and milestone becomes something…
Read MoreDefying The Voice
I want to write. “What’s the point?” Hush. My words matter. My story matters. Doesn’t it? You’re a narcissist. Self-absorbed. Other people don’t have to celebrate making it through life without getting drunk. Other people just deal with their problems quietly, they don’t have to bleed out all over the internet to validate themselves. Do…
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