Recovery
3 Ways I Focus on Solutions, Not Problems
The kids won’t go to sleep. The neighbor’s dog won’t stop barking. The HOA fees are due and I’m broke. The IRS won’t leave me alone. My child is sick. The hot water heater broke. That person won’t just do the right thing. Ugh, what a day. Mommy needs to unwind. Pop, pour, sip, gulp,…
Read MoreIt’s Ok To Get Tired of Recovery – I Hope
It gets kind of old talking about recovery sometimes. I should be cured, you know? Why do I have to think about sobriety and recovery and one day at a time and let go and let God and serenity and surrender so. damn. much? Why does sobriety feel like so much sometimes? I don’t often…
Read MoreWhen You Miss The Anticipation of The Drink
When you quit drinking, the world doesn’t quit drinking with you. That’s the first hard lesson that I learned over 2 years ago, and it’s a lesson that I still have to remember sometimes. When I first got sober, I often missed the anticipation of the first drink. When I drank, I was always looking…
Read MoreTackling My Addiction to Social Media
“Taking a break” from social media isn’t nearly as intense as it is from drugs or alcohol, but it’s still not easy for me. A lot has been written about the advantages and disadvantages of social media, by people much smarter and more educated than myself. I’m not going to get into the statistics and…
Read MoreSometimes I Cry For No Reason. It’s Weird.
A picture might say a thousand words, but this picture doesn’t tell the whole story. You’d never know from this picture that just 20 minutes ago, I was sobbing into my husband’s shoulder. You wouldn’t know from this picture that about an hour ago, I was snapping at my children if they so much as…
Read MoreWhat Does It Mean To “Never Question The Decision”?
Not one drink. No matter what. I’m a stubborn woman at times. Shocking, right? Well, it’s a blessing and a curse. When it comes to sobriety, it has been a blessing. I once heard somebody say that she was too stubborn to start drinking again, and it resonated with me. I made a decision, I…
Read MoreDear Self: Read This When You Want a Drink
This is a letter to myself that I wrote in March 2016 (around 10 months sober), to keep and read when I needed it. I’ve read it more than a few times since then. Dear Self, If you’re reading this, I assume you are struggling to quiet the voice in your head that says you…
Read MoreHow I Stayed Sober for The First 30 Days
May 5, 2015 was the last day I drank alcohol. I don’t always remember a lot of specifics from my recovery journey, but I do remember the first 30 days. I did a lot of things that I didn’t feel like doing in order to make it through the first 30 days of sobriety. Everything…
Read MoreMy Pros & Cons for Taking Medication in Sobriety
When I quit drinking, I stopped all other substances of any kind, prescribed or otherwise. For a while. At 10 months sober, I got an impacted wisdom tooth as my 30th birthday present. It hurt. Badly. They removed it without any anesthesia, just numbed my mouth and got it over with. Ouch. Lots of ouch.…
Read MoreWe Will Not Regret The Past – Really
“We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.” Even as my eyes struggled to open, waves of regret would start crashing against my entire body. Oh, my God. Ugh. Ugh ugh uggghh. Shame and regret were so familiar to me, I didn’t even recognize them as emotions separate from…
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