Living Recovery: True Stories of Addiction Recovery

Well, there’s a concept in psychology known as “confirmation bias,” and it means that we often look for evidence to support something that we already believe to be true. Julia Childs Heyl is a clinical social worker who focuses on mental health disparities, the healing of generational trauma, and depth psychotherapy. At this point, Becki wasn’t committed to becoming substance-free, just staying warm and off the streets.

• At three years of sobriety, I buried my best friend in the world.
• She highlights not only her relationship to alcohol, but also key takeaways from her many attempts to get sober.
• A simple yet powerful reminder for those on the path of sobriety.
• It’s a rollercoaster of highs and lows, trials and triumphs, all leading to a new, vibrant life.
• This delicate sobriety tattoo symbolizes the journey of recovery with a minimalist compass design, indicating the direction towards a sober life.

Empowering Sobriety Tattoo Design: Classic Triangle and Circle Symbolism for Recovery

It all happened while the children played together outside on the beach. They asked me if I had a problem with alcohol, which I flat out denied. I told them that I sometimes would drink quite a lot on weekends, but that it was something I could control. They offered help if I needed it, but I wasn’t ready yet. The ensuing year I tried many times, unsuccessfully, to curb my drinking.

RECOVERY PODCASTS

• ” I didn’t understand I could decline to answer or that I didn’t have to make sense to everyone.
• It’s a popular choice among recovery tattoos, embodying hope and the strength found in sobriety.
• After her harrowing hospitalization, this young woman said yes to life.
• Hosted by VanSober, this podcast tackles conversations about substance use, mental health, and wellness in the 21st century.

One of the first of its kind, Drink opens our eyes to the connection between drinking, trauma and the impossible quest to ‘have it all’ that many women experience. Written with courage and candor this book leaves you ready to push against a society suggesting alcohol is the solution to women’s problems. This is a lesser known series of essays on the intersection of alcohol and womanhood. The author, Kristi Coulter, engages the reader with her deep insight and quick wit. This combination makes her story heartening, funny, and thought-provoking at the same time.

For Physician Health, ‘Reaching Out Is a Good Thing…. It All Comes Back to Connection and Community’ – Read More

Like most addiction, they’re fueled by shame and the “not enough” gremlins. They’re also tricky addictions because I’m good at abstaining but not so good at moderation. Food and work don’t lend themselves to abstinence.

Sobriety Tattoo: Serenity Prayer Inked as a Symbol of Strength in Recovery

For anyone hiding in the shadows of shame, this book is a guiding light. We Are the Luckiest is both poetic and gut-wrenching. But the ending (spoiler alert), is ultimately triumphant. For every parent riddled with guilt, for anyone waking up in the shame cave (again), for every person who has had a messy struggle forward towards redemption… this book is for you.

Soon we found couples who had the same interest. There were many times after getting together with another couple that I drove home in a blackout. Laura Silverman is the founder of The Sobriety Collective, a resource and blog created to celebrate recovery — especially sobriety stories through creativity — in all its forms. In 2007, at age 24, Laura pulled a 180 and went from being an insecure, anxious binge drinker to newly-minted sober 20-something. This scary but necessary step catapulted her into a journey of long-term recovery.

I do not remember ever experiencing feelings as I do today. I recollect, even as a preteen, prior to my drinking career, not being able to feel sorrow at my Grandmother’s funeral, forcing myself to cry just to fit in with the family. I made a conscious decision upon my graduation to stop smoking marijuana because of the possibility of jeopardizing my medical license if I were to get caught.

• It’s not been easy, but I keep reminding myself of the path that I was taking and don’t want to go there again.
• I realized I could still do all of the same shitty things.
• While we were dating, I kept the quantity of my alcohol and most of my substance use a secret from her.
• Within a week I was able to find another room with three sophomore roommates who were just like me.

Sobriety Tattoo: Symbolic Strength & Resilience in Recovery

This is a self-help book by a licensed therapist that braids together anonymized client stories, personal narrative, psychological tools, and brain research. White thoughtfully explores boundaries, emotional regulation, body image, shame, and self-care in a way that’s actionable and accessible. The book is short, easy to read, and will leave you with some immediate tools for addressing social situations, sex, and friendship while navigating an alcohol-free lifestyle.

I would have classified myself as someone who loved to be around people and go out with them at night. Thinking back to before I was sober, I usually had to drink to be around people. I recharge when I’m by myself, and I deplete when I’m with others—especially big groups.