Dry January – What are the Lessons We Learn?
During the holidays, I was extolling (as one does when loved ones gather) about the relative ease of my recovery from an acute alcohol use disorder. I am nine years sober, and at this stage of the game, not drinking has become as much of an affectation as my omnipresent wine glass used to be. […]
The Effects of Alcohol on the Whole Body
Whenever I think of the ill effects of alcohol and drugs on the body, I think of the 1980s Partnership for a Drug-Free America campaign with the egg. This is your brain (hold up a pristine egg). This is drugs (grease bubbling in a frying pan). And this is your brain on drugs (crack […]
Alcohol-Free for One Month – Health Benefits
We are winding down the 4th of July weekend with parties and firework displays and alcohol in every cooler. For those in recovery, weathering another holiday rife with temptation is par for the course. For those waking with another hangover or who just feel like they’ve over indulged, we’d like to offer a challenge. […]
BEST Vacations in Recovery – Sober Summer Travel
Every year at this time I think of those who are new to recovery. Summer vacation, a time to relax and enjoy life can be stressful to the newly sober traveler. In my drinking days vacation began with the first glass of wine on the plane. It often ended with bruised shins, battered relationships, […]
Flying High: Why Airports Are Triggers for Those in Recovery
The holidays are coming, and we have begun to venture back to the friendly skies. It seems that everyone is donning a mask and getting on a plane going somewhere. For those of us in recovery, walking through a brightly lit airport has the potential to trigger memories of a high flying past. And […]
Women and Alcohol – the Unique Health Risks
According to the CDC, nearly half of adult women report drinking alcohol. 13% of adult women, and 18% of women of child-bearing age binge drink. Females in their teens and early twenties drink/binge more than their male counterparts. In fact, the gender gap is closing on women of all ages, and the impact of […]
Why Do I Need a Recovery Tool Kit?
At the start of my recovery, years of people pleasing had dulled down who I really was. I developed an ability to respond to any situation in the way I thought I should rather than the way I actually felt. On top of that, years of drinking dulled the pain of living a life […]
Thinking vs Acting – the First Steps to Recovery
Making changes to your alcohol habits is a massive undertaking. It can take months – years even – to get to the point where you actually stop drinking. And thatโs okay, because transformation is a long process and it starts from deep within. Often things can be moving well along in the direction of change […]
Extenuating Circumstances in Recovery – COVID-19 UK
I donโt know about you, but my mind is very easily led to catastrophe. And in light of the current extenuating circumstances and COVID-19, it all feels a little like an episode of โThe Walking Deadโ. Reality does remind me that this pandemic is not going to wipe out society as we know it. (Although […]
Dear Rae: Why Can My Boyfriend Drink More Than Me?
Dear Rae: I am a currently a Junior and I have been drinking heavily for my entire time at college. Mostly beer, but we also do shots. Lately, after a night of partying, my hangovers seem to be getting worse. If I’m honest, I don’t feel that great most of the time… but it […]
