Testing Yourself

Driving by your favorite liquor store “to see if I can do it” – i.e, not stop – is both understandable and unnecessary. Tests will come naturally and unbidden, generally via friends and family. Don’t put your sobriety at risk on purpose,...

Sleep

Without adequate sleep, nothing works. You feel yourself pushing against the current all day without relief. Sleep is as essential to life – and hence to recovery – as food and water. Without adequate sleep, nothing works, or works the way it should, in...

Water

The importance of drinking lots of clean, clear water during recovery cannot be overstated. Yes, you will make more trips to the restroom during the day, but your system will thank you for this in three ways: improved mood, sleep, and yes, even strength. Lifters in...

The First Six Months

You’ll learn a lot. You’ll get discouraged and pick yourself back up. Multiple failures does not mean you’ve failed. You’ll rely on others, and others will begin, just begin, to rely on you. You’ll see the path forward. You’ll understand what it takes. You’ll learn...

Your Sober Journal

Record your successes and failures (see above). Examine both on paper. Read and reread. What did you do right and what did you do wrong? Who or what to avoid next time? Do you need a new job, new friends or do you just need to get far away from your family? People do...