Having hope during a terrible situation isn’t the same as false hope. Hope is a fundamental ingredient of human resilience, a mechanism that sets our brains apart from other species.
Tag: Victor Yocco
Why I Choose Not to Be Anonymous in Recovery
I am in favor of a sober revolution in which everyone is comfortable speaking frankly about their struggle with alcohol and other substances.
5 Tips for Staying Sober at Events Where Everyone Else Is Drinking
You don’t have to miss out on all the fun, just the part you thought was fun but always ended in trouble.
5 Lessons from 5 Years of Sobriety
When I reflect on this choice I’ve made every day for five years, I realize sobriety is a limitless resource, readily available for anyone who needs it. I won’t run out of sobriety one day if someone else becomes sober. I won’t run out if 500,000 people become sober.
6 Things Everyone Should Know About Children in Families with Mental Illness
We don’t talk enough about the children who live with, and rely on, a family member with a mental illness. What sort of support do they need and how can we provide it?
How to Find Sobriety in the New Year
If you’re abusing alcohol and have decided it’s time to stop, here are some tactics that helped me to get and stay sober. You don’t have to undertake this daunting task alone. You stumble to your car after a night out drinking. Not just any night, New Year’s Fucking Eve! You pounded more beers and… Continue reading How to Find Sobriety in the New Year
Evolution of a Beard: My Growth as Reflected Through Facial Hair
My hatred and rage grew alongside my father’s beard. Beards represented mental illness. Beards represented embarrassment. Beards represented my failed family. The last time I saw my father without a beard was the night he accused me of being an alien sent to harvest his testicles. It was the summer before I entered eighth grade.… Continue reading Evolution of a Beard: My Growth as Reflected Through Facial Hair
Setting Boundaries in Sobriety
Sobriety doesn’t come with a handbook. If it did, you’d have to be sober first to read it. People with addiction issues are not used to setting boundaries, especially when those boundaries involve behaviors we have reinforced for years. I spent years violating boundaries as a drunk. Particularly when it came to relationships. Piss me… Continue reading Setting Boundaries in Sobriety
A Month of Heart Attacks: Withdrawing from Antidepressants
My doctor tells me not to worry. The medication is safe. I worry he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I worry this was a big mistake I made at 18 and am paying for the rest of my life. My obsessions start as small thoughts. Random sparks catching kindling in my mind, eventually blazing… Continue reading A Month of Heart Attacks: Withdrawing from Antidepressants
