ON AWAKENING

Happiness isn’t having what you want; it’s wanting what you have. The first time I heard this saying, I agreed. It seems to make sense both practically and e...

Maybe Valentine's Day stress you out. Maybe you can’t imagine a sober one. Or maybe it's no big deal for you; maybe you'd even forgotten about it it until now...

On Tuesday, we discussed three things I once struggled to say aloud. As I created this list, I realized that I was quickly listing almost every facet of my l...

On Sunday, I had the opportunity to share my story in a women’s recovery meeting. These days I rarely get nervous, largely because of this blog. After all: ...

This story starts on July 20th, 2018. I was interviewing for my current position, and she was asking the questions. At that time in my life, I was short on f...

I started blogging because I thought it would help me achieve my dreams. More specifically, I thought It'd help me publish a book. I was advised that a book...

Fifteen days before I quit drinking, I saw a dinner invite on my then-boyfriend’s calendar. At the time, we worked at one of those creepy places where all me...

Last week, I said goodbye to a dear friend. She isn’t dead (and neither am I), but she is leaving. She moved 2,000 miles away to begin medical school, and I ...

It’s been a long time since I’ve discussed the Enneagram. In the meantime, I’ve just been four-ing around. You know, feeling feelings, being absent. One minu...

There are a lot of good reasons to avoid working the twelve steps. Certainly, listing out every resentment ever is scary. Undeniably, the prospect of making ...

Imagine you were asked to complete a 500-piece puzzle. For me, that’s easy enough; as long as I have unlimited time, snacks, and something to binge on Netfli...

While other kids rebelled through sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, I set myself apart from my siblings by throwing up average performances in team sports. They...

What happens when an alcoholic accidentally drinks? Today, we're featuring this question from a reader. I'm [name] and I’m an alcoholic. To celebrate my two ...

In recovery meetings, the topic of “geographic cures” (also called "geographics") comes up quite a lot. Simply put, geographics are attempts to change onese...

In the last few months of blogging, people have sometimes complimented my willingness to be vulnerable. Good for you, they say. That takes courage. In the be...

One of my first blog posts focused on being an “empath.” At the time, there was a fundamental question that I was trying - and, in practice, failing - to answ...

Women my age are constantly accused of being insecure. This trait is thought to drive our actions, from what we post on Instagram or dating apps to when we l...

The other day, I heard the following quote: “Joy is time spent without purpose.” Or at least, I think I heard it. There’s a note in my phone which suggests I...

The other day, a friend and I were discussing the most important quality in a partner. Although we came to no real consensus, we could agree that one commonl...

This past week, I was asked the same question no less than three times: “Why’d you decide to stop practicing therapy?” The odds of this happening are low, gi...