THE THRIVE SOBER BLOG

I’m not someone who gets “depressed.”

I’ve had my fair share of hard seasons—ones that cracked me open and tested everything I thought I knew—but I’ve always been able to pick myself up. That’s the beautiful, brutal gift of recovery. Since 2009, I’ve walked the path of healing, armed with tools ...

I USED TO CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY BY CUTTING OFF MY INDEPENDENCE – WITH BOOZE.

I will begin with a story that is unfolding in front of my very eyes as I type. It’s July 3^rd, Independence Day weekend, and people are ready to celebrate.

I stop as I type this and wonder how much there ...

When I started my recovery journey in 2009, I thought sobriety was only about “not drinking.” I had no idea sobriety would become the avenue through which I would become human again, and find the way back “home” to my own heart. 

In the depths of my addiction, I felt like the world outside ma...

Relapse is one of my favorite subjects because I lived in it for two long years. After five years of sobriety, I found myself chugging warm chardonnay in a parking lot.

Relapse brought me shame. Shame brought me more relapse.

I would drink, feel like a failure (both the world and my own v...

Perhaps understanding how addiction hijacks your mind has given you clarity on why willpower will never be enough to get you sober for good. But perhaps it also made you feel a bit hopeless. 

I invite you to feel hopeful. Why? Because now you know what the problem is, and this problem has a s...

Our mind is our own personal operating system. It’s the “command center” which has the programs that run our life. Our mind’s programs are supposed to protect us from harm, to keep us surviving and thriving. 

But then. 

Addiction arrives into our life and installs itself in our mind. Like...

We don’t talk enough about all the feelings that happen in early sobriety. 

I've talked about committing to The Deep Yes, taking a first step, and understanding the elements of "The Work" of recovery (A Program, A Toolkit, A Community). I've also talked a lot about what happens in early recov...

I’ve talked about making a deep, personal commitment to a new life with “The Deep Yes.” I’ve discussed the importance of following the decision we take with immediate action.

You’ve made the commitment to make a change. Now, the game’s on. We’re done half-assing good intentions, and it’s time...

After your “Deep Yes” then the “What Next?” moment, it’s about ACTION.

Recovery is - and always will be - a verb. I used to think that once I made the decision to quit drinking, my life would magically change. I can now see that part of why I failed at many attempts to sobriety is because my ...

“What next?” is where good intentions come to die. 

“What next?” is where most of us who struggle with addiction get stuck. Addiction robs us of the power to do “Next.” We make grand decisions in our heads to finally make a change.

We only take action when our mind and body gives us a gre...

I’d had 5 years of sobriety the day I found myself in the parking lot of a CVS, pouring warm Chardonnay down my throat. That was the first day of my relapse: a two-year tumble back down the rabbit hole of addiction. 

Two years is more than 700 days. At least half of those mornings, I woke up vowing...

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. This guide is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If your symptoms are acute, call 911.   

As we step out of addiction, we all go through moments where we feel a deep craving for the substance/behavior that was the source of our addi...