10:27 am
I’ve been thinking so much about the power of blogging–and how unicorn-parade and glitter-balls awesome you all are to be a part of my world–that I wrote a story (well, essay) about you!
It’s been published today at The Fix, an online magazine for addiction and recovery. My piece, Blogging Myself Sober, is about how helpful online forums can be for sobriety.
Otherwise, we’ve just been hanging out. Beach, dogs, some reading, and thinking a LOT lately about the passing of time, how I miss the 90s (I even went so far as to create both a ‘The Cure’ and ‘James’ Pandora stations the other night=Who’s James?), and well, how sobriety fits into all this. Am I sad because I am sad about the fact that it was, yes, 20 years ago that I had the “whole world” ahead of me? Please, even I can see through that. What I’m sad about is that I had such a clear head back then, an unblemished slate–not state–of mind. Sure, I had the “whole world,” but I have more of that world now. What I had then that I don’t have now is…a lack of experience? A lack of cynicism? A lack of knowledge of what I know now about how bad things would get?
A friend of mine posted an interesting status update to his Facebook page yesterday: If you could call yourself from 5 years ago–and had 30 seconds to talk–what would you say? Hmm. Probably, ‘Quit drinking NOW’? Yet, would I have never learned what I was “supposed to” have learned, “needed” to learn, if I had quit before it got really bad?
Anyway, I wanted to keep it short, so more for later. Hope everyone is having a liberating Fourth of July weekend!
(Yes, there were pangs yesterday, but even I’m getting bored writing about them. Needless to say, I pouted, told my boyfriend to “pick me up a bottle of red at the store on his way out,” (to which he replied his usual, “uh huh”) and then, waited to forget why I wanted to drink in the first place. Wash, rinse, repeat, every six hours or so yesterday–not a great day for cravings, but I managed and they’re over and now we’re moving on to an entirely NEW day. SEE ya, wolife-boy, voice of cravings! Your tricks are so old, so TIRED. Yawns.)
Drunky Drunk Girl 
We have the SAME blogiversary! I started mine the same day as you and I can say that absolutely it has helped my recovery. I’m so glad The Fix wrote this for you. It is helpful and it has saved my life. Glad to find you:)
GREAT! Congrats to you… Rock on, us! š
I loved your article!!! Perfectly written! It’s how I feel exactly! I don’t know what I’d do without all of you? Well, yes, I do, I probably would be drinking again. I wouldn’t have been able to come this far (11 months sober) alone and I was and am uninterested in going to AA and trying to share face to face with a group of strangers. Every now and then, I too, wish for a real-life sober buddy. For now I can click here and there on my computer at any time of the day or night and get the support I need. Virtual hugs and friendships DO work! We are all proof of that! š
Awesome! Glad you liked it! I wasn’t sure what people would think–I didn’t want to bash AA, just lend a new take on recovery. At the end of the day, it’s just a different path–the work is the same, no matter how you choose to get it done. And yes, these online spaces are life-savers. Congrats on your near-year! š
Congratulations! That’s so fabulous about the Fix. Good for you. I celebrate recovery no matter how it comes. I love that you found community among bloggers.
Thank you, Heather!
YES! I’ve been learning that recovery work is the same–and hard–no matter what path you choose to get it done…
LOVED your piece at HuffPo–so well-crafted, your words. It really gave me a new perspective on sobriety and religion, and just how different people’s backgrounds and moral philosophies can affect psychology–motivations, emotions, life choices, etc. Look forward to reading your book!
Great article! I went to a handful of AA meetings my first month of sobriety but blogging is what really kept me sane. I blogged anonymously the first year. I think some people think that AA is the only way to do it and they use that as an excuse to not get sober. I love that you give another option.
Thanks, Karen! I stay anonymous not because I’m ashamed, but mostly because I’m not sure if or how it would affect me professionally. Plus, well, there are things I’ve never told my family–maybe they’re “need to know basis”-type things at this point, but still. It’s better this way, for now. Plus, isn’t AA anonymous for those very reasons?
“Kept me sane” is a PERFECT way to describe how blogging about all this helps me, too! YES. xx
Congrats on the article! Please tell me your Pandora Cure Station played “Inbetween Days”….
Haha. I’m not sure…The Cure station didn’t play all that much Cure…but at least fricking Coldplay didn’t come on! I swear, I’ve got like four stations that pop in Coldplay songs all the time–arg!
Thanks for the congrats…
That’s a fantastic article…good on you for spreading the word around. It’s always so interesting to hear other people views on how we doing it!
You hit on so many points as to why this works for me too.
The generalisation and stigma of alternative recovery paths are what kept me drunk for longer. I was overjoyed to find an alternative…maybe forever, maybe not, but it is working!
Sober and happy š
Yeah..I can see that coming up. It’s like, Well, if AA didn’t work, then it’s hopeless for me, right? There are a lot of great alternatives, and from what I’ve found and seen, the key thing is community–it doesn’t matter how you get it, as long as you do. YET, there are people who get sober on their own, and stay that way.
Sober and rockin’ it, yes you (we?) are! xx
you rock. talented, smart, & sober. what more could i want in a friend … glad you’re one of mine. hugs, belle xo
Thanks, Belle! COULD NOT have done it without you! Sober car, toot toot, HONK HONK!
That’s a really great piece. So well put. Cheers, xxx
Thank you, Mrs. D! Loved your last piece about meeting up with a sober blogger friend–gasp–in person! I tried commenting, but it’s a bit difficult on your site…
Anyway, thanks!
So happy and proud for you, DDG! Congrats on an outstanding piece, being published at The Fix, and on your sobriety.
Seems like only last month you were in Northern CA feeling stuck and restless, debating sobriety … oh how life has changed for you since! You even have glittery unicorns now!
Congrats! -Christy
I know, isn’t it crazy? I don’t ever want to be back there… What else is really cool? You, and every one of my sober blogging circle, has been with me every step of the way. I feel soooo grateful that I “found” you all.
Btw, rock on with your training! I am finally almost healed from what turned out to be quite a severe ankle sprain (it’s been like, 3-4 months now), and looking forward to increasing my miles (I do about 3 or 4, sometimes 5)!
Grateful I found you too sweetie. I think there really is something to the blogging support net. I smiled at one of your Fix commenters that said we hide behind our computers so others can’t call us out. Truth is, we’re MORE honest and more likely to give others tough love because there’s no other BS to get in our way. We don’t have anything to prove on-line. But a lot of folks don’t understand the networks and friends we make blogging, and that’s okay, we all have to do what works best for us.
Whatever keeps you sober, right?!
Heal up, girlie! Let’s swap some running stories soon. š
Writing has helped me stay sober, and after reading TheFix article I decided to start my own blog too: http://soberpolitico.wordpress.com/
Good for you! I’ll come and check you out.
Yeah, writing about it, at the very least, helps me to sort out the conflicting thoughts, and come to some sort of temporary conclusion… Anyway, look forward to reading more of your new blog!