My name is Renee, and I am an alcoholic. A recovering one at this point, but never recovered. Always recovering. How it Started: Sparkly Golden Chardonnay I took my first drink at age 14. At that time, I worked for a catering company, and the owners were my neighbors. They paid me … Read more about What Alcohol Recovery Means to Me
by Renee W. Although I’ve had a handful of relapses, one will be cemented into my memory forever. Around three and a half years of sobriety, the restlessness began. I couldn’t sit, I couldn’t just be, I couldn’t concentrate. Then, the thoughts. The ones I never shared with anyone until way … Read more about Life After Relapse: How to Start Over…Again
by Renee W. My first stretch of sobriety lasted for three years and (almost) four months. 1,231 days, to be exact, and I only know that because I Googled the dates. During those three-plus years, I stopped drinking, threw myself into AA meetings, worked with a sponsor, lost weight, got fit, … Read more about What is Emotional Sobriety?
by Renee W. Christmas time brings loads of cheer and celebrations, or at least it’s supposed to, right? For a recovering alcoholic, the holiday season may also bring on loads of stress and anxiety. Newly sober, I dreaded the Christmas holiday season. A time that is meant to give gifts, share … Read more about My top 5 ways to stay sober over Christmas
by Renee W. While deep in my alcohol addiction, I was about as self-absorbed as I could be. All my thoughts and behaviours revolved around the centre of my universe: me. It wasn’t until months of recovery that I began to realize just how much I thought of myself. I do not mean I thought a … Read more about A secret weapon in recovery: Helping Others
by Renee W. I knew I desperately needed help, but deep down, I wasn’t ready to give up my addiction. I didn’t know how I would survive without my drug of choice – alcohol. My addiction lasted ten years, and while I had a few periods of sobriety in there, nothing stuck. My addiction was … Read more about How to help an addict who doesn’t want help
Here is one fact in recovery: quitting drugs or alcohol is the pivotal first step of sobriety. After all, you have to quit first. Then the recovery journey begins. While most people want to hear a definite timeline in recovery, the truth is, there isn’t one. Everyone’s recovery experience is … Read more about Ups, Downs, and Everything in Between: Understanding the First Year of Recovery
by Renee W. Labels can be incredibly damaging. They come with all kinds of biases and connotations, whether positive or negative. However, how we label ourselves defines not only the lens through which we see ourselves but how we act. There are always negative connotations to the label … Read more about Labels, Identity, and Recovery
