Welcome to the first Sober Soulful community pop-up!
I invite you to say hello, tell us about yourself, and promote your Substack or latest article. (Yes: self-promotion is not only okay but encouraged in this thread!)
Sober Soulful offers a safe, expansive space for folks:
In recovery from or examining their relationship with alcohol and other drugs, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive patterning, online technologies and social media, overwork, perfectionism, external validation, fucked-up relationships, etc.
Seeking an intimate, personal exploration of addiction, sobriety, and being human
Not sober? Not a problem!
Don’t feel as though you need to identify as an addict, sober, sober curious, or in recovery to hang out here. If you follow me a while, you’ll learn pretty quick how I feel about conventional narratives, boxes, and labels.*
The 2,200+ member community at Sober Soulful is wonderfully diverse, and I hold recovery and sobriety in a living, breathing, ever-changing way—one that’s expansive, inclusive, and quintessential human. (And we’re all human here, still figuring it out.)
*Caveat: I do ask folks to please not promote drinking alcohol in this space.
Now you!
Please introduce yourself. Where are you in the world? What’s your favourite hot beverage?
Tell us about your Substack if you have one, and perhaps share your latest or greatest article.
If you’re in recovery and wish to share something about your journey, please do! (But zero pressure.)
Those are suggestions. Feel free to freestyle. Andplease tap the little ♡ to offer the gift of “social proof” and bring a little brightness to my day.
Thank you. I appreciate you. I’m grateful you’re here. Dana
Hola! Tawny here, currently sipping my new favorite hot drink: olive oil coffee. It's delicious and my poops have never been better. My Substack, Beyond Liquid Courage, began as a sober dating and relationships column (which is now archived behind a paywall) to promote my book, Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze. Now that the book is out and I'm finally done with press, I'm trying to figure out who I am as a writer so my Substack is very stream-of-consciousness for the time being.
Hello, I’m Julie reporting from Ventura, California a coastal town between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. My favorite hot beverage is black coffee, but really it’s coffee with heavy cream. I feel bad about the heavy cream, though because I don’t like the idea of making cows into milk slaves for my greedy mouth. I started my substack, Like a Normal Person because I wanted an outlet for writing, and I’m now serializing a quit-lit memoir a little about my drinking life but mostly about being sober. I’ve also started doing all of my art for my stack, so it’s a good place to check out poorly drawn cats that are still cute. https://juliefontes.substack.com/
Thank you for doing this! I'm @ Susie Middleton and my Substack is Sixburnersue. I live on the Island of Martha's Vineyard, am 17 years sober, and my writing focuses on how I experience sobriety in nature - and how I navigate a sober life in general. I find that the tools I've learned in sobriety are helpful with anxiety and other mental pains! Professionally, I'm the author of four cookbooks, the former editor of Fine Cooking magazine, and the current editor of Cook the Vineyard in my roll as special projects editor for the Vineyard Gazette Media Group. (I edit the Cook the Vineyard newsletter here on Substack, too.) I had a small farm here on Martha's Vineyard for many years and I find I am happiest outside. I grow a lot of flowers now! While not all of my posts deal strictly with sobriety or recovery from alcoholism, here is one that I think is particularly helpful because it has a number of book sources in it https://susiemiddleton.substack.com/p/looking-over-my-shoulder-at-early
Hello Soulful Community, I'm Randy and as Dana's partner, I'm located in the living room, where I must be respectful of the sacred writing-time mornings and not make any damn extra noises - there's a writer hard at work in the next room.
The hot beverage has shifted from the coconut oil, almond milk dark coffee lattes...to tea with honey. and I'm trying to convince myself this is "my favorite" as I write this...and while I may be unsure of tasty preferences, the tea has definitely improved many areas of health including regulating the nervous system.
Which after 29+ years of recovery, is still looking for that leap-off-the-cliff jolt that a coupla' lines, a few shots, and my guitar turned up to 11 used to provide....yes, even after all this time there's a blind little addict inside here groping around in the dark attempting to stick his fork into an electrical outlet....just...for...fun.
And for self-promotion, I think I'll go with the one coming out this Sunday, entitled, "Spirits Are Real. So Write That Way. / AI, beliefs and speaking to the spirits of addiction" and because it's not out yet, here's the link to my home page, please stop by and let me know what you agree with, disagree with and maybe are just a bit curious about! I look forward to connecting: https://randallyons.substack.com/
Also, if you are, or know of anyone in the sober-sphere who is looking to collaborate in written, audio or video form, c'mon over and let's talk about "exploring ways to transform addiction by making the spiritual practical." That's my jam.
Thank you, Dana, My Love for this! (and well, everything else too ; )
I love this community pop-up, Dana! Thanks for connecting us this way and offering such a safe place to show up.
Hello fellow Sober Soulful Stackers - I am Allison and I live outside Boston, Massachusetts. My go to hot beverage is black coffee. But I don't run on Dunks even though I am a Boston gal. I cheat and visit Starbucks. To me, coffee is a hug in a mug.
My Substack is titled DARE TO BE DRY. I named it this because I am daring to speak up, as a sober person. Mostly, though, I am speaking up to myself.
Something happened to me when I got sober. I stopped hiding from myself. And something happens to me when I write. I show up to myself. In being vulnerable with readers, I am pulling a chair up beside my true self. And I sit there for a bit. It’s a sort of reunion.
I'd love some company at the reunion each week ;-) I post a free newsletter every Friday. Here's a good place to start and learn more:
Hello! I am Becky and I am in Derbyshire, in the UK. My favourite hot beverage is a cup of tea because I enjoy being a cliche. 😂
Within my Substack I talk about a diverse array of things such as my sobriety, being neurodivergent, stories from my past that have helped me learn lessons, books I find inspiring, things I love and more generalised updates. All my letters are very open and honest. I don't want my Substack to read like an Instagram highlight reel. This can lead me down some very real and raw paths but I find catharsis in writing. I think there is also lightness and humour in most of my letters. Being from Derbyshire, I do share quite a lot of photos of sheep. I don't have a niche and I'm happy about that. I don't really like being boxed into one thing.
I think they show quite well how I don't like to be boxed into one topic.
I am sober, not far off 9 months now. I feel a lot more myself since stopping drinking alcohol but I am still filled with a lot of 'shoulds'. I should feel better, I should look better, every day should be wonderful and marvellous. Things like that. I write about this on my Substack in what I have dubbed 'The Sober Diaries.' You can find these in the sections bit on my Substack.
Thank you so much for reading my comment. And thank you so much, Dana for being kind enough to do open this up on your Substack. 🖤
Buenas Dias! Peter here reporting live from South America, currently in Colombia en route to Ecuador. My favorite hot drink is yerba mate, love it more than most drugs.
I started my Substack, The Dented Wagon (https://thedentedwagon.substack.com/) almost 6 months ago and I've been writing now for 20 weeks in a row. It's as challenging as it is rewarding. Writing regularly and committing to this project has opened up some interesting doors and has given me some insight into my own shortcomings and strengths.
I've been on the Wagon for more than 5 years now, and keeping that poison out of my life is the gift that just keeps on giving. Not drinking alcohol is like having a Super Power; it doesn't fix all your problems but it does give you a chance to face them with a clear mind and a full heart. There's a lot of pain caused by booze that wouldn't be there otherwise, unforced errors that stack up over generations. I'm interested in helping people find their own path to heal.
Recovery is like a chain. Someone reached out and cared enough to pull me out of the mud, the Dented Wagon is my attempt to reach out and pull out the next person. A major part of recovery is reciprocity.
Thank you Dana for leading the way! Your energy is so contagious and your tireless effort to put out positive energy is commendable. Keep leading and we'll keep following!
Hi. I’m Gary, and I’m currently in the US. I enjoy a cup of black coffee at daybreak, then one of hot tea in the early evening. Green tea steeped with a pod of cardamon and a few goji berries is my current favorite.
I retired from publishing in 2018 and have traveled continuously by bicycle since 2016, sharing views through a telescope along the way. The bike introduces me to fascinating people I would not encounter otherwise.
I write here of the insights I gain from those new connections, most of which are positive. And “here” is Substack, because it marries writing and engagement like no other platform I’ve experienced. Witness this comment thread.
I subscribe to Sober Soulful for the joy of Dana’s immersive essays, and because, well, we’re all recovering from something and are never too old to heal.
Oh, and my most recent Substack post concerns dogs.
Greetings. Thank you for this opportunity to build community and get to know others here in Substack land. I am Erin in Arcata, CA about an hour south of the Oregon border along the coast. My favorite hot beverage is black tea (decaf now...sad face) with honey and lemon. I carry decaf tea bags, honey, and lemon with me wherever I go because it is a rare combo that I have difficulty coming across in any one place. So, if you ever see a woman with a honey bear perched on the top of her car squeezing a lemon into a tall mason jar by the side of the road, that's me. When I first got sober, I began a practice of personifying feeling states as a way of pausing before reacting to or running from particular sensations. My pre-sober protocol was to let these states run my life. Whether positive or negative, they directed my behaviors almost as if on auto-pilot. Sitting with emotions/feeling states allowed me to better understand the whos and whats and whys of things and become more comfortable with my limbic system on any particular day. I recently relapsed after 17 years, but I am back. YAY! A friend encouraged me to revisit my earlier writing and continue with the personification practice, which is what brought me to Substack. I am still figuring things out, but I'm enjoying the process. I hope that my practice inspires others to sit with the emotions/feeling states that drop in and get to know them and their stories. I look forward to visiting everyone's page and learning more about you all. Peace and love, Erin https://poartetry.substack.com/
I'm Clare, a queer writer based in Dublin. I stopped drinking alcohol a few years ago because it made me feel shit. At the time, I was struggling to manage my mental health (primarily C-PTSD) and alcohol just messed with my body and brain too much. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
I write about trauma and recovery on my substack. My goal is to change the conversation we have about life after trauma. I've just discovered your substack Dana, and am looking forward to reading more.
Oh and a recent post, here's one I wrote about writing, attention, The Artist's Way and getting nature stoned. It resonated with people more than I expected it to, TBH, but I'm really glad about that. https://clareegan.substack.com/p/i-dont-have-many-regrets-but-this
Hi everyone! I just started a substack about my recovery last fall and some of the incidents leading up to it. I only have one post but would love feedback and a follow. Hoping to also include some stories of sobriety and motherhood along with career and family. It’s called Molotov Cocktails and this is the link: https://open.substack.com/pub/molotovcocktails?r=ba6m&utm_medium=ios
Hola! Tawny here, currently sipping my new favorite hot drink: olive oil coffee. It's delicious and my poops have never been better. My Substack, Beyond Liquid Courage, began as a sober dating and relationships column (which is now archived behind a paywall) to promote my book, Dry Humping: A Guide to Dating, Relating, and Hooking Up Without the Booze. Now that the book is out and I'm finally done with press, I'm trying to figure out who I am as a writer so my Substack is very stream-of-consciousness for the time being.
I've v proud of my new piece in LitHub about the reality of being a debut author. https://lithub.com/postpartum-publishing-on-the-highs-and-lows-of-bringing-a-book-into-the-world/
Thanks for being you, Dana!
Hello, I’m Julie reporting from Ventura, California a coastal town between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. My favorite hot beverage is black coffee, but really it’s coffee with heavy cream. I feel bad about the heavy cream, though because I don’t like the idea of making cows into milk slaves for my greedy mouth. I started my substack, Like a Normal Person because I wanted an outlet for writing, and I’m now serializing a quit-lit memoir a little about my drinking life but mostly about being sober. I’ve also started doing all of my art for my stack, so it’s a good place to check out poorly drawn cats that are still cute. https://juliefontes.substack.com/
Hi Dana,
Thank you for doing this! I'm @ Susie Middleton and my Substack is Sixburnersue. I live on the Island of Martha's Vineyard, am 17 years sober, and my writing focuses on how I experience sobriety in nature - and how I navigate a sober life in general. I find that the tools I've learned in sobriety are helpful with anxiety and other mental pains! Professionally, I'm the author of four cookbooks, the former editor of Fine Cooking magazine, and the current editor of Cook the Vineyard in my roll as special projects editor for the Vineyard Gazette Media Group. (I edit the Cook the Vineyard newsletter here on Substack, too.) I had a small farm here on Martha's Vineyard for many years and I find I am happiest outside. I grow a lot of flowers now! While not all of my posts deal strictly with sobriety or recovery from alcoholism, here is one that I think is particularly helpful because it has a number of book sources in it https://susiemiddleton.substack.com/p/looking-over-my-shoulder-at-early
Thank you again!
Hello Soulful Community, I'm Randy and as Dana's partner, I'm located in the living room, where I must be respectful of the sacred writing-time mornings and not make any damn extra noises - there's a writer hard at work in the next room.
The hot beverage has shifted from the coconut oil, almond milk dark coffee lattes...to tea with honey. and I'm trying to convince myself this is "my favorite" as I write this...and while I may be unsure of tasty preferences, the tea has definitely improved many areas of health including regulating the nervous system.
Which after 29+ years of recovery, is still looking for that leap-off-the-cliff jolt that a coupla' lines, a few shots, and my guitar turned up to 11 used to provide....yes, even after all this time there's a blind little addict inside here groping around in the dark attempting to stick his fork into an electrical outlet....just...for...fun.
And for self-promotion, I think I'll go with the one coming out this Sunday, entitled, "Spirits Are Real. So Write That Way. / AI, beliefs and speaking to the spirits of addiction" and because it's not out yet, here's the link to my home page, please stop by and let me know what you agree with, disagree with and maybe are just a bit curious about! I look forward to connecting: https://randallyons.substack.com/
Also, if you are, or know of anyone in the sober-sphere who is looking to collaborate in written, audio or video form, c'mon over and let's talk about "exploring ways to transform addiction by making the spiritual practical." That's my jam.
Thank you, Dana, My Love for this! (and well, everything else too ; )
I love this community pop-up, Dana! Thanks for connecting us this way and offering such a safe place to show up.
Hello fellow Sober Soulful Stackers - I am Allison and I live outside Boston, Massachusetts. My go to hot beverage is black coffee. But I don't run on Dunks even though I am a Boston gal. I cheat and visit Starbucks. To me, coffee is a hug in a mug.
My Substack is titled DARE TO BE DRY. I named it this because I am daring to speak up, as a sober person. Mostly, though, I am speaking up to myself.
Something happened to me when I got sober. I stopped hiding from myself. And something happens to me when I write. I show up to myself. In being vulnerable with readers, I am pulling a chair up beside my true self. And I sit there for a bit. It’s a sort of reunion.
I'd love some company at the reunion each week ;-) I post a free newsletter every Friday. Here's a good place to start and learn more:
https://open.substack.com/pub/allisonderaney/p/dare-to-be?r=rkt4u&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Hello! I am Becky and I am in Derbyshire, in the UK. My favourite hot beverage is a cup of tea because I enjoy being a cliche. 😂
Within my Substack I talk about a diverse array of things such as my sobriety, being neurodivergent, stories from my past that have helped me learn lessons, books I find inspiring, things I love and more generalised updates. All my letters are very open and honest. I don't want my Substack to read like an Instagram highlight reel. This can lead me down some very real and raw paths but I find catharsis in writing. I think there is also lightness and humour in most of my letters. Being from Derbyshire, I do share quite a lot of photos of sheep. I don't have a niche and I'm happy about that. I don't really like being boxed into one thing.
This is a letter of mine that did well - https://beckyhandley.substack.com/p/gender-euphoria? and this is my latest letter - https://beckyhandley.substack.com/p/on-my-doorstep?
I think they show quite well how I don't like to be boxed into one topic.
I am sober, not far off 9 months now. I feel a lot more myself since stopping drinking alcohol but I am still filled with a lot of 'shoulds'. I should feel better, I should look better, every day should be wonderful and marvellous. Things like that. I write about this on my Substack in what I have dubbed 'The Sober Diaries.' You can find these in the sections bit on my Substack.
Thank you so much for reading my comment. And thank you so much, Dana for being kind enough to do open this up on your Substack. 🖤
Buenas Dias! Peter here reporting live from South America, currently in Colombia en route to Ecuador. My favorite hot drink is yerba mate, love it more than most drugs.
I started my Substack, The Dented Wagon (https://thedentedwagon.substack.com/) almost 6 months ago and I've been writing now for 20 weeks in a row. It's as challenging as it is rewarding. Writing regularly and committing to this project has opened up some interesting doors and has given me some insight into my own shortcomings and strengths.
I've been on the Wagon for more than 5 years now, and keeping that poison out of my life is the gift that just keeps on giving. Not drinking alcohol is like having a Super Power; it doesn't fix all your problems but it does give you a chance to face them with a clear mind and a full heart. There's a lot of pain caused by booze that wouldn't be there otherwise, unforced errors that stack up over generations. I'm interested in helping people find their own path to heal.
Recovery is like a chain. Someone reached out and cared enough to pull me out of the mud, the Dented Wagon is my attempt to reach out and pull out the next person. A major part of recovery is reciprocity.
Thank you Dana for leading the way! Your energy is so contagious and your tireless effort to put out positive energy is commendable. Keep leading and we'll keep following!
Salud!
Successful vs. Significant.
https://thedentedwagon.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web&r=l6y2w
Latest Post:
https://thedentedwagon.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web&r=l6y2w
Hi. I’m Gary, and I’m currently in the US. I enjoy a cup of black coffee at daybreak, then one of hot tea in the early evening. Green tea steeped with a pod of cardamon and a few goji berries is my current favorite.
I retired from publishing in 2018 and have traveled continuously by bicycle since 2016, sharing views through a telescope along the way. The bike introduces me to fascinating people I would not encounter otherwise.
I write here of the insights I gain from those new connections, most of which are positive. And “here” is Substack, because it marries writing and engagement like no other platform I’ve experienced. Witness this comment thread.
I subscribe to Sober Soulful for the joy of Dana’s immersive essays, and because, well, we’re all recovering from something and are never too old to heal.
Oh, and my most recent Substack post concerns dogs.
Greetings. Thank you for this opportunity to build community and get to know others here in Substack land. I am Erin in Arcata, CA about an hour south of the Oregon border along the coast. My favorite hot beverage is black tea (decaf now...sad face) with honey and lemon. I carry decaf tea bags, honey, and lemon with me wherever I go because it is a rare combo that I have difficulty coming across in any one place. So, if you ever see a woman with a honey bear perched on the top of her car squeezing a lemon into a tall mason jar by the side of the road, that's me. When I first got sober, I began a practice of personifying feeling states as a way of pausing before reacting to or running from particular sensations. My pre-sober protocol was to let these states run my life. Whether positive or negative, they directed my behaviors almost as if on auto-pilot. Sitting with emotions/feeling states allowed me to better understand the whos and whats and whys of things and become more comfortable with my limbic system on any particular day. I recently relapsed after 17 years, but I am back. YAY! A friend encouraged me to revisit my earlier writing and continue with the personification practice, which is what brought me to Substack. I am still figuring things out, but I'm enjoying the process. I hope that my practice inspires others to sit with the emotions/feeling states that drop in and get to know them and their stories. I look forward to visiting everyone's page and learning more about you all. Peace and love, Erin https://poartetry.substack.com/
👋🏻 Hello! I hope I'm not too late to participate.
I'm Clare, a queer writer based in Dublin. I stopped drinking alcohol a few years ago because it made me feel shit. At the time, I was struggling to manage my mental health (primarily C-PTSD) and alcohol just messed with my body and brain too much. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
I write about trauma and recovery on my substack. My goal is to change the conversation we have about life after trauma. I've just discovered your substack Dana, and am looking forward to reading more.
Oh and a recent post, here's one I wrote about writing, attention, The Artist's Way and getting nature stoned. It resonated with people more than I expected it to, TBH, but I'm really glad about that. https://clareegan.substack.com/p/i-dont-have-many-regrets-but-this
Hi everyone! I just started a substack about my recovery last fall and some of the incidents leading up to it. I only have one post but would love feedback and a follow. Hoping to also include some stories of sobriety and motherhood along with career and family. It’s called Molotov Cocktails and this is the link: https://open.substack.com/pub/molotovcocktails?r=ba6m&utm_medium=ios