Lo Hudson, yes — I remember hearing that story as well, and it made an impact on me, too! I think I heard this in relation to an article on Rat Park, but the essence of it was, “The opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety; it’s connection.” I know that I needed to quit drinking alcohol; it was easily as toxic to me as cigarettes were. But I’ve been deeply surprised that in some ways, I feel significantly MORE open to connection now that I don’t have an addiction to alcohol. I had to get the alcohol out of the way in order to see all the ways it was blocking me from having more meaningful connections — to other people, of course, but also and even more fundamentally, to myself. Thanks for your comments!

    Sara Nash, PhD, LMHC

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    Sara Nash is a mom, therapist, painter, and writer who has been happily sober since May 2018. Find her at thecounselorasaperson.com and saranash.com.