Alcohol

A study guide for the spiritually inclined — Should not be taken on an empty stomach. Requires a lot of trust. Encourages you to read about the safety measures that are necessary for salvation. May cause a burning sensation in the bosom. Serves people throughout the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. Can be purchased for under…

Add unique sober tricks to your toolbox — When my girl completed 7th grade, we celebrated with really salty burgers and fries. The rest of the day I was so stinking thirsty I couldn’t think of anything else. When you’re that kind of thirsty, you want something flavorful and refreshing like juice, soda or booze. None of those…

Having guidance when you quit drinking is critical — here's that help. — I made a serious attempt to quit drinking three times. Yes, this implies, I failed twice. What was the difference the third time? I Changed My Mind The first two times I quit, I thought I could succeed because I'd read several books about successful quitters. I thought I knew how to do it…

Sometimes you gotta go where everybody knows (only) your (first) name. — All of my early “Sobriety Lit” reading during those first few alcohol-free weeks and months seemed to point to one thing for sure: Sooner or later, all sobriety journeys wind their way through AA. I knew I didn’t have the tools I needed to stay sober for the long term…

A mental shift is important for staying sober — I hate talk radio. I’m also not a big fan of podcasts. I never watch the news. I’m an introvert and a highly sensitive person. That means talking wears me out and wears me down. So I save my listening capacity for sermons and my family and friends. My boy…

How I Stayed Sober at a Wedding at One Month Clean — When I got sober, I’d already booked a flight back to my hometown of Pittsburgh for a friend’s wedding. I’ll call him Charlie. He and I had been good friends in college, and we’d done a lot of drinking and getting high together. We also took a road trip to…

Early Sobriety Part 2 — David Foster Wallace to the Rescue — I realize I’ve spent the past two posts mostly writing about books and here I am about to do it a third time. As I said in the first couple of posts here: I’m still feeling my way through this and figuring out what to write about and when to…

There is a symptom that usually shows up first, so let’s talk about this more. — Since my father died in 2016 from alcoholic liver disease (ALD), I have researched and written articles to help others become more aware of this dangerous condition. …

I wrote this post as a rather candid and personal post for Facebook, but I thought that there may be some value in sharing it with strangers. So my apologies for the wall of text, and lack of media; it’s just not that kind of post. And no hard feelings…