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What is emotional sobriety?
A longer guide pulling this topic together — what emotional sobriety is, what it looks like day to day, and what it doesn't mean.
October 18, 2026
I Used to Think Courage Meant Not Being Afraid
Real courage usually looks like being afraid, not knowing what happens next, and doing it anyway. On fear, faith, and moving your feet anyway.
Read “I Used to Think Courage Meant Not Being Afraid” →October 16, 2026· also filed here
Not Everything Is a Character Defect. Sometimes We're Just Human.
After 38 years of sobriety, I've learned that not every mistake, bad mood, or moment of frustration is a symptom of alcoholism. Sometimes we're simply human.
Read “Not Everything Is a Character Defect. Sometimes We're Just Human.” →October 13, 2026· also filed here
Powerlessness Doesn’t Mean Helplessness
Admitting I was powerless over alcohol didn’t mean I was helpless. It meant I finally stopped trying to win a fight I had already lost a thousand times.
Read “Powerlessness Doesn’t Mean Helplessness” →October 11, 2026
You Are Allowed to Become Better Than the Worst Thing You've Ever Done
It's strange how easily I can forgive somebody else and how incredibly difficult it can be to extend that same courtesy to myself.
Read “You Are Allowed to Become Better Than the Worst Thing You've Ever Done” →October 6, 2026· also filed here
Staying Teachable
One of the stranger things about getting older is realizing how much I still don't know. When I was younger, I was considerably more confident about knowing everything.
Read “Staying Teachable” →October 1, 2026
One Day at a Time
My brain likes to live next Tuesday, or six months from now, or in a conversation from 1987. Recovery taught me there is only one place I can actually do anything: today.
Read “One Day at a Time” →September 30, 2026
No Is a Complete Sentence
Recovery has taught me that people-pleasing and being helpful are not the same thing. One comes from generosity. The other usually comes from fear.
Read “No Is a Complete Sentence” →September 29, 2026
I Wanted Credit for Changing Before Anyone Had Evidence
I stopped drinking and meant it — so why didn't everybody trust me right away? Because trust doesn't come back through speeches. It comes back through evidence.
Read “I Wanted Credit for Changing Before Anyone Had Evidence” →September 26, 2026· also filed here
I Used to Think Secrets Kept Me Safe
Secrets once felt like protection. Guy writes about Step Five, shame, honesty, and the relief of no longer needing a secret life.
Read “I Used to Think Secrets Kept Me Safe” →September 20, 2026
Gratitude Isn't Pretending Everything Is Wonderful
Gratitude isn't a fake smile or a forced list. Guy writes about the quiet, ordinary gifts of sobriety — and why the boring things are the enormous ones.
Read “Gratitude Isn't Pretending Everything Is Wonderful” →September 17, 2026· also filed here
Getting Sober Didn't Automatically Make Me a Better Parent
Stopping drinking was enormous, but our kids experienced more than our drinking — they experienced us. Guy writes about Step Ten, prompt amends, and rebuilding trust one Tuesday afternoon at a time.
Read “Getting Sober Didn't Automatically Make Me a Better Parent” →September 16, 2026
Grieving the Life That Was Killing Me
In sobriety we can grieve the life that was killing us. Guy writes about losing his parents, mourning his old life, and carrying both with him sober.
Read “Grieving the Life That Was Killing Me” →September 11, 2026
We Cannot Do This Thing Called Life Alone
On September 11, a day of national remembrance, I am reminded that none of us is meant to face life alone. Sobriety taught me to stay connected, to ask for help, and to be there for others.
Read “We Cannot Do This Thing Called Life Alone” →September 10, 2026
Humility Doesn't Mean Pretending You Suck
Humility doesn't mean pretending I haven't accomplished anything. It means being honest about who I am—strengths, weaknesses, and all.
Read “Humility Doesn't Mean Pretending You Suck” →September 8, 2026
Acceptance Doesn’t Mean I Agree
Acceptance does not mean I approve of a situation. It means I recognize reality as it actually exists — not as I wish it existed — so I can decide what is mine to do next.
Read “Acceptance Doesn’t Mean I Agree” →September 4, 2026· also filed here
You Can’t Apologize Your Way Out of It
Saying “I’m sorry” is easy. Changing the person who walked into AA is the real work — and the only amends that last.
Read “You Can’t Apologize Your Way Out of It” →September 3, 2026
SUFFER WELL, MY FRIEND
Unfortunately, pain is the great motivator for many of us. For the most part, I didn’t learn much unless there was some pain involved. The suggestions of AA were given to us for a reason. They came from people who had already traveled the road we were attempting to walk.
Read “SUFFER WELL, MY FRIEND” →September 2, 2026· also filed here
I HEARD MY BROTHER COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH
After 38 years of sobriety, my wife showed me something I still hadn't seen about myself. Real amends aren't just words—they're visible in what happens afterward.
Read “I HEARD MY BROTHER COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH” →August 30, 2026
THE KID WHO JUST WANTED TO BE LIKED
Growing up lonely and awkward, I drank to feel like I belonged. Nearly 39 years later, I’m learning that emotional sobriety means caring without being held hostage by other people’s opinions.
Read “THE KID WHO JUST WANTED TO BE LIKED” →August 29, 2026
SOMETIMES IT'S A BITCH BEING HUMAN
We make stupid decisions. Then, instead of taking responsibility, we blame someone else. It's easy. It's lazy. And we do it anyway.
Read “SOMETIMES IT'S A BITCH BEING HUMAN” →August 28, 2026· also filed here
WE FUCKED OUR FAMILIES UP
I wasn't married when I first got sober. I was 21 years old and living back home with Mom and Dad. Thank God they were willing to take me in.
Read “WE FUCKED OUR FAMILIES UP” →August 25, 2026· also filed here
AA RUINED MY ISOLATION
I sat in that circle while I was in therapy, but I had no intention of telling anyone how I truly felt or what I thought about myself.
Read “AA RUINED MY ISOLATION” →August 24, 2026
SHAME WAS EATING ME ALIVE
There was a time when I felt absolutely horrible about myself. The self-loathing and disgust I felt toward the person I had become were ripping me apart from the inside.
Read “SHAME WAS EATING ME ALIVE” →
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