“Recovery is what happens when the truth finally gets a seat at the table.”
FROM THE DESK OF THE FOUNDER
Twenty years ago this spring, I got sober and immediately did the thing every newly sober person does. I sat on my couch and tried to figure out what to do with my hands, my nights, and my entire personality.
Spoiler: I watched a lot of television. Some of it was genuinely terrible. All of it kept me on the couch and out of the bar, which at the time was the whole point.
This week I pulled together two watchlists. What I actually survived from 2006 to 2010, and what I would queue up if I were getting sober today. Think of it as a before-and-after, except the after is just me, still here, with significantly better taste and a frankly embarrassing number of better options.
The rest of the week went places. We asked whether the church has a drinking problem. We answered a reader whose boss keeps disappearing on benders. And Rob Lowe, sober since 1990, would like a word about that vampire theory.
Pour the good coffee. Let's get into it.
— Alysse Bryson (*AB That’s Me 💋) / Seattle, WA 🌃 05.01.2006
THIRSTY FOR WONDER:
Does the Church Have a Drinking Problem? Faith, Alcohol, and Sobriety in Sacred Spaces
Senior Sober Curator Contributor Anne Marie Cribbin reflects on growing up inside a faith community where alcohol, ritual, family, grief, and celebration were deeply intertwined. In this powerful essay, she explores what happens when drinking culture becomes invisible in sacred spaces — and what faith communities can learn from recovery.
MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS
My Boss Disappears on Benders. What Can I Do?
When a boss or founder disappears on benders, the issue is not just personal — it becomes operational, emotional, and cultural. Sarah breaks down how employees can respond when alcohol-related behavior affects the workplace, including how to document impact, avoid diagnosing, ask for structure, set boundaries, and balance compassion with accountability.
BACKSTAGE: Where Recovery Meets Real Life
🎟️ COMING UP @ BACKSTAGE: Member-only events. Not a member yet? Here's what you're missing.
June 3rd: Edutainment Night | Conspiracy PowerPoint Party Conspiracy PowerPoint Party. Bring a deck, defend a theory, prove the dots connect.
June 10th: Media Night | Drunk on Film with Ted Mandell Addiction On Screen with Ted Mandel of Notre Dame. The smart, sober breakdown of how film and TV really handle addiction.
June 17th: Style Your Next Chapter: Dress for the Life You’re Building Learning to love your look and how to build the right wardrobe for the new you.
Comedy night, then criticism night, followed by fashion. That range is exactly why people stay.
Join BACKSTAGE → Only $19/mo or $199/year (*includes two months free)
LIFESTYLE
So Many Options, So Little Guidance: How to Find the Right Support for Your Sobriety Journey
Recovery support has changed dramatically, with more options than ever before — from 12-step meetings and therapy to coaching apps, telehealth platforms, MAT programs, sober communities, and digital recovery tools. Anne Marie Cribbin offers a gentle field guide for finding sobriety support that fits your real life, honors your needs, and reminds you there is no single “right” way to recover.
ENTERTAINMENT
What I Watched in Early Sobriety (Then vs. Now): A Sober Watchlist 20 Years in the Making
Here are two lists. What I actually watched white-knuckling my way through 2006 to 2010, and what I would put on if I were getting sober today. Consider it a before-and-after, except the “after” is just me, still here, with much better taste in television and grateful we have much better options to choose from.
ALSO THIS WEEK ON TSC 📰
👉Sober Spotlight: Oskar of DEPTOS Turns Recovery Into Music That Doesn’t Preach Read more here→
👉The Alignment: Financial Energy, Stability, and the Root Chakra in Recovery Read more here→
👉 Rob Lowe Has Been Sober Since 1990. The Vampire Theory Is Wrong. Read more here→
👉 Imperfect Women on Apple TV: I Lost an Entire Saturday Night to This Mess and I Would Do It Again Read more here→
Hello June
