“A new life does not require a new identity. It requires telling the truth about the old one.”
FROM THE DESK OF THE FOUNDER
Happy Monday.
I want to talk about Substack for a second.
You know how every few years the internet does this thing where it quietly becomes a better place for actual writers? Substack is having that moment right now for recovery writing. Not the kind that opens with "my darkest day" and closes with a hotline number. The kind that makes you feel like someone smart is sitting across from you with really good coffee, telling the truth without crying about it.
We found 20 of them. You're welcome.
That's the anchor piece this week, and I'm genuinely proud of it. Over 200 sobriety newsletters now live on Substack. We dug through them and pulled the 20 worth your inbox real estate.
Also this week: our contributor Sarah Alamo wrote something I wish had existed the day I got on a plane at a weirdly early point in my sobriety and had to figure out Las Vegas. (It was a lot. We'll leave it at that.) Her piece on sober business travel is practical, honest, and does not once suggest you just "order sparkling water and smile."
Then there's the seaweed piece. Yes, seaweed. Senior Sober Curator Contributor Anne Marie Cribbin went full Celtic summer solstice on us and I am completely here for it. Sometimes recovery looks like a meeting. Sometimes it looks like Irish moss in your bathtub at the summer solstice. No notes.
And I wrote about a diffuser. Because I am the kind of grown-ass sober adult who pays serious attention to how her house smells, and you deserve to know about Aura House.
Now let’s get to it…
— Alysse Bryson (*AB That’s Me 💋) / Seattle, WA 🌃 05.01.2006
ENTERTAINMENT
The 20 Best Sobriety Substacks to Follow in 2026
Good recovery writing has found a new home on Substack, where more than 200 newsletters now explore sobriety, recovery, sober living, creativity, relationships, money, identity, and life after alcohol. This curated list highlights 20 sobriety and recovery Substacks worth following in 2026, from big-name sober writers to storytellers, lifestyle voices, community builders, and beautifully specific people writing the truth one inbox at a time.
LIFESTYLE
Sober Business Travel: How to Thrive on Work Trips
In this Beyond the Happy Hour column, Sober Curator Contributor Sarah Alamo reflects on learning how to thrive during sober business travel, starting with her first work trip to Las Vegas at 23 days sober. From asking hotels to remove the minibar to finding steady footing on the first night, choosing great meals, exploring new cities, and staying sharp at client dinners, she reminds readers that sober work trips can become fuller, clearer, and far more enjoyable than expected.
THIRSTY FOR WONDER
Put Down the ACOTAR and Get Salty: 5 Ways Seaweed Can Enhance Your Recovery This Summer
Anne Marie invites readers to celebrate the summer solstice sober with five salty, soulful rituals inspired by Celtic seaweed traditions. From Irish moss baths and beachside presence practices to playful seaweed crowns and quiet moments by the water, this piece connects ancient coastal wisdom with modern recovery, reminding us that healing does not always have to be polished — sometimes it just needs salt, light, and a little willingness to get weird.
#ADDTOCART
Aura House Review: Pet-Safe Diffuser for Alcohol-Free Living
There is a specific kind of grown-ass sober adult who pays serious attention to how her house smells. Not in a Yankee Candle, gingerbread-cookie, seasonal-Bath-and-Body-Works way. In a "my home is now the most important room I exist in, and I want it to feel like a place I would never want to leave" way.
If that is you, I have notes on Aura House.
BACKSTAGE: Where Recovery Meets Real Life
🎟️ BACKSTAGE This week’s member-only events. Here's what you're missing.
MON JUNE 29 | 4 PM Pacific / 7 PM Eastern
Claude Addicts Anonymous: The Standing Meeting
We started a support group for those of us that who have developed a new addiction for figuring out all the ways we can use AI to make our lives easier. Come prepared to learn one new thing and/or share with the group something new you discovered. There are no dumb questions, only dumb prompts.
WED JULY 08 | 6 PM Pacific / 9 PM Eastern
BACKSTAGE with The Sober Curator: Edutainment Night | iPhone Content Creation with Sheena Kalso
You have a story worth telling. You have a phone in your hand. Now let’s make the two of them work together.
On July 8, BACKSTAGE welcomes Sheena Kalso of Behind Your Scenes for a practical, hands-on Edutainment Night dedicated to helping you shoot better content on your iPhone. No fancy equipment. No production team. Just your phone, the right settings, and one hour with someone who actually knows what she’s doing.
Sheena works with speakers, coaches, and leaders who know they should be showing up more on social media but aren’t sure how to make content that actually feels like them. Her approach is practical, real, and completely doable without a film crew.
By the end of this session you will know:
The exact camera settings to update on your iPhone right now
How to shoot video that looks and feels like you
What makes a Reel or TikTok actually worth watching
How to stop overthinking it and just hit record
Come with your phone charged and ready. This one is interactive.
Not a member? You are missing both. BACKSTAGE is our private culture club. Live events, member essays, brand drops, and a community of people deep into the long game. Join BACKSTAGE → Only $19/mo or $199/year (*includes two months free)
ALSO THIS WEEK ON TSC 📰
👉 Sober Is the New Cool White Party Brings Women Together for Connection, Wellness, and Hope Read more here→
👉 The Alignment: Grounding, the Root Chakra, and Returning to Yourself in Recovery Read more here→
Gif by thedrewbarrymoreshow on Giphy
