#QUITLIT

#QUITLIT: Elizabeth Gilbert’s “All the Way to the River” Shines a Light on Codependency and Love Addiction 

This may sound like an outrageous response to Elizabeth Gilbert's new memoir, “All the Way to the River,” about the destruction and pain of codependency and love addiction, but it filled me with joy, peace and a renewed spirit.  

Someone finally told the truth about what it means to experience the depths of despair of these often-minimized complexities. I have been saying for years that codependency kills people, and nobody gets it. But thanks to Gilbert, they do now. When she writes that she was ready to kill her partner or kill herself — that is where the addictive and codependent relational dynamic ends. 

A STOIC SOBRIETY

Why “AA Doesn't Work” Is the Laziest Argument in Recovery 

I have heard it an uncountable number of times: "AA does not work." Anywhere from "I went to a few meetings and didn't like it" to "My uncle Charlie was sober and then got drunk again." For some, this is enough evidence to draw a definitive conclusion that AA does not work. I prefer to dig a bit deeper. Or as The Dude in the “Big Lebowski” says, "That's, like, your opinion, man". Let's be clear as you read on, I am not promoting, endorsing or defending AA. I am offering a rational point of view.  

RECOVERY PODCASTLAND

When Sober Creators Unite: The Movement Amplifying Every Voice

What happens when people stop hiding their sobriety — and start celebrating it out loud? For Margy Schaller, that shift felt like a physical transformation. After 18 years of sobriety lived mostly in silence, she finally came out publicly — and found freedom through Sober Life Rocks, the community she co-founded with Laura Nelson.

Together, they’re now leading something bigger: Amplify Sober Voices, a conference debuting at Podfest 2026 designed to unite sober creators, coaches, writers, and leaders from every corner of the alcohol-free world.

The mission? Simple but powerful: to turn isolation into inspiration.

SOBER UNBUZZED FEED

25 Symbolic and Meaningful Ways to Honor Your Recovery in 2025  

Whether it’s a tattoo, a license plate holder or an email signature, there are countless ways to celebrate recovery out loud. Struggling to find a meaningful saying or symbol that resonates with you? Don’t worry — you’ve got this! Put on “Sober” by P!nk, go for a walk and let the ideas flow. If nothing comes to mind, here are 25 symbolic ways (and sayings) to honor your recovery in 2025, each reflecting strength, growth and transformation. 

SOBRIETY IN THE CITY

Nate Bargatze: Proof That Sobriety Can Be Fun — and Funny   

I recently saw Nate Bargatze’s comedy show on his Big Dumb Eyes World Tour, and I can honestly say it left me smiling for days. What struck me most — aside from how hard I laughed — was how refreshingly relatable and clean his humor is. Nate proves you don’t need to be graphic or shocking, or drink alcohol, to make people laugh. His stories are funny because they’re real. From family life to awkward social moments, he captures everyday experiences in a way that feels both familiar and hilarious. 

WHAT A TRIP!

Sober in Guatemala with Antigua 12  

We didn’t know what to expect when we passed the grass-covered Mayan pyramids to meet our shaman in a secluded clearing. Soon we were sitting in a circle while Tomas, dressed in traditional Mayan red textiles with beaded necklaces, urged us to throw meaningful things into the sacred fire — a piece of cacao representing mother earth, a marshmallow heart for our loved ones.  

“We create our reality with our will and our intentions,” he told us. “Today is a beautiful day to start over.”  

SOBER CURATOR PODCAST EXTRAS

Why Guatemala Belongs on Your Sober Travel Bucket List: Inside SoberTravelRetreats.org with Founder Philippa Myers

If your passport is begging for a new stamp and your soul is craving connection, Guatemala might be calling your name.

On a recent episode of The Sober Curator Podcast, I teamed up with our Senior Sober Curator Travel Journalist, Teresa Bergen, to chat with Philippa Myers, founder of SoberTravelRetreats.org. Philippa has called Antigua, Guatemala home since 1992, and she’s turned her decades in the travel industry and her long-term recovery into something pretty magical: eight-day sober journeys that blend cultural immersion, service, recovery principles, and serious fun.

#ADDTOCART

The Sober Curator 2025 Holiday Gift Guide - Zodiac Edition

Shopping for loved ones can be an overwhelming task and that is why I, Analisa Six, have come to help aid in your search using the art of Astrology. Now don't worry friends, you don’t have to know anything about Astrology to use the Zodiac to help aid in your search, I have done all of the work for you.

#WEDORECOVER

Sober Celeb of the Week: Pete Davidson

Pete has openly shared his journey toward sobriety after years of substance use and mental-health challenges. He credits a powerful phone call from his mother, Amy Waters Davidson, in which she told him, “My biggest fear is that I will turn on the news and see my son has died,” as the wake-up moment that drove his decision to stop.

Since committing to sobriety in September 2024, Pete says he’s felt sharper, more present, and more grounded—especially as he and his partner prepare to welcome their first child.

What stands out for me—and what I hope resonates with our sober living community—is Pete’s acknowledgment that quitting substances wasn’t a guarantee of perfection, but was the opening to show up differently. His journey reminds us that sobriety isn’t just about what we leave behind—but what we move toward.

How might your story of transformation change if you leaned into “what I’m moving toward” instead of only “what I gave up”?

For anyone struggling, know that help is available: 📞 1-800-662-HELP (SAMHSA Helpline).

MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS

Screw the Pressure: Staying Sober Through the Chaos 

It happens every year. The stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year’s becomes one big permission slip to overindulge in pretty much everything. People drink whatever they want, inhale sugar like its oxygen, and then cross their fingers that a halfhearted New Year’s resolution will magically reset the chaos. 

But you’re wiser this year. You know alcohol stopped working for you; maybe it hasn’t worked for a long time. You’re done with feeling tired, disconnected, anxious and ashamed. You’re over waking up with regret. You’re choosing you. 

SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE

The Gratitude Revolution: Dax Shepard, MTHFR Genes, and the Neuroscience of Lasting Sobriety

As November unfolds and we walk through National Gratitude Month, I find myself returning to the thread-pulling gratitude practice that has sustained my recovery for twenty-eight years. Last week, while discussing how "The Flight Attendant" reveals the genetic underpinnings of addiction through GABRA2 and COMT variants, my sixteen-year-old son asked a question that stopped me in my tracks: "If gratitude changes how genes work, why don't more people in practice it seriously?" GREAT Question!

The answer lies partly in understanding what Dax Shepard's brutally honest recovery journey teaches us about a third genetic factor that affects millions: MTHFR variants. While Cassie Bowden's character showed us how anxiety and emotional sensitivity drive addiction, Shepard's story reveals how methylation problems – the body's inability to produce feel-good brain chemicals naturally – create a different but equally compelling path to substance dependence.

A STOIC SOBRIETY

Step 11: Deepening Spiritual Growth in Recovery 

The 11th Step of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) states: “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” If we do this practice or something similar daily, we are taking significant steps toward building resilience into our sobriety. 

THIRSTY FOR WONDER

What to Read When Sobriety Becomes a Spiritual Practice

Sobriety starts as survival. It starts with a decision to stop hurting ourselves in the same old ways. But over time, it becomes something deeper — something sacred. The longer we’re sober, the more we realize this isn’t just about saying no to a drink. It’s about saying yes to a fuller, truer, more connected life.