How 12-step programs defeat your full recovery I went to an AA meeting recently with a newly sober friend. I went to support him, despite not being a big AA person myself. I feel really conflicted about this organization, since on the one hand, I understand its importance and generally believe any community that makes it easy…

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Alcoholics Anonymous Let me start out by saying that I have a lot of issues with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and I also acknowledge how important it is for so many people entering recovery. This article is not an attempt to dissuade anyone…

Alcoholics Anonymous isn’t the only way to get sober, and may not be the best. I was already ten years sober when I went to my first Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting. I went with a friend, to support him in his shaky early sobriety, but I was also there for myself. While I’ve never been a 12-stepper, that doesn’t mean I got sober for fun…

A decade-long journey of clothes, shopping, addiction and recovery When I first got sober ten years ago, shopping for anything that wasn’t alcohol, cigarettes and drugs was a delight. I’d mostly only invested in my own self-destruction for the better part of a decade, and as you know if you’re…

How to establish and stick to your most important new daily practice I’ve meditated for ten years now — I started the day I got sober — and I’m going to start this article off by coming straight out and admitting that I’m not enlightened yet. My apartment’s still a mess, I still struggle to communicate directly with people, and I am…

Save money, live sustainably, and simplify your life by appreciating what you already own Are you trying to stop buying clothes? Or gadgets? Or workout gear? Or whatever? I’ve been trying, with mixed (but increasing) success if I’m being honest, to stop accumulating so much stuff for the last three years. Why? Well, I realized how much stuff I had, how little of it…

Doing “Meaningful” Work Won’t Solve All Your Problems, But It’s Still Better Than the Alternative Something helpful I’ve learned is that not only does money alone not make people happy, but too much of it can actually be a hindrance to happiness. Money Provides Comfort, But Not Contentedness For almost a decade I worked in communications in the world of corporate finance, where I earned an income that felt like an…

Addiction, Recovery, and Finding Out Who You Really Are Call me cliché, but I got religion the day I got sober. Like most addicts entering recovery, I was lost, and in search of something: a path, a purpose, and a new story to tell about myself and my life. I’d gone so deep into the hell of drinking and…

On heatwaves, privilege, and addiction— and why none of are really safe until we all are On Monday last week, temperatures in my usually temperate, coastal home province of British Columbia, Canada reached scorching new highs — up to 39 degrees celsius (or 102 degrees Fahrenheit). …