About Living Sober

Learn more about our thriving community

Icon of hands open cradling growing plant and flower to represent personal growth.

Tools to take control

Sick of waging a fierce internal battle with yourself about alcohol? Ready to try and turn things around? This site is a safe space dedicated to helping you help yourself. From the countless tips and techniques in our Sober Toolbox, to our ‘Days Sober’ and ‘Money Saved’ calculators, there are many ways this site works to empower you.

Caring online community

There are loads of people online here every day, talking openly with one another. Countless different voices sharing their truths, trials and triumphs. No pretending here, and no judgement either. Our ethos is one of tolerance, understanding and kindness and our vibe is unfailingly positive and forward-looking.

A scrapbook with lots of post-its and bookmarks protruding from its edges.

Wealth of content

You’ll find plenty of thought-provoking and inspiring reading material on our site. Advice on how to reframe your thinking, wisdom from people who have faced their own drinking issues and insights from addiction experts. You’re welcome to add your own voice, or just lurk and read what others have to share.

Mrs D is Living Sober's Community Manager

Mrs D is the name Lotta Dann gave herself when she began anonymously blogging in 2011. Through her long-running blog, Mrs D Is Going Without, Lotta discovered the incredible power of online support for people quitting drinking. Her best-selling memoir, telling the story of her recovery, was published in 2014, and later that same year Living Sober was launched. Living Sober takes all of the powerful aspects Lotta discovered about online recovery, and condenses it here into one space, making it readily accessible for thousands of people so that they can also turn their lives around.

Listen to an in-depth Radio NZ interview with Lotta, and another here.
You can listen to extended podcast interviews with Lotta on The Bubble Hour, Love Sober, Hello Someday and Authentic Connection.

You can email Lotta about any queries you have regarding this site, or any trouble you have logging in, on admin@livingsober.org.nz

I am working to keep sober; Living Sober helps me not feel alone in this struggle. I know I have people I can talk to who understand me. Plus, there are excellent help tools, links to info, and stories which help me move closer to my goal of good health and well being - sobriety.

- Member, Living Sober.

Our Partners

The Health Promotion Agency (HPA)

Have been the primary funder of Living Sober since it started in 2014. HPA is a Crown entity that leads and delivers programmes, advice and research on alcohol issues, aims to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm, and works to inspire New Zealanders to make better decisions when it comes to drinking alcohol.

The NZ Drug Foundation

Have overseen the development and operation of Living Sober from the beginning. For over 20 years the NZ Drug Foundation has been working to prevent and reduce the immense social, health and economic harms caused by alcohol and other drugs in our communities. The NZ Drug Foundation is a registered New Zealand charity (CC27025).