Did you know that when you get sober you develop X-Ray eyes? You do! It’s amazing. @chatnoir discovered this...
Alcohol Drug Helpline: 0800 787 797
Mrs D’s Blog
Here Lotta Dann writes on topics inspired by discussions taking place within the Living Sober community, and on themes that arise for her as she moves through her own sober lifestyle. Guest posts from other writers in recovery also feature on this page. Don’t forget – you can speak directly with others who are looking at the role alcohol plays in their lives on this site! Simply join our community and visit the Members Feed.
There is no downside (guest post from @ylang-ylang)
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, calm, gratitude, happy | 17Member @ylang-ylang posted this update in the Members Feed the other day and many of us thought it was...
Sober Freak
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, gratitude, happy | 12Ok I am officially a sober freak! It’s Saturday morning and I woke today at 6.20am, picked up my...
A member posted this question in the Members Feed the other day… “I need some wise advice. So how do...
On my lowest days I sometimes have glum thoughts about my sobriety. It happens rarely nowadays (at 3+ years sober)...
Techniques for being around drinkers…
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, self-care, self-help, socialising | 21It’s definitely an extra layer of ‘hard’ for us sober people if we have to spend a lot of...
One of our wonderful members @mac007 (who I have had the pleasure of meeting twice!) has just travelled away...
Up up into the giant sky (guest post from @suek)
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, bravery, honesty, hope, writing | 27Some of you may remember that my dear friend (and long-time member of this site) @suek has recently been...
It’s the million dollar question isn’t it? When does living sober become the new norm? When does sober become ordinary?...
An interview with myself (guest post from @behind-the-sofa)
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, gratitude, honesty, soberversaries | 28One of the lovely members of this site @behind-the-sofa recently celebrated 1 year of living alcohol-free (woo hoo!!). He...
Someone asked in the Members Feed a while back “When do you stop being a newbie?”. I thought it...
I was just chatting with a girlfriend about a wedding she’d been to on the weekend. It had been...
Finding the Yellow Brick Road (guest post from @prudence)
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, bravery, self-help | 17Beloved member @prudence wrote this marvelously stirring and inspirational update in the Members Feed the other day and I thought it was...
My darling friend @suek is gearing up to move to the other side of the world. I recently asked...
A restauranteur friend just emailed Mr D and said “I can get my hands on a stunning Central Otago pinot noir...
The fabulous sober blogger Mr Sponsorpants wrote a post the other day called ‘Drop The Rock‘ and in it...
The Rules…
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, happy, honesty, regret | 24I got the idea for this post from member @citygirl. She wrote a fabulous update in the Members Feed...
Member @maryisnotafairy posted this in the Sober Toolbox recently and I thought it was bloody brilliant so am featuring it...
The haze of satisfaction…(are we having fun here?)
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, fun, happy, socialising | 10I participated in a Bubble Hour podcast recently about ‘Sober Fun’. It was totally great – I love doing...
The power of externalizing thoughts (a.k.a get the shit out of your brain)
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, anonymity, community, writing | 31One of the most powerful aspects of blogging for me was externalising my thoughts - getting my dark drinking secrets...
Some more Christmas and New Years inspiration for you – this post comes from @_jjw_, a smart and lovely kiwi dude,...
It’s all on….
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, self-care, socialising | 14Christmas that is. It’s been coming at us like a runaway freight train … and now it’s here. Airports...
Member @AEG wrote this in the Members Feed the other day. I thought it was just such a lovely...
One of our wonderful members @hilux is a dab hand with poetry – he often writes his updates and...
Last week I asked my friend Jackson (@_jjw_) if he would write a post for me to feature here,...
My darling friend @SueK had a tricky sober night out last weekend. Lucky for us she’s been able to brilliantly...
There’s a lovely man who goes by the member name @behind-the-sofa here at Living Sober and also leaves comments...
My sugar research…
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, cravings, emotions, sugar | 34(Warning: Long Post with some science-y stuff in the middle) I’m kind of reluctant to post this because –...
A video for us….
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, Recovery Videos, community, hope, video | 76This is my first attempt at making a video in iMovie! It it rough as guts but it is...
Member @Zentient wrote this in the members feed a couple of days ago… “Trigger! And I don’t mean Roy...
Member @freebreezi posted this in an update in the Members Feed last week and I was really struck by...
So this is cool – I’ve been invited down to Central Otago to speak at a series of events...
Just hold on….
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, emotions, hope | 22I think I’m getting better at this sober living malarkey. The longer I live with no alcohol in my...
Naval Gazing…
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, brain re-training, calm, happy, self-help | 32Oh how scornful I used to be about naval gazing! “Naval gazing is for sissies” (I’d say). “People who always...
Yesterday was lovely – my Three Years Sober celebration day! I felt very happy and proud of myself all day,...
I had the good fortune to meet @Watergirl at my Drug Foundation talk and I can confirm she gives good...
I have to be honest, sometimes I feel like a fraud because I’m not in the slightest bit ‘cured’...
Happy Sober Reality!
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, fun, happy, socialising | 40Oh wow everyone … how utterly incredible you all are for sharing those brutal truths. Really, really, really, really,...
You are Brave and Amazing
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, brain re-training, bravery, emotions, raw, writing | 5I just got a random lovely email from a dude in Utah – he works at Thistle Creek Ranch...
Gratitude…
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, gratitude, happy, hope, soberversaries | 26I woke up this morning inexplicably happy to be sober! Just a big burst of happy endorphins and optimistic...
I’ve just had a new article published on The Fix – another addiction and recovery website you should know...
Sober celebrities…
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, celebrities, community, fun, hope | 19I LOVE them. I just love them.. and I cling on to their stories for dear life. Somehow for...
Recovery video…
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, community, video | 17Crying Out Now is another awesome recovery blog everyone should know about. It was one of the first I discovered...
I’m interested in the concept of boredom … particularly how it relates to boozing & sobriety. I always used...
Member @daniel posted this in the Members Feed the other day. He said “People talk of living this sober...
Faces of recovery…
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, bravery | 8This photo arrived in the ‘Faces of Recovery’ gallery just two days after Living Sober went live. At the...
The growing phenomenon of online recovery…
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, community, cravings, hope, writing | 16I was contacted a couple of weeks ago by a journalist writing an article on online recovery. She sent me...
Fun at the kindy disco!
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, fun, happy | 14Lots of people have been reading Jason Vale since I raved about how great he was (along with Allan...
Here is the link in case you missed it last night. I’d be interested to hear everyone’s thoughts. My...
“There is this thing for alcoholics called a black out which isn’t really a black out it’s more...
Service (and how it keeps us sober)
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, anonymity, community, emotions, honesty, raw | 8I’m having an emotional couple of days. I was a bit shaky yesterday, cried at Yoga last night –...
Just wondering how everyone going tonight? I know there are some people in the members section who are feeling...
My big turning point – the point where I stopped drinking and got sober – came the morning after...
Happy Sunday morning everyone. Our dinner party was lovely, chatty and fun with lots of delicious food and drink. I...
Before I ask how everyone is going resisting the pull to drink tonight, I want to feature this update that...
I was going to save mentioning this until next week but a couple of people are talking about it...
We are not boring losers…!
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, brain re-training, calm, happy, hope, raw, socialising | 9We’re just people who don’t drink alcohol. I’ve just been hanging the bunting in the dining room for tonight’s...
Quarter to five.. how is everyone going tonight?
I wrote that post this morning about our dinner party and then got in the shower and worried that people...
We’re hosting a big dinner party here on Saturday night. A 10th Anniversary Dinner Party Extravaganza! for our Antenatal...
Brilliantly named ‘Arsenic Hour’ by member ‘mrsmorrison’ yesterday. How’s everyone going with it today? Remember to push your thinking...
Wow 200 members and counting!!!!! I was hoping for 20 – 30 on the first day .. this is...
Day One of Living Sober.. not sure how many people are going to be on here tonight, but if...
I was asked on my Facebook page how I felt about boozy deserts like sherry trifle or crepes with orange...
A simple truth….
Mrs D | | Mrs D's Blog, regret | 1You never wake up regretting not having drunk the night before….