recovery

Artwork: Tess Emily Rodriguez

Ask Erin: I'm Newly Sober—Will I Ever Feel Normal Again?

I know it doesn’t happen overnight, but I feel so uncomfortable all the time. There is no relief.  Read...
Photo by Sandra Seitamaa on Unsplash

Five Ways We Can Stand In Our Power

This isn’t an essay about how “woke” I am — instead, it’s a journey of reclamation and standing in my power, which started with my getting sober.

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What can I do for us to have a healthy, better, successful life and future marriage? (Artwork: Tess Emily Rodriguez)

Ask Erin: Will I Lose My Fiance To Rehab?

My fiancé has been in inpatient rehab for close to a week. What can I do for us to have a healthy, better, successful life and future marriage?

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That’s the thing about recovery: if you stick with it, it introduces you to yourself.

Addiction Recovery Forced Me To Sober Up About My Relationships

When I decided to get sober, I simply wanted help to stop drowning myself; I certainly didn’t envision digging up my painful relationship history.

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Photo by Benjamín Castillo on Unsplash

How Queerness Influences My Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol was the antidepressant I felt I always wanted. There was no need to step back, breathe, count to ten, or do any other self-soothing techniques.

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For several years in my late 20s and early 30s, health anxiety had a stranglehold on my life — and it started from a scary place.

I Recovered From Health Anxiety (And So Can You)

These days, I can’t say I’m never hit with anxiety about an unexpected pain or a weird lump. But when fear creeps in, I stick to some helpful guidelines.

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This is my life with an eating disorder. This is my before and after.

The Other Before and After: Life With An Eating Disorder 

I’ve never been a fan of eating disorder recovery Before-and-After photos. I don’t find it healthy or helpful to compare and appraise the shapes and sizes of bodies.

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This is a story of surviving natural disasters.

Surviving Natural Disasters: An Empathetic Response To Victims

We saw Hurricane Ike coming for days before it made landfall. It was just two short years post-hurricane Katrina, and all of south Texas and Louisiana were still reeling from her trauma. My husband and I began deliberating if we should stay or go. This is my story of surviving natural disasters.

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