Sober24 - Recent Features

Streams of Influence: Stepping Stones

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 10:39:54 -0400

The gracious Dutch colonial-style house called Stepping Stones, where Bill W., AA’s cofounder, lived with his wife, Lois, for the last 30 years of his life, has been considered a national landmark for the last six years. Visited by thousands of AA and Al-Anon members every year, the house is a monument to the interconnected fellowships and the couple who were instrumental in founding them.

Join Recovery Month activities to reduce stress

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:42:37 -0400

This year, Recovery Month, sponsored each September by SAMHSA, is raising awareness about the increasing level of stress in society and the impact it has on addiction.

Young People to Celebrate Sobriety at International Conference

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:02:44 -0400

For four days at the end of this month, August 26-29, 2010, over three thousand sober alcoholics, ranging in age from their early teens to their twenties and beyond, will convene in New York City’s Times Square to share their experience, strength, and hope in recovery.

Women in AA

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 10:51:42 -0400

In A Biography of Mrs. Marty Mann: The First Lady of Alcoholics Anonymous by Sally and David Brown, the authors provide a glimpse into early AA and what it was like for a woman trying to get sober.

Balance and Boundaries: Coping with a Loved One's PTSD

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:24:35 -0400

Trauma throws lives and family dynamics off balance and can shift the healthiest of boundaries. Appropriate boundaries are the way we differentiate ourselves from others. They protect and preserve our individuality and help us keep our self-esteem intact.

Celebrating Sobriety: A.A.’s 75th Anniversary

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:33:58 -0400

San Antonio, Texas, the seventh largest city in America, is about to get larger – for the weekend, at least. Upwards of 40,000 sober alcoholics, their families and friends, are poised to descend on this historic Southwestern city to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Alcoholics Anonymous, July 1-4.

Addicted to Love

Tue, 25 May 2010 11:19:31 -0400

By Krissy K.
I am an addict of a “different” kind. I was diagnosed with Codependent Obsessive Love Addiction (OLA) over 10 years ago. At that time, I didn’t understand the diagnosis; I didn't care about treatment; I didn't think I had a “problem”; and I definitely didn't have a support system.

History Corner: The Drunkard’s Club

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:05:23 -0400

By William L. White

To many people, the history of alcoholic mutual aid societies begins in 1935 with the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous. AA history buffs are aware that there was another society, the Washingtonians, that existed almost a century before the meeting of Bill Wilson and Dr. Robert Smith.

When Love Is Not Enough

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:19:16 -0400

Lois Wilson, co-founder of Al-Anon, recalls a night that haunted her for some time, right up until the day her husband, Bill, finally found sobriety.

Letters from Readers

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:07:58 -0500

A number of readers have been in touch with Sober 24, telling their stories and sharing their experience, strength, and hope with us. If you’d like to be in touch, too, you can “Tell Us Your Story” at www.sober24.com/E_Zine/Submissions/159/. We’d love to hear from you.

The Spirituality of Despair

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:18:32 -0500

At its core, Alcoholics Anonymous, the fellowship that launched the modern-day recovery movement, has always been based on the lifesaving communication between one alcoholic and another. In late 1930s America, the era into which Alcoholics Anonymous was born, the idea of one alcoholic talking therapeutically with another, resulting in the betterment of both, was big news, changing the plane of alcoholism treatment forever.

Reflections On Forgiveness

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:54:58 -0500

Far away in the city neighborhood an English sparrow is singing. Almost lost in the street noise, the automobiles, the hum of machinery, its brave little song comes in through an open window. A tentative che-eep, che-eep comes straight into prayer and meditation and suddenly it is all right. The difficult places, the sorrow and confusion, the visionless spaces that make up the mind and heart are suddenly illuminated and put to rest.

Letters from Readers

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:39:40 -0500

A number of readers have recently been in touch with Sober 24, telling their stories and sharing their experience, strength, and hope with us. If you’d like to be in touch, too, you can “Tell Us Your Story” at www.sober24.com/E_Zine/Submissions/159/. We’d love to hear from you.

Abraham Lincoln On Alcoholism

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:40:02 -0500

Profound insight from President Abraham Lincoln into the dilemma of the habitual drunkard. Excerpted from Lincoln's address to the Washington Temperance Society, Springfield, Illinois, on the 110th anniversary of George Washington's birth, February 22, 1842.

Anatomy of Pain and Addiction

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:33:37 -0500

In the spring of 2000, I awoke one morning with all-over muscle aches and fatigue. It persisted for over two weeks, and I became frustrated having to deal with the pain, which was, at times, debilitating. I saw my primary care physician, and he ultimately diagnosed me with a condition called Fibromyalgia. It's a disease of the central nervous system that manifests itself in all-over body pain and chronic fatigue. The only treatment available for this condition is powerful narcotics, so he referred me to a pain management specialist.

Angel of Hope: The Life and Legacy of Sister Ignatia

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:22:16 -0400

For those with a casual interest in AA history, the roots of Alcoholics Anonymous can easily be traced to two middle-aged men, a New York stockbroker named Bill Wilson and an Akron, Ohio, physician named Dr. Bob Smith. However, as is often the case with any successful enterprise, there were a host of hidden partners behind the scenes who made incalculable contributions to the expansion and growth of the now nearly 75-year-old fellowship that has saved the lives of countless alcoholics around the world.

SPOTLIGHT ON…Letters from Readers

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:59:57 -0400

A number of readers have recently been in touch with Sober 24, telling their stories and sharing their experience, strength, and hope with us.

Spotlight On...Turning My Life Around

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:36:07 -0400

As of April 8, 2008, I have been in long-term recovery for 7 years and 8 days. With every passing day, this number changes. Each day is better than the last; each is a true blessing.

Myths of Addiction

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:33:38 -0400

Since so much of our scientific understanding of addiction is relatively new, and since so much about drug and alcohol use is tied up in belief systems, it's not surprising that myths about this disease abound.

Marty Mann

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:17:09 -0400

Margaret “Marty” Mann (October 15, 1904 – July 22, 1980) was a very early AA member generally acknowledged as the first woman to achieve lasting sobriety in AA. She was one of the founders of the AA Grapevine and author of the chapter “Women Suffer Too” in the second and third editions of the book “Alcoholics Anonymous.”