It's 2020, and whether you joined us for Dry January, you're experimenting with the Sober Curious movement, or you're in the process of beginning recovery, it can be really hard out there for young women trying to get and stay sober in today's society. Everywhere you look there's another "Rose All Day" T-shirt (barf). But there are resources out there, some tried and true and some fairly new, to offer you the support you deserve no matter where you are on your sobriety journey. And the best part is, you can check out most of them without even having to leave your house.
1. "Seltzer Squad Podcast"
My favorite! "Seltzer Squad Podcast," a podcast about "staying sober in the city," is run by two women in their thirties who are navigating sobriety, recovery, and everything that comes along with it. Their tagline? "Hangovers suck." "Seltzer Squad Podcast" offers short, weekly conversations and discussions about life in sobriety and some of the biggest challenges (and successes) those who are in it experience. It's a great listen that will bring you to laughter and tears over how much you relate to their stories.
2. "Sober Curious" by Ruby Warrington
Ruby Warrington is regarded as the founder of the modern-day Sober Curious movement and for good reason. "Sober Curious" is for everyone: the girl who doesn't know if she wants to get sober, the girl who definitely doesn't, and the girl who knows she needs to. It's a good read for anyone and everyone and pulls the mask off of sobriety and outlines some of the greatest benefits associated with it.
3. @ShotsToShakes
Scrolling through Instagram can be disheartening, whether you're trying to get sober or not. But it can be frustrating and even triggering to scroll through on a Friday night, bombarded with photos of people out at a party or at the club with drink after drink in their hand. More power to them, but that's not what you need to be seeing when you're struggling. Instagram account @ShotsToShakes, run by self-proclaimed sober babe Rachel Brady, fills your feed with quotes, blogs, selfies, and the like about living in sobriety and all the glorious feelings and moments that it brings. Check it out ASAP.
4. In The Rooms
Whether you're a fan of Alcoholics Anonymous or not (and we'll get to that in a minute), In The Rooms is an innovative and valuable resource for people who are interested in exploring a 12-step program but either can't or don't feel comfortable showing up to a meeting in-person. In The Rooms is an online platform that offers live video meetings every day along with forums and resources that can connect you to others in the recovery community all while promising the true anonymity of communicating behind a keyboard.
5. "A Woman's Way Through The Twelve Steps" by Stephanie S. Covington
This one is a little bit more traditional and honestly, a little bit more work. But if you're considering working a 12-step program like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, this is a super helpful tool that is customized specifically for women.
A lot of the criticism that programs like AA get is that it was a program designed by and for white men. However, a workbook like this one frames each of the steps to be relevant to women and women's needs. For example, the first step involves admitting powerlessness over alcohol. This workbook recognizes that our patriarchal society already aims to make women feel powerless and therefore it's a feeling that no woman wants to willingly agree to. For this reason, it frames powerlessness as a means of becoming more empowered by giving up what we cannot control as opposed to giving up our power. It's an extremely valuable tool that any woman working the steps should consider.
6. "Quit Like A Woman" by Holly Whitaker
"Quit Like A Woman" is a brand new book from Holly Whitaker, founder of Tempest Sobriety School, an online platform that is redefining the modern recovery movement and what it means to be sober. If you're looking to get sober but are a little fed up with the traditionally male-dominated culture of Alcoholics Anonymous, this book is a great place to start, leading the conversation in "the radical choice to not drink in a culture obsessed with alcohol."
7. Ariel Non-Alcoholic Wine
Yes, non-alcoholic wine. While it's definitely not a method for getting and staying sober, it's a tool that a lot of sober individuals keep in their toolkit to help them maintain an alcohol-free lifestyle. For a lot of people, the act of sitting down and having a glass of red wine at the end of the day is a ritual that they can't imagine giving up in sobriety. Of course, the problem comes from the fact that it's rarely just one glass of wine — or even one bottle. With non-alcoholic wines like these, it allows individuals to have something special to come home to and keep the experience of a glass of red before bed without going down the path that so often follows one drink.
8. @ASoberGirlsGuide
Another essential Instagram account for every modern-day girl trying to get sober. And the best part of this one is that they have a blog and a podcast to match full of conversations with other successful sober folks sharing their experiences and advice.
9. Fre Non-Alcoholic Wine
Another non-alcoholic wine, because what twenty-first-century girl doesn't fantasize about a glass of rosé every now and then? While you're likely not going to be running out to buy a "Rosé All Day" t-shirt, getting to have a glass of pink wine with the girlfriends is an experience that being sober doesn't have to get in the way of.
10. Alcoholics Anonymous
And finally, the tried and true method that been helping people get and stay sober for nearly a century now. While AA gets a lot of criticism, especially from young people and women, in particular, there is a lot of value that can come from attending even one meeting. They're free, they're in every city in the United States, and there's really nothing to lose by showing up.
