02/19/2026
Being sober is not the same as being in recovery…
You can’t continue doing the same things and seeing the same people, just without booze, and expect a prosperous recovery.
That’s more like abstinence, and although it can work for short periods of time, relapse is much more likely.
The hardest thing to grasp when trying to get sober is that you have to make new friends…
When I first got sober the thought of “losing” 30+ of my best friends was something I struggled with. And I tried to stop drinking while staying in the same place, doing the same thing, with the same people. I’d last maybe an hour before drinking, and then another 20 mins before pounding 👃🍬.
Once I realized my environment and friends were keeping me in the toxic cycle, I moved away from Vail, CO and back down to Boulder, CO. Very quickly it became apparent that most of the people I hung out with were just party friends, and only a few of them remain close friends today.
The thing about addiction is that we’re all running from something or self medicating. When you simply stop drinking, all of the feelings, anxiety, trauma, etc. are still there.
When I started skateboarding again and making new friends, the community formed around me. It supported me, kept me accountable, and I made true relationships based on a love for something so powerful - skateboarding.
That’s the major unlock for addicts, and it’s what separates sobriety (or abstinence) from true recovery and healing. This is what allows you to enter the next phase of your life and see massive growth when you decide to change your life.
And let me tell you, it’s not easy at all. It’s a fight daily. But it’s the most important fight of your life, and the things recovery will show you are life changing.
Send this to someone who is having a tough time getting out of their funk. We know how hard it is which is why we’re building this recovery community to support our fellow folks in recovery. It never ends. 💕
