Welcome to Famously Sober

Good morning, afternoon, evening or night, and welcome to this new publication called Famously Sober.

When I started trying to kick caffeine and alcohol for good, one of the most important and effective tools I used was reading (or listening to) sobriety stories.

I aspired to a life where I was no longer caught in the very common and increasingly normalized trap of getting up in the morning, drinking coffee all day, and then switching to booze at night in order to “relax”.

In the lead-up and through the especially tough withdrawal days at the start, any time I felt down I would find a story of someone who’d already succeeded and hear how their lives had changed in such positive ways, and that helped me push through the tough times.

Some of the those people were just Regular Joes like me, and others were tremendously talented and successful artists, musicians, actors, sports stars, or other high-profile folks who’d either made it after kicking their bad habits or had to find their way back after going down the wrong path once they’d already achieved celebrity.

It’s interesting to me how many active-minded, creative people wind up turning to substances to get through the day. For me, drinking was the only time I could slow my mind down and sit on a couch and “relax”, which I continue to put in air quotes because it’s not relaxing so much as self-anaesthesizing for someone with ADHD.

So when I’d hear some of these creative people talking about how they’d come to lean on outside substances to balance themselves before realizing it was a mistake, it would always speak to me.

What I’m going to do is start collecting these stories in one place for anyone who might need a little inspiration. Here, you’ll learn about how famous people overcame their addictions and went on to even greater success, or just found some peace in their lives.

If it helps even one person like me to aspire to something better or get through a bad day, it’ll be worth it. Thank you for reading!