When I admitted to myself and my wife that I was a high-functioning alcoholic, I was filled with shame about my lack of control over my drinking and the damage I had done to our relationship. Do you want to know what was even more shameful for me in early sobriety? Being the only non-drinker in our alcohol-soaked society.
Gaining my permanent sobriety was the hardest thing I’ll likely ever do. The physical cravings were, frankly, easy to beat. Not drinking in a culture that worships alcohol, however, was gruelling and intensely painful. The stigma associated with alcoholism is the number one barrier to people finding relief in recovery.
Once I made it out, I felt compelled to share what I had learned. Alcoholics Anonymous and inpatient rehab were not good fits for me, so I created a new and innovative approach to sobriety that includes information on brain chemistry and pro-recovery nutrition traditional recovery programs ignore.
The first thing I did was write an ebook called Guide to Early Sobriety. I offer it to you for free. It includes everything I learned through relapse and success about getting sober from alcohol.
The second thing I did was create a six week online early recovery program called SHOUT Sobriety through our non-profit, Stigma. Why is SHOUT Sobriety part of Stigma? Because we don’t think you should have to pay for your freedom, so we offer it for free to high-functioning alcoholics who need help, and we fund the program through donations from alumni and other Stigma supporters.
Besides the focus on the science of addiction, what sets our program apart is our emphasis on recovering out loud. Nothing defeats the stigma more effectively than attacking it head-on with open recovery.
Our SHOUT Sobriety program has a 92% success rate. We are doing everything we can to help save the three million people killed by alcohol each year. But we can’t do it alone. We need your help.
Do you know someone who could benefit from our SHOUT Sobriety program? Please share this link so they can learn more and enroll.
Are you the spouse of an alcoholic? Please listen to our Untoxicated Podcast episodes about how my alcoholism almost destroyed our marriage. The emotion is raw and hard to hear, but if you are experiencing an alcoholic marriage, I’ll bet our story will resonate.
Ep9 – Sheri’s Story: Matt’s Wife on an Alcoholic Marriage
Ep17 – Sheri’s Story, Part 2: Recovering Our Marriage
What do you really know about this disease that affects over 15 million Americans? Do you understand how our brain chemistry is hijacked? Do you think of alcoholism as a lack of willpower best discussed privately in church basements? Please read my Guide to Early Sobriety and become a knowledgeable and caring part of the solution.
Do you want to help end the epidemic? Please consider a donation to Stigma and join the battle against alcoholism.
SHOUT Sobriety is the flagship program of Stigma, and we are proud to say we are saving lives. We are honored to have you as a supporter. Doesn’t it feel good to be part of the solution to the most prolific epidemic of our own human invention?
Thank you for reading more about Stigma!