When folks first get sober, our lives can change dramatically. We quickly learn that recovery isn’t just about reducing the harm of substance use; it is learning how to live your life without the anesthetic of your drug of choice. Things may feel louder, brighter, and more painful. It almost feels like learning how to adult for the first time. There are so many firsts in recovery—like setting boundaries or learning how to have a healthy relationship—and it can feel quite overwhelming and lonely. That’s why it can be helpful to develop a recovery community and find voices to motivate, validate, and inspire you on your journey. You can pretty much guarantee that there is someone out in the world who has experienced what you are going through.
Here are some of the people in recovery who have inspired me in my own journey.
Kelly Fitzgerald Junco
Kelly published a viral blog about sobriety in 2014. She told me, “It catapulted me into writing, and that has been amazing.” Throughout her recovery, Kelly has shared the ups and downs of her sobriety, including marriage, the tragedy of losing her father, and becoming a mother (among many other inspiring and validating blogs), sharing her real-life experiences of how hard and how joyous life can be even after we put down the drink or drug.
While she is still looking for an agent to publish her memoir, Kelly has since gone to grad school, and that has given her a newfound mission in her recovery. She told me, “I made the decision to go back to school and become a licensed professional counselor so I could truly advocate for people in recovery and people who still use drugs. Changes come from within the system, and I thought, ‘Why not me?’” Her goal is to continue to change addiction treatment systems, making them more inclusive and accessible.
You can find Kelly on Instagram @kellyfitzjunco or via her website: https://sobersenorita.com/
Saratoga Schaefer
Author of Serial Killer Support Group, Sara was inspired to find recovery by people sharing their experiences openly on social media. They told me, “I was inspired to quit drinking by the people I saw in the sober Instagram community who were healing loudly, creating meetup groups, and questioning the way our culture engages with alcohol.” They found that the connections they made in online sober spaces were instrumental to their recovery.
Even more inspiring is that recovery led Saratoga to fulfill their dreams. “Getting sober allowed me to fully focus on a lifelong dream: becoming a published author. Without the distraction of hangovers, blackouts, and drunken injuries, I was able to grow as an artist in ways I couldn’t while drinking,” they explained.
Their recovery even inspired how they wrote their book, which inspires others to know about life in recovery. “Sobriety was so beneficial to my publishing career that I specifically made the main character of my debut novel, Serial Killer Support Group, sober. I wanted to represent that decision to quit drinking with a character I needed to see when I was younger.”
You can find Saratoga on Instagram @saratogaishere and find their novel Serial Killer Support Group here.
Sara Jean
Sara is a licensed social worker, therapist, and founder and host of the Bold Beautiful Borderline podcast. I love how she shares unapologetically about her life and the tools she uses to support her mental health. She told me, “Learning about how other people manage their mental health and maintain their sobriety has taught me more strategies for my recovery process.”
It’s so inspiring for me to see someone working out when they really don’t feel like it, and the other things she does to regulate her nervous system. When she shares these stories, she reminds me of my capacity and strengths to do something to support my mental health. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen Sara get on her treadmill, and it’s inspired me to get off the couch and move my body. She says her motivation is to “Share my journey to pay it forward for anyone who might be in a similar situation to one that I’ve been in.” And that she does!
You can find Sara on Instagram @borderlinefromhell and listen to her podcast here.
Tammi Salas
Sober since 2015, Tammi has shared her recovery through creatively expressing her daily gratitude list. I love how she uses different media, incorporating collage and paint, into these daily reminders of what we have to be grateful for. She has also taught me about the importance of finding different ways to process my experiences in recovery. Since becoming a social worker, I have found it hard to journal, and instead have begun to paint or collage. Art makes expression more accessible for me, and that’s a gift.
Since starting her page, Tammi has branched out from sharing her process to also offer coaching. She’s created an artistic community (called the Ray of Light community), retreats, and collaborations with other creatives and people in recovery. She is also a meeting leader at the Luckiest Club.
You can find Tammi on Instagram @tammisalas and @rayoflightcommunity.
Africa Brooke
Africa is a London-based writer, coach, international speaker, mentor, and co-founder of @houserulesapply. They describe themselves as “Fiercely encouraging brave expression and courage in the face of fear, self-sabotage, and self-sensorship.” I’ve always found inspiration in the truth and perspective of Africa’s posts, which get at the heart of the things we put in the way of our most authentic expression. You’ll learn about boundaries, how to overcome fear, self-compassion, integrity, and what it means to evolve into your best self.
You can find Africa on Instagram @africabrooke.
These are some of the people who have inspired me, but there are so many other people in recovery who share their stories in blogs, books, videos, podcasts, and social media. Look around and find the folks you can relate to.