I’m 2 Years Sober & These Were The Books That Helped

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When I first got sober, all my friends, family and partner still drank — some more than others, some not very much at all. But those who didn’t drink a lot were simply people for whom alcohol held no appeal; their abstinence had nothing to do with an inability to stop once they got going. Not like me. 

So there wasn’t really anyone around who fully understood what I was going through. Nor was there anyone around who had been through those first stumbling steps of sobriety, who could hold my hand and tell me it was normal to cry at nothing, normal to question my sense of self, normal to doubt my decision and give into the temptation to view my drinking escapades through rose-tinted glasses. 

And so I did what I always do when I’m seeking answers, or looking for words of wisdom: I turned to books. Thankfully, there is a range of sobriety literature –—affectionately nicknamed “quit lit” amongst the sobriety community — to offer advice, give insight and to gently pat you on the back and say, “it’s okay, me too”.

Ahead, are some of the books that can feel like lifelines in those tumultuous first few months: some memoirs, some guides, all of them helpful in different ways.