William Stauffer once doubted he could reach 39 hours without using. Now he is approaching 39 years in continuous recovery. He explains why abstinence remains essential for him and how recovery built humility, integrity, empathy, gratitude, resilience, purpose, and a better version of himself.

Tim Lineaweaver remembers hearing that addiction is progressive as a warning, then discovering a more hopeful truth: recovery can be progressive too. In this personal reflection, he traces the shift from alcohol offering relief to alcohol taking over, then describes the difficult first months of sobriety, the wreckage that had to be repaired, and the gradual return of health, hope, family, and purpose.

Kristen Crisp writes with sharp humor and lived-experience honesty about the reasons she kept drinking for more than 30 years. From low self-esteem and “liquid courage” to the social pressure that made sobriety seem strange, this Author of the Month piece names the loops that can keep alcohol feeling normal long after it has stopped being fun. It is direct, funny, uncomfortable, and deeply human.