Heavy Drinking and Its Effect on Relationships

It’s not about demonizing our alcoholic loved ones, it’s about creating more understanding I am a former nurse and alcoholic in recovery. My mission is to talk about alcohol and its effect on our health, lives, and relationships. Undoubtedly, most people are aware that alcohol can cause stress and conflict in relationships. However, the general public may not understand the extent. Often, being close to alcoholics can change the relationship dynamic, and it’s essential to know how that works so families can help themselves better. This article is not about demonizing our alcoholic loved ones, it’s about creating more understanding. I was an alcoholic loved one once, and I understand the dark trap of alcoholism. Our friends and families can’t fix us as much as they wish they could. The best thing to do is to understand the relationship dynamic and help yourself sort through the feelings that come up. This often leads to better decisions to help cope with our alcoholic loved ones. The following are ways that heavy drinking, or alcoholic drinking, affects relationships. If you relate to these relational dynamics, I encourage you to find a therapist or a support system to help you cope. And know that you are not alone. Silence/ Denial Most people have heard about the denial that happens in alcoholism. Still, they rarely do family members reflect on how they are also in denial. Often we don’t want to believe what’s happening, so we block it out. Or, the denial inherent in the alcoholic can make us feel we need to cover things up for ourselves and others too. The biggest issue that denial brings is silence. Many people feel silenced in their relationship with an alcoholic, bringing a feeling of emptiness and frustration. The relationship can often become inauthentic or tense because important things are not being said. This dynamic often leads to relationship breakdown or serious distance. Frequent arguments or violence The effect of alcohol on our nervous system is profound, and it can change our behavior and how we perceive things. At the least, heavy drinking causes a lot of conflicts in relationships leading to arguments. At worst, these arguments can lead to violence. Most people who drink heavily notice some irritability in the later hours of drinking. However, irritability is most pronounced after the person stops drinking for a while. Frequent heavy drinking causes our nervous system to become very unstable, manifesting as violent behavior in some people. Since alcohol can overwhelm a person’s nervous system, it can be challenging to have a reasonable or calm conversation about complex issues. Resentment Unfortunately, silence and frequent arguments can cause resentment to build between the alcoholic and the person they’re in a relationship with. This often fuels more resentment and discord. In some relationships, alcohol may be clearly identified as the problem, but sometimes denial makes it difficult to see that. It’s important to realize that things can become more challenging once resentment sets in. In this case, therapy, healthy distance, and managing your stress levels may help. Unfortunately, the only thing loved ones can do is support the alcoholic from the side, but they rarely can help them change. Worsening mental health issues in loved ones Alcohol is known to cause mental health issues in alcoholics. Still, most people don’t realize that the relational effects of alcoholism can affect the mental health of loved ones as well. Alcoholism can leave family and friends very drained, sad, and overwhelmed, fueling mental health problems. Since mental health issues cause a lot of emotional pain, it can further erode the relationship between the alcoholic and the loved one. Eventually, it becomes a vicious cycle of alcoholism and mental health problems within the relationship. Once things hit this point, it’s imperative to seek help for oneself. Remember, focus on yourself as you are the only one you can help. These are issues often seen in relationships between loved ones and their alcoholic family member or friend. Unfortunately, heavy drinking has a strong and negative effect on relationships. We ought to be talking about this more to reduce the silence and increase communication. Again, this is not about blaming our alcoholic loved ones. Instead, it’s about taking responsibility for our own choices, feelings, reactions, and ability to ask for help. The more that family and friends of alcoholics reach out for support, the better off they will be. You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook. Gillian May Former nurse turned writer. Mental health-addictions-trauma-wellness. Book coming soon! Sign up to my newsletter — https://upbeat-trader-4181.ck.page/839d0ab3f9

Online 12 Step Meeting and Support Options

Updated 5/6/20 Meetings are being cancelled and people are practicing social distancing in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, people in recovery still need to stay engaged and need support in the process. Don't get discouraged. Here are some options available: Alcoholics Anonymous Online Intergroup:http://aa-intergroup.org/directory.phpAllows you to search meetings in various formats of email, text chat, A/V, discussion forms and telephone. In addition, they have subcategories of men, women, LBGT, Hearing Impairments, Vision Impairments, Loners and Atheistic/Agnostic. Many options available for you to explore. AA Chats:https://aachats.org/aa-meetings-online/Calendar of online meetings. Site says that you must register to access. Inter-Group Association of A.A. of New York, Inc.https://www.nyintergroup.org/remote-meetings/list/?fbclid=IwAR1MaAZnaLsvvVlJEWAXQwI7D1qv9z-PNf3wPjLtfTVE9eE6h72_GNIlEAUListing of group online meetings with instructions on how to enter a meeting. Narcotics Anonymous Meeting Search Results:https://www.na.org:443/meetingsearch/text-results.php?country=Web&state&city&zip&street&within=5&day=0&lang&orderby=distanceProvides a list of meeting with several having URLs to join them online via Facebook groups, ZOOM meetings, etc. Virtual NA Meetings:https://virtual-na.org/meetings/Great sort feature that allows you to search by day and language. Suncoast NA:https://suncoastna.org/suncoast-area-online/Online meetings list for the Suncoast NA group. Never Alone Club:https://www.neveraloneclub.org/Narcotics Anonymous group that holds online meetings daily at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. EST. Do not need a webcam or microphone to participate. In The Roomshttps://www.intherooms.com/home/Website says, " In The Rooms is a free online recovery tool that offers 130 weekly online meetings for those recovering from addiction and related issues. We embrace multiple pathways to recovery, including all 12 Step, Non-12 Step, Wellness and Mental Health modalities." Great resource! Other Support Options: Sober.com Online Community:community.sober.comOnline forum to discuss recovery related issues and topics with others. Ask questions, provide guidance, etc. AA Speakerwww.aaspeaker.com This website allows you to access AA Speakers on the Internet. Some focus on specific groups. 10 Drug Addiction Podcastshttps://blog.feedspot.com/drug_addiction_podcasts/ If you know of any other options, please email them to info@sobernetwork.com so we can add them to this list. We will keep adding as more options are found and/or become available. Also remember that, if you need someone to talk to and/or would like coaching services during this time, please email us at support@sober.com. You can also download the free mobile recovery app called Sobersystems to receive a daily message and provide accountability.

Addiction Recovery Centers

Are you struggling with your recovery? Let me say there are several options for you if you struggle at home. There are rehabs, sober living, and detox facilities. I want to speak to you first about the drug treatment facility I personally attended. The facility is a residential treatment program. In this program, they offer up two men’s homes and one for females. While this program requires 90 days, the clients are welcome to stay longer. The facility works through a level program that starts at level one and continues through level four. The program facility offers a 12-step program that is located on-site. Each occupant is required to do chores and attend all meetings. Once a month, they have a guest speaker who shares their testimony so that residents can see what they can look forward to. Residents are also encouraged to look for a job with the help of the facility. This specific facility has two specific goals. To teach our clients how to get sober. To teach our clients how to be financially and emotionally independent. I reached out to a previous client and asked what they learned by attending addiction rehab. Per Client: This facility saved my life. I do not know where I would be had I not stepped through the doors of this inpatient addiction rehab. I learned that all my bad decisions were my fault and not others. I started to see how the cycle of drug abuse kept starting over and getting worse each time. I learned how to make amends for the hurt I have done. I also was able to find God. Please, if you are looking for help, please find help at an addiction treatment facility. You deserve to live a life free of drugs and alcohol. Written by: Melissa Pena

First, do no harm: An argument for a radical new paradigm for treating addiction

There's rarely time to write about every cool science-y story that comes our way. So this year, we're once again running a special Twelve Days of Christmas series of posts, highlighting one science story that fell through the cracks in 2020, each day from December 25 through January 5. Today: why we should replace the punitive approach of the "war on drugs" with a radical new paradigm for treating addiction. In 1986, Maia Szalavitz was addicted to heroin in New York City, weighing a scant 80 pounds and shooting up as often as 40 times a day. She had just discovered the heady mixture of cocaine and heroin known as speedballs, and had no intention of quitting, even though HIV was spreading rapidly through the community thanks to the practice of sharing dirty needles. But a chance encounter in an East Village apartment likely saved her life. A woman visiting from California taught Szalavitz how to protect herself by running bleach through a shared syringe at least twice, then rinsing twice with water, as well as washing the injection point. It was Szalavitz's first encounter with so-called "harm reduction," an approach to treating addiction that emphasizes ways to minimize the risks and negative consequences associated with substance abuse—not just the risk of addiction and disease, but also social stigma, poverty, and imprisonment. Needle-exchange programs, for instance, supply free clean syringes to addicts, thereby reducing the spread of HIV. Szalavitz eventually found her way back from addiction through a typical 28-day abstinence and 12-step program. She finished college and became a highly respected science writer, focusing on science, public policy, and addiction treatment. But she never forgot that California woman's compassionate approach and wondered if perhaps there was a better alternative. Her personal experience, and many years spent researching the science behind addiction and harm reduction, gave birth to two books: 2017's Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction, and her latest book, Undoing Drugs: The Untold Story of Harm Reduction and the Future of Addiction, published in July. Last year, Szalavitz finally tracked down the woman who saved her life in 1986 and was able to thank her personally. "Ours was a story of how change happens, and how even the smallest things we do can sometimes make a tremendous difference," Szalavitz writes in Undoing Drugs. "This also brought to mind the wisdom of the Talmud, which says that saving one life is equivalent to saving the entire world. These ideas are at the very heart of harm reduction, which takes the perspective that every life is worth saving." Ars sat down with Szalavitz to learn more. Ars Technica: In your prior book, Unbroken Brain (2017), you advocated for a different view of addiction. We tend to either take the view that it's morally bad and people with addictions are weak, or it's a disease and people with addictions are broken in some way. You champion viewing addiction as a learning disorder. Can you explain a bit more about that? Maia Szalavitz: I see addiction as a learning and developmental disorder. There's a lot of evidence that supports this perspective because it tends to come on at a specific time in brain development: adolescence and young adulthood. Ninety percent of all addictions start in the teens and 20s. That doesn't mean that you don't see it developing in older people. It's just much more rare. Addiction requires learning because if you do not learn that this drug does something for you, you cannot find it and crave it. It requires you to learn that this fixes something for you. And that learning process is very similar to the one that you experience when you fall in love with someone, for instance, or when new parents fall in love with their baby. It completely shifts your priorities. Addiction changes your priorities in ways that may end up compelling you to do things that you wouldn't ordinarily do. Ars Technica: The traditional focus in the “war on drugs” has been on disrupting supply lines and reducing demand by discouraging use. Why has this approach been such a colossal failure? Maia Szalavitz: Teenaged brains are wired to take new risks and to try to push away from their family because otherwise they would never get out of the nest. If you tell them, "Don't do this,” they are quite likely to do it. So, the most sensible approach is to say, "Okay, we really don't want you to do this. But if you’re going to do it, let's make sure it doesn't kill you." Scaring kids off of drugs doesn't work. The reality is that, if you are a kid who is traumatized or beginning to develop a mental illness like depression, or who just cannot connect for whatever reason, drugs do help that. We don't want to admit that. People don't understand what's actually going on when people take drugs. They think it's only rebellion and it just needs to be crushed. Or it’s hedonism that also just needs to be crushed. Advertisement It just doesn't work that way. The people who end up getting addicted are people who have something that is preventing them from being emotionally comfortable in their own skin. At least at first, drugs work for that. When you find something that at last makes you feel okay and warm and safe and comforted, that is going to be very attractive. I’ve asked people about their experience of opioids in the medical system who admitted, "You know what, I had Oxycontin for some surgery and it was the best thing ever. And I knew I wouldn't touch it again because I didn't want to lose my job or my marriage or my kids." They think they're the only person that had that experience, the only one who was ever able to resist that irresistible euphoria. In fact, that is the most common experience. It's not the case that this intense drug pleasure is irresistible to everybody. It's irresistible when you have no alternative, when the rest of your life is dark. It's hard for people to understand that. And so addiction is defined as compulsive drug use despite negative consequences. We spent the last 100 years trying to use negative consequences to fix something that's defined by its resistance to them. It's time for something else. That's where harm reduction comes in. Once reducing harm becomes the goal, you realize, we're doing harm and it's not actually helping. And you have a very strong moral weapon against prohibitionists, because their greatest goal is stopping the evil drugs. Your greatest goal is saving lives. Ars Technica: There seems to be a strong belief in our culture that people must suffer consequences for any behavior that is seen as outside the norm. So your notion of what you call “radical empathy” is something that is quite foreign to many people. Maia Szalavitz: People with addiction are often homeless, rejected, and marginalized. Many have pre-existing mental issues. Nobody wants to see them. So when somebody approaches them with love and no judgment and says, "Hey, I don't care if you're using drugs, I just want you to stay alive"—that changes everything. When people feel valued, they might value themselves more. Sometimes they find out that drugs are getting in the way of that, and they stop the drugs. Sometimes they cut back, and sometimes they are so traumatized they still can't get out of it. But at least they're not dying. To me, it's a spiritual thing. I don't generally categorize my experience that way, but harm reduction is so different from the way people with addiction are typically treated: "You’ve got to hit bottom,” or “we’ve got to break your personality down in order to fix you.” Harm reduction is the antidote to that. There are programs where they prescribe heroin to people with addiction. I mean, it’s free heroin. You’d think those people would never get into recovery because they’re getting exactly what they want. The reality is, when you get free heroin and you're not chasing, chasing, chasing the next fix, and you don't have all of that drama, your life suddenly has this massive hole. That's where recovery can come in, because you actually get bored. People with especially traumatic histories might have to be on drugs for a while and learn ways of dealing with their trauma before they're capable of stopping the drugs. Nothing's perfect. Nothing will work every time. This is why it's called harm reduction. We want people to change in a flash. That makes for great TV, but that is not how most people change. If you do meet people with addictions where they are, if you do listen to them and hear their concerns, that's the only way you're going to be able to affect them. How do we try to change people who have heart disease or diabetes and need to change their diet? We certainly don't put them in jail for having high blood sugar.

You’re Not a “Bad” Person for Drinking Heavily

You just need to understand the consequences so you can make informed choices. I have been sober from alcohol for 6 years and I also have a mental health and addictions nursing background. Alcohol addiction runs in my family in a very serious way. I’d say I know a few things about alcohol addiction and how it affects our physical and mental health. I not only lived it, but I helped other people live through it as well. One thing I repeatedly see in online discussions about alcohol abuse is that somehow, the person who abuses alcohol brought it on themselves or deserves their afflictions because they continue to drink heavily. There’s also a misconception that heavy drinking and “alcoholism” are somehow not the same. Many people who drink heavily will accuse other heavy drinkers of not being able to control their drinking. It’s a really strange manifestation of the denial often inherent in alcohol misuse. Hence, there is a lot of blame and criticism of those who are labeled an “alcoholic.” The truth is, alcoholism and heavy drinking are not that different from each other. Often, we make ourselves believe that heavy drinking is normal if we are somehow able to function — meaning we can hold down a job, maintain a home, and look after our basic needs. The truth is, heavy drinking is still alcohol misuse which is the same as alcoholism. The difference is how entrenched the drinking becomes, which may have more serious consequences on our lives. Some people can drink heavily and still feel confident they are managing their lives despite the many ways that their drinking proves to be problematic. Heavy drinking affects relationships, productivity, family life, physical health, and mental health. Labelling someone an “alcoholic” that can’t control their habit and thus they are a “bad” person, does nothing to further healing for alcohol addictions and misuse. So let’s be honest shall we? Heavy drinking and alcoholism are within the same sphere and neither label makes the person who engages in alcohol misuse a “bad” person. We’re not wrong or immoral for abusing a substance that helps us escape the horrors in our lives. The truth is, there are many ways to escape pain and horror, alcohol is just one of them. However, the difference between alcohol and things like doomscrolling, shopping, internet, or whatever we do to escape, is that alcohol can actually kill us. More so, before it kills us, it can ruin our health, mental health, relationships and anything else we care about. Alcohol can disable us and make our lives so much worse. I advocate not just for abstinence or help for alcohol misuse, but more so, to educate people so they understand their relationship with alcohol better. Because most people have no idea at all how alcohol weaves itself into every fabric of our lives and slowly erodes it. Also, people don’t realize that the way alcohol erodes our lives is through our physical and mental health. And once alcohol has a hold on our brains and emotions, the less capable we are to make good decisions. We’re not “bad” people for choosing to drink heavily. We just need to understand exactly what we’re getting ourselves into. We also need to know when we’re getting ruined by alcohol. Because as it stands, 107 million people worldwide have an alcohol misuse disorder — this includes everything from slight heavy drinking to very serious alcohol dependence. And while 107 million may seem like a lot, there are many more that likely chose not to report their drinking habits — such is the power of denial in alcohol misuse. Unfortunately, most people are oblivious to the ways that alcohol affects their health and mental health. The rhetoric around “alcoholics” being bad people who can’t get their drinking under control is actually fueling more heavy drinking that leads to even more deadly consequences. Instead, maybe we can understand that all heavy drinking is designed to mitigate pain and discomfort. Many things are designed to mitigate pain and discomfort. However, not all of them will cause health and mental health issues the way alcohol can. People in pain will always choose something to self-medicate — be it alcohol or other less dangerous things like playing online games all day. The point is, if we become more familiar with how alcohol causes even more pain, then we are in a better place to make proper decisions. And if we understand that all heavy drinking is problematic, then we can stop trying to demonize some people over others. The facts are that alcohol causes the following: Damages the brain which also hinders decision-making. Causes and worsens mental health problems. Stops us from processing traumatic events which can lead to our healing. Creates a vicious cycle that slowly erodes everything until we are lost to ourselves. Can and will cause disability over time. Stops us from doing productive things to help our pain and discomfort. Doesn’t stop at our personal ruin, instead, it goes on to ruin the lives of those we care about as well. We’re not “bad” people for drinking heavily, we just need to understand the consequences so we can make informed choices.

Happy Holidays from Sober Network!

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO: Dr. Harold Jonas PHD The year started with little fanfare but much anticipation. We spent resources updating all the software of our various platforms and focusing on our newest project, the Sober Podcast. Momentum is growing and listeners were demanding new content. The Sober Network is determined to carve out leadership in our niche. Kerry, our now producer started as host and soon found a professional voice in Howie Marlin. His professionalism pushed us to improve. We soon outgrow him to find our current host, Jamie Brickhouse. Jamie is a published author and professional book editor who is heavily invested in “giving voice to recovery.”  Our coach training platform thrived, making inroads into the criminal justice system in Idaho. We have our second and third classes starting to train peer coaches in the newly created Forensics Coach model of prisoners assisting prisoners. Sobercoin thrived under the leadership of James Costello. We moved from the Stellar blockchain onto the Binance Network, pegging the value of Sobercoin to a stable crypto currency with a proven track record. It is holding near $5.00 earned through signing up and checking in daily on our SoberSystems App. We have users earning with the intent to buy coaching services or training to be a coach. Participants gain the opportunity for trading their Sobercoin for educational modules and services.  No other platform has created their own SOBER ECONOMY! Only in the SOBERVERSE can you earn RECOVERY CAPITAL, it is the place to get and stay better!! Administrative Department: Heather Oister Hello!  The last few years have definitely changed the world and how we all live our lives.  Our social habits were altered and the way we interact with the world has changed.  Some agencies haven't even returned to working in the office and still have people working from home.  However, even if we do not leave the house, people still need help with recovering from addictions, disabilities, emotions, mental health issues, and more!  This creates an interesting opportunity for the increase in needs of help from home.  It is a great time to seek out the help of a Recovery Coach or become one yourself! Sober Network has been providing online Recovery Coaching (or Sober Coaching) education for years now and we are just getting started!  Recently, we have received an influx in coaching education requests from various parts of the United States, inside prisons and even a few foreign countries!  Exciting changes are coming about, and Sober Network is evolving to meet the demands.  Our newest educational course is The Forensics Peer Specialist Prep Course.  (You did read that right earlier by the way.  We have put education in the hands of inmates to give them a career path when they exit the prison system.  How cool is that?) And, as always, AJ has been busy making tons of biscuits sending smiles and hope to those who need it.  Thanks for a great 2022 and here is to an even better 2023!  May we all take a moment to be thankful for what we have and live in the moment with gratitude.   "Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi Social Media Manager: Crissy Sinople It's that time of year! Time to reflect on the year that was and look at our social media performance. Here at Sober Network, we are proud to say we saw significant increases across the board. Here's a rundown of how we helped people on our social media platforms this year. Helped cultivate each platform to increase engagement: We want people in recovery to know that they're not alone and that a supportive community is waiting for them online. That is why we prioritize posting engaging, creative, and on-brand content and staying active in comments and conversations. We also work hard to create a safe and welcoming space for everyone. Met expected goals: Our number one goal is always to help as many people as possible, and we are proud to say that we met all our goals this year. From increasing our followers to aiding people in finding resources for addiction treatment, we made a difference in the lives of countless people. Helped the sober community: One of my favorite parts of this job is interacting with the sober community online. I love seeing people celebrate their sobriety milestones, sharing their stories of recovery, and offering support and encouragement to others. I feel privileged to be a part of this community, and we look forward to continuing to grow it in the years ahead. Successful promotion of our SoberVerse rewards program: SoberVerse offers a rewards program designed to incentivize people in recovery to stay engaged with our site and active in their recovery. This year, we promoted the program extensively on social media and are thrilled with the results. I am excited to see even more growth in the year ahead. Helped people find addiction resources for treatment facilities: One of our main goals at Sober Network is to make available resources for addiction treatment. This year, we promoted our directory of treatment facilities and connected people in need with resources they might not have otherwise been able to access. We are proud of the difference we made this year and look forward to continuing this work in the years ahead. It has been a fantastic year here at Sober Network, and I am grateful for everything we have accomplished as a team. Be sure to follow us on all our social media platforms so you get all the announcements and updates! I wish you a happy holiday and a prosperous new year. See you in 2023! Crypto Manager: James Costello Over the past few years, we have been constantly tweaking Sobercoin to develop the best recovery-based currency currently available. When I started, we were still utilizing the Stellar Network. We tested and modified the token countless times on the Stellar network. We did a few airdrop campaigns to try to maximize engagement with the community. At the time, Stellar did not have AMM’s (Automated Market Makers). Due to this, we could not efficiently maintain order book flow. AMM’s allow for two parties to swap into and out of different crypto’s without the need for a traditional order book. We decided it was best to move the entire project back over to ERC20 standards created and reissued the token on the Binance Smart Chain. We then created a liquidity pool for potential clients and customers to be able to easily access the tokens. AMM’s and the matching algorithm allows for quick swaps with low slippage. Next, we began to educate people about decentralized wallets and how to access the tokens. We actively engaged with CoinGecko and CMP to have our token listed. We have been able to successfully manage the move and have been slowly integrating clients to our wallet. Sobercoin continues to grow. We will continue to build out our existing blockchain to fit the needs of our customers. Currently, we are working with smaller exchanges to get to the bigger ones. We are working on a way now that may allow us to offer promotions directly at time of token sale. Brand Engagement: Michael Ewing We started putting together the Sober Network several years ago. It started very slowly as we built the foundation and then the individual pillars of the network. Then, we deployed each one as we learned and evolved. Finally, we were testing how to integrate it all into one powerful network. The goal is to build an integrated network that combines practical behavioral tools with technology and engagement. All this is to drive better outcomes by advancing the current protocols using new modern technology platforms that align with how people today communicate and engage. In 2022, we saw the efforts paying off and the network coming together into a truly integrated program. The Sober Network Brand Vision is coming to life, ready to make a real difference in the lives of many. 2023 here we come! Sober Podcast Host: Jamie Brickhouse A jumbo gift of 2022 is a life beyond my wildest dreams as host of Sober Podcast. Back when I was drinking, I did have a wild dream that I’d be host of TV talk show or at least conduct a radio gabfest. But those dreams were commonplace, not wild. I couldn’t have conjured my current lucky lot in life interviewing writers, electricians, artists, lawyers, fashion designers, ex-cons, business owners about their recovery journeys. The guests I flap jaws with weekly have opened my eyes to recovery in all its permutations and knowing that it’s opened the ears to all our listeners is an even greater gift of 2022.  Recovery Coaching: Stephanie Weiss We are delighted to announce the addition of wellness entrepreneur Stephanie Weiss to our team. She is currently working towards a Master of Science in addiction studies; Stephanie is fresh on the scene and ready to take action. Under the supervision of Dr. Harold Jonas PhD, she is acting as a clinical intern. Stephanie is excited to use this position as an opportunity to learn from and contribute to the ever-growing and impactful Sober Network.  Director of Sales and Marketing: Kerry Donahue  The marketing department has been an exciting journey this year! Our growth has been tremendous, and I will be forever grateful for the growth we’ve achieved as a team.  On the sales front, we’ve partnered with Beond, Cleveland House, and have worked with some sponsored submissions on our Sober.com blog throughout the year.  We hired Crissy Sinople - our Social Media Manager who has brought a tremendous amount of skill and help to our social media reach. Our numbers have consistently grown over the year on all platforms, and we have had the pleasure of getting to work with many of our followers through various outlets such as our Sober Podcast, our Recovery Coach program, and through marketing aspects via Sober.com.  Finding our Soberlebrity Host, Jamie Brickhouse has been a marvelous addition to the Sober Podcast. He is an absolute delight and executes his tasks professionally while bringing an award-winning personality to our show. It has been an honor to work with such an accomplished author, actor, and TikTok extraordinaire!  As the producer of the Sober Podcast, I’ve had the opportunity to initiate the new format for our Sober Podcast! Please tune in to hear our new How To format on maintaining sobriety through various real-life events. We have started achieving great success with our Google placement ranking 2nd on the 1st page with our SEO efforts.  We have had many outstanding additions to our team this year including Melissa Peña our blog writer. It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know and work with everyone who has made a difference for Sober Network and the addiction industry worldwide.  Thank you to all who have supported our many projects in 2022. We look forward to bringing you more of ‘All Things Sober’ in the upcoming year. Follow Us! IG: @sobervers, @sobercoin, @soberdotcom Twitter: @soberverse, @soberdotcom FB: https://www.facebook.com/sober.com3216, https://www.facebook.com/SoberVerse, https://www.facebook.com/Sobercoin  TikTok: @soberverse Linked In: SoberVerse Sober Network Sites www.SoberNetwork.com - Welcome to the Sober Network! A family of all things sober. www.Sobercoin.com – Start earning rewards with the 1st crypto currency of recovery! Get involved, maintain accountability, and work your way towards obtaining goals. www.RecoveryCoaches.com – Get a coach, be a coach! We have 24/7 online virtual courses available to work towards being a recovery coach and a network of certified coaches nationwide. www.SoberPodcast.com – Sign up for our mailing list to get weekly releases of the hottest addiction podcast available! Tune in to hear people working towards sobriety and sharing their message of hope with our amazing host, award-winning author Jamie Brickhouse out of NYC! www.Sober.com – our well established online directory of resources to help those in need. Search facilities and providers specializing in addiction recovery. www.SoberSystems.com – Our award-winning technology rewards app. Earn rewards (Sobercoin) by maintaining accountability and reach out to others in recovery. www.SoberVerse.com/community - a FREE interactive social media platform. Share your thoughts, feeling, pictures, and much more with like-minded people. It’s a SAFE space for SOBER! More sites for All Things Sober: BabyBoomerAddictions.com, ChristianRehabs.com, DuallyDiagnosed.com, EatingDisorderRehab.com, ExecutiveRehabs.com, ExclusiveRehabs.com, FaithBasedRehabs.com, Soberlebrity.net, SoberHouses.com, & HalfwayHouses.com.