newly sober
on Substack
i know very little. i am no saint. i clearly know diddly squat. but if i do this thing right, hopefully, you’ll realize that you’re not so alone. whether you’re sober, sober curious, or drinking/getting high every day, i hope that i can offer you a candid portrait of recovery from weed addiction and alcoholism. no matter if you’re sober, stoned, or drunk, you’re in the right place.
if you are newly sober, if you know someone who is sober, or if you’re just curious about what it feels like, you will get an honest, candid weekly portrayal of sober trials, tribulations, and failures.
TO BE CLEAR: you do not have to be sober or even sober curious to subscribe to Newly Sober on Substack!
Self-Assessment:
Do you have a problematic relationship to marijuana?
Do you smoke weed up to or more than two times per week? Y/N
Do you think weed is less “bad” than alcohol? Y/N
Do you frame weed as “medicine” that you “need”? Y/N
Do you use marijuana to treat your depression or anxiety? Y/N
Do you use drugs and/or alcohol in larger amounts or over a longer period of time than you intended? Y/N
Do you have a chronic cough or dryness in your mouth, nose, or throat? Have you been you diagnosed with esophagitis? Y/N
Do you smoke to the point of vomiting? Or do you experience spontaneous bouts of vomiting? Y/N
Have you ever wanted to cut back on drugs/ alcohol but attempts to do so have proven unsuccessful? Y/N
Do you have a family member with substance abuse issues? Y/N
Do you spend a great deal of time finding, using, or recovering from drugs or alcohol? Y/N
Have you missed work, baby showers, or class to recover from a hangover— or have you drank more or smoked to “cure” a hangover? Y/N
Do you have strong urges or powerful cravings to smoke weed— is it impossible to execute a task until you’ve smoked? Y/N
Have you had to alter your goals because it cuts into time smoking weed? Do you find that you cut back on or abandon social, professional, or recreational activities because you are stoned? Y/N
Have you ever driven or operated heavy machinery while stoned? Y/N
Have you kept smoking weed knowing that it has caused or worsened physical or mental health issues (like depression, anxiety, or psychosis)? Y/N
Do you feel trapped in your relationships or living situation? Y/N
When you have managed to cut consumption, did you feel irritable, depressed, anxious, or have trouble sleeping? Y/N
Do you feel the need to smoke before you eat? Y/N
Does not smoking weed effect your appetite? Y/N
Has the amount of weed you smoked changed since you first started? Do you need more in order to feel high? Y/N
Can you make eye contact with yourself in the mirror? Y/N
if you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time to evaluate your relationship to weed.
sorry to say that if you smoke more than twice a week— according to Dr. Andrew Huberman— you are considered a chronic smoker. and that’s just the reality of question 1!
actively smoking, i would have answered yes to every single one of these questions— so if you got 100%, mazel tov. you are juuuuuuust like me !!
and this newsletter is for you.
Self-Assessment: Do you have a problematic relationship to marijuana?
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Self-Assessment: Do you have a problematic relationship to marijuana? 〰️
Readers who want to track their own sober days alongside a journal like this can use Sobriety Calculator, a free browser-based tool that computes exact alcohol-free time in days, weeks, months, and years without requiring a sign-up.
FAQ’s about newly sober
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newly sober is a Substack newsletter by writer Paulina Pinsky documenting her recovery from marijuana addiction and alcoholism. It offers a candid, real-time look at early sobriety, including the wins, the setbacks, and the ordinary days in between.
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Paulina Pinsky has been sober from all mind-altering substances since December 22, 2021. She began the newsletter around 90 days into sobriety, so the early archive reads as a real-time account.
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newly sober covers both. Paulina writes about recovery from marijuana addiction and alcoholism, and about how the two overlapped in her own life.
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People in early sobriety, people who love someone who is, and people who are sober-curious. Readers don’t have to be sober or even considering it. The newsletter is also written for people who are still drinking or using.
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The newsletter is described as a monthly (used to be weekly) portrait of the sober experience, mixing personal reflections, day-count posts, and occasional how-to guides such as staying sober at drunk events or on a cruise. (Confirm the current cadence before publishing, since I can only see the description.)
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Some posts are free and some are behind a paywall. Paid subscribers get full access to the archive. Paulina says paid subscriptions have no extra perks beyond that and that the price is meant to be a few dollars, in exchange for the raw early-recovery posts.
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It is a 21-question yes/no checklist Paulina wrote from her own experience to help readers reflect on their relationship to marijuana. It is not a clinical screening tool.
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Paulina appeared on the Duncan Trussell Family Hour podcast in her first month of sobriety, in a conversation that also included Dr. Drew, and the page links to that episode. She also is a frequent guest on LeeAnn Kreischer’s podcast, Wife of the Party throughout her first year sober.
if you are newly sober: it is worth reading. i take you through my experience, in real time.
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Paulina Pinsky is a Los Angeles writer with an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University. She writes newly sober and the newsletter “process over product,” and offers writing coaching, an Artist’s Way course, and a Writing About Hard Things course at paulinapinsky.com.