Sobriety, relapse & staying humble
Be Proud of Your Sobriety. Just Don’t Get Cocky.
Why sober milestones deserve celebrating—but do not make us bulletproof—and what relapse after 13 years taught me about today.
Read the diary entryThe complete diary
Words for the difficult days
Honest experiences, useful reflections and lessons that usually arrived the hard way.
These are personal accounts, not a treatment programme. Choose a subject below, or visit the reading guide for suggestions matched to what brings you here. Dates on each entry show when it was first published.
Sobriety and recovery
From recognising a problem to living through cravings and protecting a sober life: these entries explore what change has looked like in Emma’s own experience.
Sobriety, cravings & difficult days
When the Little Voice Comes Back
What to do when an old urge to drink returns on a terrible day—and why a thought is not an instruction.
Read the diary entryRecovery, real life & tiny bits of psychology
The 12 Steps, Translated into Human
From ‘shit, I have a problem’ to automatic non-dick mode: an honest, funny and practical translation of the Twelve Steps.
Read the diary entryAddiction, denial & recovery
So You Don’t Think You Have a Problem? Okay Then, Let’s See…
Forty honest questions about control, relationships, money, work, sleep, health and secrecy. No excuses—just add up the evidence.
Read the diary entrySobriety & recovery
13 Reasons to Stay Sober
Thirteen honest reminders for the difficult days—from memory and self-respect to facing life without making tomorrow worse.
Read the diary entryEarly sobriety
The First Hurdle: Make the Call
The day I stopped obeying the loudest voice in my head—and left the sulking monkey in the back of the car.
Read the diary entryAddiction & recovery
What Addiction Really Takes From a Person
An honest account of how addiction takes identity, trust, relationships and hope—and what recovery can begin to give back.
Read the diary entryRecovery & the Twelve Steps
The Twelve Steps Without God
How a clear, secular approach helped me move forward without pretending to believe in a higher power.
Read the diary entryMental health and living with illness
Personal accounts of invisible illness, overwhelm, treatment and trauma. These are lived experiences rather than diagnoses or treatment instructions.
Invisible illness, masking & what happens afterwards
You Looked Fine to Me
Why looking well does not mean being well—and what other people never see before, during or after a seemingly good hour.
Read the diary entryAnxiety, depression & finding the balance
Apparently I Have to Choose Between Anxiety and Depression
Why calmer does not always mean better—and what I learned when easing anxiety left me flat, numb and slowly merging with the sofa.
Read the diary entryTrauma, the nervous system & chronic illness
When the Danger Is Over but Your Body Hasn’t Got the Memo
How trauma can keep the body sounding the alarm—and my experience of MCAS, EDS, PoTS, pain and presyncope shutdowns.
Read the diary entryAutism, ADHD & mental health
My Internal Family—and Grimm’s Salesman
How Internal Family Systems helped me understand my autism, ADHD and hidden emotions—and how menopause changed the rules.
Read the diary entryBoundaries and everyday life
The quieter work of recovery: noticing old patterns, making room for rest, and learning where kindness ends and losing yourself begins.
Boundaries, control & recovery
The People Who Only Like You When You’re Easy to Control
Some people do not miss you when you change. They miss your availability, your silence and how easy you were to control.
Read the diary entryBurnout, attachment & emotional avoidance
I Kept Myself Busy So I Didn’t Have to Feel
How productivity, overgiving and fierce independence can become respectable hiding places—and why proper rest still counts.
Read the diary entryPsychology, patience & change
The Wind, the Sun and Why You Can’t Force People to Change
Why pushing people often makes them resist—and why patience, listening and planting small seeds can work far better than force.
Read the diary entryTherapy, honesty & recovery
You Can’t Fix What You Won’t Admit Is Broken
Why denial can help us survive—but honesty, therapy and better tools give us the chance to change.
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