That title may make some people uncomfortable. Some will say God is essential for recovery. Others will point out they’ve stayed sober for years without believing in God. So what’s the answer? I believe in a Higher Power, and that belief is central to my recovery. But I do not believe everyone needs the same understanding of God that I have in order to recover. Does AA Require Belief in God? AA often refers to God, but it also says “God as we understood Him.” That phrase matt

When you first get sober, everybody talks about how much better life is going to get. And they’re right. But they don’t always tell you how bad it can feel before it gets better. Those first days, weeks, and months can be brutal. Your body is adjusting. Your mind is racing. You’re feeling emotions you’ve been numbing for years. Fear, anger, guilt, shame, regret, anxiety they can all come rushing back. And now the one thing you used to escape all of that is gone. That’s when t

It’s Time to Change — But Is It Too Late? Normalize Sobriety | August 7, 2026 In Wisconsin, drinking isn’t just something people do. It’s part of the culture. Weddings. Funerals. Packers games. Brewers games. Badgers games. Festivals. Concerts. Fishing. Hunting camp. Family reunions. Friday fish fries. Holidays. Birthdays. Graduations. And somewhere along the way, we stopped asking whether any of this was normal. We Made Alcohol the Default Growing up and living in Wisconsin,

People ask me all the time what my rock bottom was. Was it the worst thing I ever did? Was it the most embarrassing moment of my life? Was it when I had lost everything? The truth is… no. My rock bottom wasn’t my lowest moment. There were plenty of times when I should have quit. Plenty of mornings I woke up ashamed of who I had become. Plenty of promises that I made to myself that I broke before the day was over. There were relationships I damaged, opportunities I missed, and

When I first got sober, I thought my only job was to stop drinking. I figured if I could just put the alcohol down, everything else would somehow work itself out. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Sobriety isn’t just about not drinking. It’s about building a life worth staying sober for. Over time, I’ve realized my recovery stands on three pillars: Recovery, Unity, and Service. If one of those pillars weakens, my sobriety becomes unstable. Pillar One: Recovery Everything start

If you’ve ever tried to get sober for someone else, you’re not alone. I know I did. I tried quitting because I didn’t want to lose relationships. I tried because I didn’t want to disappoint my family. I tried because I was embarrassed. I tried because I didn’t want to get into more trouble. Every one of those reasons made sense. None of them were enough. The truth is, you can have the best spouse in the world, the greatest kids, the most supportive parents, or the best friend

One of the hardest things for people outside of recovery to understand is why we still go to meetings. I’ve heard it all. “You’re still going?” “Haven’t you learned enough by now?” “Why do you have to go again?” “Can’t you just skip tonight?” If you’ve never struggled with alcoholism or addiction, those questions might seem harmless. But to someone in recovery, they can feel like you’re asking them to choose between their relationship and their sobriety. That should never hap

If you’ve watched the news lately, you’ve probably noticed what feels like an endless stream of stories about drunk driving arrests, serious crashes, and innocent people losing their lives. Every time I see one, I don’t just think about the accident. I think about the alcoholic behind the wheel. Not because I excuse what they did. But because I understand the thinking. As someone in recovery, I know that alcoholism doesn’t usually announce itself with flashing lights. It cree

How They Can Help or Hurt your recovery. When I first got sober, I heard the phrase “people, places, and things” almost every day. At first, I thought it sounded too simple. I figured if I just quit drinking, everything else would fall into place. I was wrong. Sobriety isn’t just about removing alcohol. It’s about changing the environment that kept alcohol in control of your life. The people you spend time with.
The places you choose to go.
The things you fill your life with.

People laugh when I say I finally grew up at 46 years old. I’m not joking. For years, I thought growing older automatically meant growing up. It doesn’t. You can have a job, pay bills, raise a family, and still be emotionally stuck. I know because I lived it. Alcohol kept me from growing. Every problem became someone else’s fault. Every bad decision had an excuse. Every consequence became something I tried to drink away instead of face head-on. I wasn’t just drinking alcohol.

One of the greatest dangers in recovery today isn’t the alcohol or drugs. It’s confusion. Social media has given everyone a microphone. That’s not always a bad thing. There are thousands of people honestly sharing their experience, strength, and hope. They’re transparent about their struggles, their victories, and the work they continue to do every day. But there is another group that deserves some caution. These are the people who build a following around recovery while cont

Why Did It Take Me So Long to Realize I Had a Problem? Looking back now, one of the hardest questions I ask myself is simple: Why did it take me so long to realize I had a problem with drinking? The truth is, I don’t think I was ignoring the signs. I think I was living in a world that constantly told me my drinking was normal. Alcohol is everywhere. It’s at weddings, birthdays, sporting events, holidays, cookouts, concerts, vacations, and even funerals. We celebrate with alco

Over the last few years, a new term has become popular: “Cali Sober.” Usually it means someone has quit drinking or hard drugs but still uses marijuana or other mind-altering substances. You hear it on social media, podcasts, and even in some recovery circles. For me, and for what we stand for at Normalize Sobriety, Cali Sober is not sober. That statement is not meant to attack anyone. Everyone has the right to make their own choices and walk their own path. If someone has st

I Had It Backwards There was a time when I was trying to build my sobriety around my life instead of building my life around my sobriety. At first, it seemed to make sense. I wanted to keep everything exactly the way it had always been. The same routines. The same people. The same places. The same priorities. I figured I could simply squeeze recovery into the empty spaces of my life. Maybe a meeting here. Maybe some recovery work there. Maybe I would call my sponsor when it w

Recovery requires faith. Not everyone believes in God, and that’s okay. But I do believe that recovery requires faith in something. Faith that tomorrow can be better than today. Faith that the pain you’re feeling right now won’t last forever. Faith that the people who have gone before you know what they’re talking about. Faith that if you keep showing up, keep doing the work, and keep asking for help, things can change. When I first got sober, I didn’t have much faith in myse

To some people, it sounds strange when I say I’m a grateful alcoholic. Why would anyone be grateful for something that caused so much pain, damage, and chaos? I’m not grateful for the mistakes I made. I’m not grateful for the people I hurt, the opportunities I missed, or the consequences I created. What I’m grateful for is where the journey led me. Alcoholism brought me to a point where I had to take an honest look at myself. It forced me to ask for help. It introduced me to

One of the biggest changes sobriety has brought into my life is the ability to truly show up for people. When I was drinking, I often made promises I couldn’t keep. My focus was on getting through the day, hiding my struggles, and cleaning up the messes I created. I wasn’t always available when people needed me because alcohol came first. Today, things are different. Today, I answer the phone. I return calls. I keep my word. I show up for my family, my friends, the people I s

When I was in my active addiction, I left a trail of messes everywhere I went. My parents cleaned up after me. My family worried about me. Friends covered for me, bailed me out, made excuses for me, and picked me up when I couldn’t stand on my own. I was always looking for someone else to fix the problems I created. The truth is, addiction doesn’t just affect the person drinking. It affects everyone who cares about them. Today, things are different. Today, I take responsibili

Why Normalize Sobriety Matters My name is Kyle Alsteen, and I started Normalize Sobriety because recovery changed my life. Like many people in recovery, I know firsthand what it feels like to struggle with addiction and to wonder if there is a better way to live. Through the help of Alcoholics Anonymous, sponsorship, fellowship, and people who cared enough to help me, I found sobriety and a new purpose in life. Today, I believe it is time to normalize sobriety in a world that