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Sandra Bullock and the best rehab movie of our time
"This is not a way to live; this is a way to die."
Jul 9
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Katie MacBride
42
23
4
As a teenager, could anyone have talked you out of drinking?
My cousin comes from a long line of alcoholics, and her drinking is getting worse. She’s going to college in the fall; I’m worried but don't know what…
Jun 25
•
Katie MacBride
36
11
4
Talking chronic relapse and inexhaustible hope with Jowita Bydlowska
The author of Drunk Mom and Unshaming chats about non-linear recovery, shame, and "social media sobriety."
Jun 18
•
Katie MacBride
30
7
5
Most Popular
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Elizabeth Gilbert Falls for the Oldest Trick in the (Big) Book
Oct 2, 2025
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Katie MacBride
1,692
356
103
Drinking after 25 years of sobriety
Mar 5
•
Katie MacBride
617
142
41
Making a Scene: The most devastating scene in addiction movie history
Apr 9
•
Katie MacBride
234
77
20
All the shadows we do not see
May 28
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Katie MacBride
118
28
13
My sister is coming home from rehab. I'm still angry; my parents are in denial.
Nov 6, 2025
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Katie MacBride
96
36
4
Bill Wilson's unfulfilled deathbed request
Apr 30
•
Katie MacBride
113
47
12
Essays and other musings
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What we can learn from Hunter Biden owning his past
It’s not about ‘sticking it to MAGA trolls,’ Biden’s personal politics, or his new internet fanbase—it’s about humanizing people with addiction and…
Jun 11
•
Katie MacBride
68
13
10
All the shadows we do not see
Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse, and pictures that never tell the full story.
May 28
•
Katie MacBride
118
28
13
Bill Wilson's unfulfilled deathbed request
I think someone should have given him the whiskey. My take on a classic piece of Bill Wilson lore.
Apr 30
•
Katie MacBride
113
47
12
I went to my first recovery meeting in more than a decade
How running from my brain and flaking on book club showed me that the 'group' part of my recovery isn't over.
Apr 2
•
Katie MacBride
70
33
7
Drinking after 25 years of sobriety
And the one thing I know to be absolutely, infuriatingly true.
Mar 5
•
Katie MacBride
617
142
41
Advice
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As a teenager, could anyone have talked you out of drinking?
My cousin comes from a long line of alcoholics, and her drinking is getting worse. She’s going to college in the fall; I’m worried but don't know what…
Jun 25
•
Katie MacBride
36
11
4
My Partner Drinks. I Don't. Now What?
On navigating sobriety in a relationship with someone who drinks — and figuring out what you want vs. what you actually need.
May 21
•
Katie MacBride
24
11
3
What counts as a "real" addiction?
On minimizing recovery, behavioral addictions, and why "I don't want to" is all you should need to say.
Apr 23
•
Katie MacBride
48
14
4
Is my boyfriend addicted to gaming?
When does a hobby become an addiction, and what can a partner do to intervene?
Mar 19
•
Katie MacBride
22
3
3
When I’m stressed, my family and friends worry I’ll relapse
The unbearable suspicion of well-meaning loved ones.
Feb 19
•
Katie MacBride
24
6
1
Making a Scene
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Sandra Bullock and the best rehab movie of our time
"This is not a way to live; this is a way to die."
Jul 9
•
Katie MacBride
41
23
4
Making a scene: "How can you get enough of feeling like this?"
Leo McGarry and The West Wing’s subversion of a classic recovery-relapse trope.
Jun 4
•
Katie MacBride
31
16
1
A unique sitcom character has a common drinking pattern
"Did I use to have a drinking problem??"
May 7
•
Katie MacBride
83
18
7
Making a Scene: The most devastating scene in addiction movie history
Denzel Washington offers a master class in embodying an actual alcoholic, not simply a caricature of one.
Apr 9
•
Katie MacBride
234
77
20
Making a Scene: Dr. Langdon’s amends are The Pitt(s)
Langdon, you baby-faced benzo-burglar—what are you doing??
Feb 26
•
Katie MacBride
53
20
5
Interviews
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Talking chronic relapse and inexhaustible hope with Jowita Bydlowska
The author of Drunk Mom and Unshaming chats about non-linear recovery, shame, and "social media sobriety."
Jun 18
•
Katie MacBride
30
7
5
Talking appearances, AA, cultural shame, and connection with Jasmine
“It was hard going to a meeting and realizing ‘oh, not only am I the only trans person here, but I’m also the only queer person here.’"
Apr 16
•
Katie MacBride
34
6
6
Talking drug policy, psychodynamic therapy, and being bad at groups with Zach Siegel
"I did not get out of this because I’m smart, clever, or have some elaborate system for getting away with everything."
Mar 12
•
Katie MacBride
24
5
6
Talking Addiction, Shame, and Resilience with Melissa Petro
"[I] remember thinking, 'Wow, these bitches are cool. Too bad they don’t drink.'
Feb 12
•
Katie MacBride
20
9
4
Has science accomplished it? The first three weeks on Naltrexone
"The change wasn’t dramatic; I didn’t feel like anything had been taken from me or like I had lost any part of myself. I just…didn’t want to drink as…
Aug 28, 2025
•
Katie MacBride
27
11
3
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