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“In some ways, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.” -Viktor Frankl

philosophicallysob

Dec 43 min read

“In some ways, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.” -Viktor Frankl

“In some ways, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.” --Viktor Frankl I...

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“It is not prudent to deny a pardon to any man, without first examining if we stand not in need of it ourselves.” --Seneca

philosophicallysob

Nov 272 min read

“It is not prudent to deny a pardon to any man, without first examining if we stand not in need of it ourselves.” --Seneca

I can only speak for myself here, but I happen to know there were people who overlooked my many failings while I was active in my...

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Discussing sobriety with author and podcast host Daryl Dittmer

philosophicallysob

Nov 200 min read

Discussing sobriety with author and podcast host Daryl Dittmer

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Five Addiction and Recovery Misconceptions

philosophicallysob

Nov 181 min read

Five Addiction and Recovery Misconceptions

Five addiction and recovery misconceptions. https://youtu.be/vQ-SoWcjB7k?si=WrJNm35EN7RTC-PD

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“Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief.” --Cicero

philosophicallysob

Nov 73 min read

“Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief.” --Cicero

Nowhere else in my life have I ever experienced friendship and fellowship quite like what I have in the sober/recovery community. Never...

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“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll...

philosophicallysob

Oct 286 min read

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll...

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And...

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“Let philosophy scrape off your own faults, rather than be a way to rail against the faults of others.” --Seneca

philosophicallysob

Oct 173 min read

“Let philosophy scrape off your own faults, rather than be a way to rail against the faults of others.” --Seneca

Recovery from addition requires a lot of self-reflection. Recovery dictates we examine our past behaviors, instincts, and our...

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“Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.” Epictetus

philosophicallysob

Sep 263 min read

“Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.” Epictetus

Epictetus would know a little something about freedom. He was once enslaved and went on to become a paragon of the Stoic school of...

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“If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.” --Yogi Berra

philosophicallysob

Sep 176 min read

“If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.” --Yogi Berra

Hardly anyone would dispute Yogi Berra, legendary Yankee catcher, had a unique ability to turn a phrase. This pearl is also a paradox,...

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“You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can’t control. These things are not asking to be judged by you...

philosophicallysob

Sep 43 min read

“You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can’t control. These things are not asking to be judged by you...

“You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can’t...

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“A fool cannot be convinced or even compelled to renounce his folly.” Epictetus

philosophicallysob

Aug 294 min read

“A fool cannot be convinced or even compelled to renounce his folly.” Epictetus

Bear with me, Dear Reader. I don’t mean to insult you by calling you fools, but we in recovery ought to be able to recognize that if we...

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“Tell them of all the things men do that they would blush at sober, and that drunkenness is nothing but a state of self-induced insanity. For imagine the drunken man’s behavior extended...

philosophicallysob

Aug 223 min read

“Tell them of all the things men do that they would blush at sober, and that drunkenness is nothing but a state of self-induced insanity. For imagine the drunken man’s behavior extended...

“Tell them of all the things men do that they would blush at sober, and that drunkenness is nothing but a state of self-induced...

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“Nothing can come into being without time.” --Seneca

philosophicallysob

Aug 73 min read

“Nothing can come into being without time.” --Seneca

Perhaps you, Dear Reader, have felt how I felt early in sobriety. When the question would be posed about how long I was sober, it was...

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“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” --Gautama Buddha

philosophicallysob

Jul 313 min read

“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” --Gautama Buddha

So far, this blog has only investigated Western philosophy. That’s not been intentional, but has been a product of me discussing...

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“Whatever can happen at any time can happen today.” --Seneca (Pt. 2)

philosophicallysob

Jul 253 min read

“Whatever can happen at any time can happen today.” --Seneca (Pt. 2)

Last week, I attempted to tackle the more morbid aspect of Seneca’s above quotation in terms of the negative things that can happen to us...

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“Whatever can happen at any time can happen today.” Seneca

philosophicallysob

Jul 183 min read

“Whatever can happen at any time can happen today.” Seneca

Dear Reader, are you prepared to believe this? It’s a scary thought, to be sure. But, on the other hand, there’s hope in this truth as...

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“I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.” --Andrew Bernard aka the Nard Dog

philosophicallysob

Jul 113 min read

“I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.” --Andrew Bernard aka the Nard Dog

Having already established in an earlier post Seneca allows us to guiltlessly pull quotes from wherever we find truth, we may as well go...

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“No one can lead a happy life if he thinks only of himself and turns everything to his own purposes. You should live for the other person if you wish to live for yourself.” --Seneca

philosophicallysob

Jul 82 min read

“No one can lead a happy life if he thinks only of himself and turns everything to his own purposes. You should live for the other person if you wish to live for yourself.” --Seneca

Alcoholism and addiction can be incredibly selfish diseases. We alcoholics and addicts can and frequently do put our need to use above...

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“A change of character, not a change of air, is what you need…whatever your destination you will be followed by your failings.” --Seneca

philosophicallysob

Jun 304 min read

“A change of character, not a change of air, is what you need…whatever your destination you will be followed by your failings.” --Seneca

We can’t outrun addiction. We can’t leave it behind like a bad meal, a poor movie, a lousy book, or a crowded restaurant. Addiction...

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“Don’t be ashamed to need help. Like a soldier storming a wall, you have a mission to accomplish. And if you’ve been wounded and you need a comrade to pull you up? So what?” --Marcus Aurelius

philosophicallysob

Jun 173 min read

“Don’t be ashamed to need help. Like a soldier storming a wall, you have a mission to accomplish. And if you’ve been wounded and you need a comrade to pull you up? So what?” --Marcus Aurelius

I am writing this on what is the 89th Anniversary of the recognized formation of Alcoholics Anonymous. As an organization, AA has...

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About

Sharing Stoic Sobriety Strategies is what this website is all about.

I am a recovering alcoholic who has found tremendous guidance and comfort in the writings of Stoic philosophers and some others. I believe that meaningful and lasting recovery is possible and improved with life lessons from the Ancients. Philosophic study is a wonderful strategy for improving the quality of one’s life.

I will endeavor to identify the most helpful

passages from ancient and modern philosophy and curate them to my experience with recovery from addiction so that my example may be useful to the struggling addict, the recovering addict, or their loved ones.

I offer my interpretation of these texts for their educational value. They are not, however, a substitute for medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice.

Please consult the appropriate professionals, if needed. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or others, please call 988 for emergency assistance.

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