#social sobriety

[hillbillyoracle]

You Should Get A Radio

I want to convince you to get a radio. It can be a pretty cheap one - you can sometimes thrift them even - just something to listen to the music and shows that are literally streaming completely for free all around you right this very moment.

Libraries get a lot of love - deservedly so. They are such a frugal resource for entertainment and the community at large. I would argue that radio is very similar.

Find New Music

Radio can introduce you to music you never would have run across otherwise. Spotify and the like have a goal of getting you to listen for as long as possible. This incentivizes the alorgithm picking your music recs to stay very safely within your known listening profile. But since a radio station is broadcasting to a large number of people, not you individually, you're more likely to run into music you personally wouldn't have picked but actually enjoy.

Not to mention that if you're in the US at least, you're very likely within range of a public broadcasting station which not only has local and national news, but various music shows as well - World Cafe is a treasure. College radio stations, if you have one nearby by, can be hit or miss, but in general, it is a great way to find local and very niche music you wouldn't hear played anywhere else. If you're in a city, you very likely have a couple of hyperlocal low power FM stations - many who serve communities who don't speak English and who have their own unique music programming. I also enjoy a lot of the adult contemporary and "oldies" stations I can get near me.

The Ads Aren't Targeted

On most stations, you'll hear some ads. Some stations you'll hear more than a few. But none of those ads are based on an ever growing mass of information being collected about you and your listening habits to decide what specific ad you're most likely to actually act on. They're just...an ad. When you turn it off, it can't follow you around until you actually buy it.

Also, if you're listening to local stations, a lot of the ads are for local businesses in your community; places owned by your neighbors and the people you live with. For me, it's been a nice way to be reminded of what places exist in my community since I usually go to my regular haunts and nothing else.

Frugal and Fun

Radios can be pretty cheap. I see them in thrift stores pretty regularly around here and you might be able to try Marketplace for one. Mine was a birthday gift and I paid a little more to upgrade the antena later. Mine uses rechargeable batteries but I think they make ones that are just straight up rechargeable now.

Since I can't control the music, I'm not turning to it to skip through music or pick a different playlist or look up a given artist I want to hear because I just remembered they existed. I'm more present, whether I'm just listening to the show or pairing it with something else (recently it's been knitting or solitaire games).

Similar to the way that libraries can be one way you decrease your reliance on subscription culture, radio is another. Especially for public broadcasting stations, the programming is always changing, there are new shows every week, and there are often ways for you to get involved. It's another form of entertainment that often gets overlooked.

It's Screen Free

Not much to say here. It's just a big plus to me. I'm trying to take more breaks from screens and make the time I do spend on screens less addictive. I like that I can throw on a radio station and listen to a show without ever having to resist the urge to check email or something.

Vital in Emergencies

Have you thought of how you'd get information during an emergency if the internet goes out? Radio is a great option and still regularly saves lives. In the event of emergencies, local radio stations are often some of the very first people to get information on where shelters are being set up, where resoruces are being distributed, and how to stay safe through the course of the event. Depending on the event, emergency managers will actually bring in radio equipment to keep broadcasting going if there's been damage to a tower and even set up temporary/mobile station up to get the word out if there's not a local station they can partner with.

On days when the weather isn't looking so great, I often have the weather band radio turned on so I can get the latest NWS forecasts and hear when a watch is issued - phones usually only get warnings unless you go out of your way to sign up for more. And out where I live, I usually don't even get those since cell signal is spotty.

It's a great investment in your safety that you can also enjoy whenever.

Conclusion

Buy a radio. Especially if you're looking to get away from subscriptions and cut costs. You can own your radio - you can't own Spotify. It's also just something I think everyone should have since it's such a vital resource in emergencies.

ETA: I am a young millinial. I grew up with radio and remember a time before the internet so I'm not saying any of this as if I'm discovering it. It's more I've been not only enjoying it a lot lately but reminded that a lot of people aren't aware of everything it offers so I wanted to share that in case it was news to anyone.

#I don't know what to tag this #radio #frugal #social sobriety #low screen #no screen #it's just a very good idea okay #cord cutting

[meaningfall]

I just need to write a little rant about tiktok for a second.

I’ve been posting videos for a total of 4 days, and it has fucked with my head so so much. I feel like I’m constantly always and forever checking my account to see if I got any new interactions. And the worst part is that I DO get new interactions almost every single time I look. Whether it’s a like, a comment, a follow, or even just a view, it’s THERE. And it shoots globs of happy chemicals around in my brain so I just keep going back to check and check and check. And the more I check, the more likes I see. And the more likes I see, the less my brain gets pleasure from them. And the less my brain gets pleasure from them, the more I crave it. I’m addicted to tiktok, and that’s so fucking embarrassing. I had to set controls on my phone that only allow me to be on tiktok for 5 hours a day, and I’ve exceeded that, so now I’m just stuck ranting to tumblr about it. What’s worse is that what I really want so badly to do is post a rant like this to tiktok so I can get the views and the likes and the comments. I’m staying up till midnight right now just so my controls will reset and I can go check my account.

I’ve been trying to get sober (at least somewhat closer to sober than I was) from weed and alcohol lately, and I thought that maybe making videos would be good for me and help distract me. But on second thought, maybe it should have occurred to me that the constant dopamine spiral that is tiktok wasn’t exactly the best hole for me to fall into at this juncture of my life. I don’t know. I just feel kinda dumb and embarrassed for being upset by this.

At the same time though, I’m so hopeful that maybe I’ll finally be able to find the audience for my poetry that I’ve been fighting tooth and nail to get on other social media for almost 6 years. On tiktok, it feels almost within my grasp (maybe someday anyway), and I don’t want to give that up.

If you’ve read this far, thank you. I needed the validation.

#tiktok #addiction #sobriety #social media addiction #psychology

[funstyle]

breaking my own heart bc ive completely missed the opportunity to be part of something time and time again when the fact of the matter is it's a miracle i'm alive right now and i shouldnt be grieving what i wish i could be part of when theres so much in my life im so lucky to have. that doesnt mean it doesnt hurt though

#and like. what would i have done if those last 2 years of college weren't lost to the pandemic lmao. would that have changed everything. #ugh idk im so in my head about my entire self and life i feel so sick. need to focus on the basic things. but i dont feel like im living #like im truly just surviving right now. #personal #a big part of this is sobriety. like i have to shoot my social life and my youth in the head so i dont die. fucking sucks

[xxshadowbabexx]

tw: another rant (depression, self deprecation, abandonment issues, sobriety, alcohol, eating disorder, self isolation, anxiety)

i feel so needy its stupid. i only have one (in person) friend and shes on vacay rn and like im happy for her but… idfk what to do with myself. i miss her and i feel lonely.

i thrive off of social interaction but i also have horrid social anxiety and so i can’t go places without her without having a panic attack. shes all that keeps me calm.

so i havent left my dorm in three days and i feel sick. cooped up. but i know it wont be worth it to go outside because ill just end up having a panic attack.

i cant tell her any of this either. she almost canceled the trip because she was worried about leaving me alone and its not fair of me to hold her back. she shouldnt have to worry about me like this.

she wont be back for another nine days :( idk what im gonna do.

it feels so dumb tho. like i can’t function when my friend is gone for a little bit? its embarrassing.

part of me wants to just run to the store and get some liquor, drink my problems away. but im two years sober and dont want to fuck it up. its just looking real tempting right now.

and i havent eaten since my blow up last night. my tummy hurts but im scared to eat. i dont want to deal with the guilt that always comes after.

i wanna cry about everything but im too tired. maybe i just need a nap idk. putting my thoughts out here the other day helped so im just hoping it helps again.

#tw food #tw ed diet #tw eating issues #tw disordered eating #tw depression #tw abandonment #tw anorexia #tw alcohol #tw sobriety #tw social anxiety

[nastytransmasc]

I think I’ve realized that if you get sober enough for long enough, you just end up remembering why you said yes to drugs in the first place

#me posting #I don’t recognize pictures of myself anymore rn and looking at them makes me feel deeply uncomfortable #kinda want to delete my face off of other social medias #I just feel like I’ve gone back so far. it’s just fucking disheartening man #like I know I’ll be okay again but being here fucking sucks #also shoutout to the gay people in my phone watching me document what feels like a descent into madness #I hate the word crazy but I FEEL fucking crazy #sobriety…ish lol

[bloggingaturfuneral]

My room is my sanctuary, my safe space.

I’ve filled it with things that bring me joy and serenity.

But now I don’t want to leave. I want to stay inside.

I cannot control my anxiety outside of my place.

It overwhelms me. I get tunnel vision. I can’t breathe.

All my bones ache.

Sobriety has reunited me with myself and it’s given me my life back, but it has also presented me with a new set of challenges I’m still working to overcome.

#me #agoraphobia #social anxiety #anxiety #husky dog #house plants #sobriety #Sober #thai constellation #monstera deliciosa #plant dad

[widgenstain]

Anyone seen any good movies lately? Something that’s on Netflix or Prime, preferably?

#I've swerved out of a social event and need something to spend my night with while drinking peppermint liquour #fuck sobriety

[ohnoifallinreverse]

I cannot STAND when people are on a high horse about sobriety. Especially when you are consistently blaming your issues on someone else. Pointing fingers/shaming others to make yourself look better is nasty, boo.

Sobriety is not the same for everyone, and blanketing it can be highly alienating for other people. “I only take advil.” Okay, that’s you. I take medications that are addicting, but save my life by stabilizing me out so that I no longer am a danger to myself. It doesn’t mean that I am still in active addiction because I’m an addict. The toxic stance that many people promote is disappointing in communities they are supposed to be supporting one another. You are not better than anyone else based on your sobriety, including people still active in addictions. Sobriety has many faces and faucets, and you don’t know what may be going on in someone else’s life. Sobriety has many faces, and it isn’t up to you to decide which face is best, or right, for another person.

#sobriety #toxic society #toxic sobriety #addiction #alcohlism #mental health #health #social issues #california sober #social stand #toxic vision #medication #ted talks

[sparklyslug]

Went to a whole NYE party as an INVESTMENT a SCHEME in order to shift a work friend into a friend friend and I saw her TODAY and this bitch DOESNT REMEMBER ANY OF IT because of all the MUSHROOMS and CHAMPAGNE I left that party feeling PROUD feeling BONDED feeling ACCOMPLISHED and now we’re back at SQUARE FUCKING ONE.

Sigh. Well, any night being very sparkly and very hot isn’t a night wasted, at least there’s that.

#I AM FORTUNES FOOOOOOOOL #workplace comedy life #sparkly originals #an unforeseen difficulty in sobriety and socializing DAMMIT

[hillbillyoracle]

"Social media, in contrast, applies a lot more pressure on nonusers, at a much younger age and in a more insidious way. Once a few students in any middle school lie about their age and open accounts at age 11 or 12, they start posting photos and comments about themselves and other students. Drama ensues. The pressure on everyone else to join becomes intense. Even a girl who knows, consciously, that Instagram can foster beauty obsession, anxiety, and eating disorders might sooner take those risks than accept the seeming certainty of being out of the loop, clueless, and excluded. And indeed, if she resists while most of her classmates do not, she might, in fact, be marginalized, which puts her at risk for anxiety and depression, though via a different pathway than the one taken by those who use social media heavily. In this way, social media accomplishes a remarkable feat: It even harms adolescents who do not use it."

-- Johnathan Haidt in The Atlantic (March 13, 2024)

#social sobriety #been thinking about this one a lot #I can relate to some measure of this

[xnoybis]

tomorrow is march 3rd the day the cro-mags are playing here in atlanta i distinctly remember marking it on my calendar back in december thinking “hopefully by then i will have conquered my social anxiety and will be able to attend that show sober” :/ sadly i dont think thats going to happen

#cro mags #sobriety #social anxiety

[be-rk-blog]

Vanilla Numbness

Down from a mule’s

kick to the throat,

a man meets the driver

plucking the hair

from his head.

The deepest words

in his throat met

with a shaking-steady

hand that feels

unexpectedly warm to

the touch. Blessed to

sense that heat again,

he stumbles upon

a liquid falsehood

of a friendship,

and as slurred content

seeps past reason,

we may only pray

to one day

feel the same.

#I find myself using alcohol to kinda smooth out the edges of my brain #Even though I know it’s basically poison I have so much social anxiety and a drink just makes things feel more natural #To anyone working on their sobriety I’m so proud of you and know the insane amount of strength it takes #I hope to get to a better place with it too :) #poetry

[unproduciblesmackdown]

truly thinking of like Just Being Yourself as a supposed matter of being More spontaneous and not being caught up in your own head about it or whatever, but then the nd perspective (and really potentially anyone who’s Being Themself isn’t sufficiently of the “normal”) wherein it’s like, the more everyday / usual approach is of course to filter oneself / mask, but you don’t even know that until you learn of it and then like, think through it re: yourself, and then doing Less of that and figuring out what you do when you’re not masking Is like, added effort and a conscious process. and how things can involve not just tamping down xyz but adding in various behaviors for others’ sake, or just that like, things you haven’t Yet tamped down at all b/c you think they’re things you’re doing Right or Have To Do / i.e. would be covered under masking anyways if you didn’t do them “enough” already, but then it’s like, maybe this is generally a waste of my energy at best if not also effectively punished lmao and even if i’d “naturally” do it, again it can be matter of consciously Choosing not to, not b/c it’s not being yourself, but just b/c of using that awareness to like, i’m not going to do that in the majority of situations but i know it’s because of other people’s nonsense. that’s me and like, [talking] lately lol

and certainly it’s like. oh haven’t found yourself in time for college, better go to a house party or something elevated and conveniently more interesting to look at than a scene in a high school hallway, y.a. protagonist, and follow your increasing rate of impulsive decisions to the core of Your Truth like a geiger counter lmao, quick....i mean not like anyone has to have their life figured out by eighteen b/c that’s just not how it works anyways, or like you either have your secret realest self under lock and key to just be let out eventually here or like yeah better find it on one especial occasion, and that occasion should be about cutting loose & shit, like oh well if you just max out the volume on everything you’re feeling by elevating it all enough you’ll overhear your realest self and everyone who matters will be like oh hell yeah, in recognition of the authenticity of that drama lol....like oh believe me my Real Self has spontaneity and vivacity and passion and elevation, of the kind nt people will like, only ascribe and relate to a context of romance or some shit, like that’s a wednesday maybe b/c of having fun with xyz, couldn’t be me but i guess have fun with when like, people just like don’t have the humor or theatricality (or ability to have exchanges with other people that aren’t competitions / an issued challenge or threat) where it’s like oh someone could only be being fun or playful or energetic if they’re a bit fucked up actually, i.e. drunk surely. like well no that can just be personality & choices, including being what you think is a bit fucked up b/c being nd is surely incorrect & certainly abnormal, which is incorrect, so same difference....but anyways it can be its own choice all the time to actually share all those supposedly properly Elevated [being oneself] properties around anyone else, and even then of course it’s like, results vary with who likes it vs thinks it’s clearly doing too much / nobody doing that could Really be being themself, bring out that normaller you who must exist, or it can maybe be entertaining so long as you just do it on your own and nobody has to figure out how to have an interaction about it b/c [the concept of how to interact w/other ppl on their terms???]

honorary addendum for truly how “performative” might generally be used in some negative context but it’s like, we are all performing every day lol, congrats to the people who again think oh i’m Just being Normal, you just learned that particular performance and don’t have to be conscious about what you might be doing wrong or how to act differently b/c it wasn’t relevant for you to Have to....its being like more genuine than anything to of course be consciously performing in some way / to some degree while other people in turn consciously recognize this, vs when people think they’re being Genuine / Acting Natural but it’s just a particular performance they learned that they can’t even switch out of b/c they don’t know it’s a performance and/or can’t/won’t acknowledge there’s other modes of expression/communication that are no less real, performance has its purposes and it’s not all like well people are just trying to Trick you into thinking that’s how they really are / the only way they can be; how can anyone Really act like that, any affectation should be dropped, can’t believe everyone isn’t Just Being Normal as hard as i am, b/c i get to encounter all these other people who Get Me and/or i sure don’t encounter obstacles / pushback over what seems to be nothing / my just behaving naturally and neutrally, so i must be the expert on the rightest way to be, f for everyone who’s clearly like being too weird or rude or thoughtless and etc

#the difference too between like. using whatever Emotional / Elevated Impulse as handy momentum to do what you already know you'd want to #vs. to just be like well this is for doing what i'd just never even choose / intend to do otherwise....dunno about that one lol #not that anyone has to submit like either Peak Elevation / Passion or else Peak Stoicism / Sobriety as the Truest Way Guiding Light either #but engaging in whatever various modes / approaches across the spectrum of experiences and routes can sure be Conscious either way.... #when it comes to taking some approach and/or to just keeping tabs on how it's going along the way / afterwards... #Just Being Yourself as this very like cerebral(tm) conscious deliberate process when as soon as you first ever tried that it's been rejected #so eventually after getting a lot of information and turning it over for eons you probably have to push Against emotional reflexes to like #be more yourself / be more unfiltered/not attuned to what other people might want or tbh accept without more rejection / punishment #and of course just that like. probably your Realer Self just isn't something everyone should get to interact with #b/c it goes right back to the original problem of like that social rejection / punishment having started immediately and not stopped #so that it's difficult to go ''oh maybe i'm nd'' rather than just having it internalized that smthing's wrong w/you / you just suck or smthg #like well it's still gonna continue even as you're in the process of being more conscious of everything going on there / not blaming oneself #like i love to talk actually and i will continue to v rarely talk b/c that's really just a For My Own Sake choice lol

[catspinach]

talking about personal stuff involving alcohol use under the cut. pls like if u read please xx

I've been reflecting on my alcohol consumption now vs how it was in the past, and there really was a period where I was drinking with my friends every single night and throwing up every single morning. I'd say that "I just can't hold down my liquor" and continue to do that every single night, briefly while I was taking classes (which I failed). My friend at the time would invite me to drink with her because if I didn't join her then she would just drink alone. I figured that having dealt with an alcoholic friend before and understanding how hard it can be on the people around you that I would be fine, and I was concerned for her safety and felt more comfortable if she drank with someone, so I started drinking with her a lot and it eventually got to me. I realized how bad it had gotten one night when I got really fucking drunk at a bon fire. I think I had 11 drinks? My girlfriend had kind of a talk with me while we walked back to my house and It reminded me of the time I had to stumble home with my drunk friend I mentioned earlier. I peed in my yard also. One time I peed off of a train track bridge sorry I'm stoned while typing this anyways it was decently early on that I realized that I had a problem but that didn't stop me from drinking. I'd spend like $100/week on alcohol, getting that $6 shit discount liquor and whiteclaws to mix it with/use as a chaser. It was definitely not Classy alcohol consumption and I was drinking every night at this point and feeling so shameful when I wasn't able to go a full week without it. This went on for months and I have no idea if my family caught on tbh but they never mentioned anything to me:/

Fast forward to March when I had finally dealt with the worst hangover of my life along with the withdrawal symptoms that came with not dinking. I told myself I am not fucking going thru that shit again bc I honestly rly should have been hospitalized. Drinking at that point made me get panic attacks, so I was able to stop for like a month before getting back on my bullshit, but this time I was able to approach alcohol just a little more appropriately. Still very much on an alcoholic level but now I was doing a lot better at making sure I wasn't getting sick every morning. I was kind of in a weird state for a while then where I knew I still depended on alcohol but would strictly only let myself drink the 375ml bottles of liquor a day tops. That worked with me because I was able to get pretty relaxed but didn't have to deal with hangovers. A few weeks ago I've been going a bit harder and I had a moment last week where I got a terrible hangover from drinking a full big bottle of New Amsterdam, leading to withdrawal symptoms when I didn't continue to drink. It's terrifying not knowing how long you're gonna feel like you are literally dying. It can go on for days! You can't comprehend how stressful it is on the body, both physically as well as mentally, unless you experience it first hand.

My final message: last night I drank a 375ml bottle of E&J, then walked my drunk little ass over to the gas station to buy a 6-pack, which I finished, and today my tummy hurt ofc! It was very manageable but it's still frustrating to see that I'm unwilling to stop despite having a massive breakthrough during my last phase of withdrawal idk I really thought that I have accepted that I can't drink but ig not

#id like to add that I don't blame the friend who kinda got me started #at least not completely #poor influence but she has her own problems too and she didn't know it would lead to this #I'm lonely lol so if anyone wants to message me on tumblr I'd be happy #like in general I would like to talk to yalls more #I need need need socialization #sobriety

[lawlessgodlessflawless]

booo we hate to see his attempted Louise Belcher swag

#okay but as a 2000s pop culture fiend and social worker #im obsessed with seeing the introspection and healing in Steve O and Mike the situation #we love seeing classic media assholes address this in therapy and sobriety #and how the dudes I hated the most from jackass & jersey shore are now my faves since they’re so open about internal and external reasons #why they were douchebags and how healing the hurt and addiction caused this new clarity #we love to see it!!!! #personal #unquality blogging

[shatteredlesbian]

ok so im rewatching jessica jones cause yk marvel binge rewatch (will probably do luke cage after this) but...

so that scene where she's helping malcolm detox. thats fine right. great moment of relationship building and as a recovering addict, his behavior of pushing her away n all that is like on brand.

what really got me was the fact that jessica then drops his drug of choice in front of him while he's going through a severe detox. thats FUCKED. and she makes it seem like its his moral choice to not do it??? bro i wasnt able to get clean without MONTHS of dedicated weaning myself off my drug of choice, and even still when i was forced to go cold turkey it was overwhelming. this substance that was CONSIDERABLY less addictive than Malcolm’s. She did it without hospital aid, which is there for a reason. there's a reason why there's a class of medication dedicated to specifically helping people get off these drugs safely.

idk man it just seemed so fucking cruel to me.

#person who knows absolutely nothing about addiction outside of maybe a social media post and the news speaks #to something they dont understand and makes it a <moral lesson> #tw drugs #tw drug mention #tw addiction #like this is not to hate on her because most people dont know about addiction or the types of roads you can use to get clean #honestly just. venting at this point its a lot #talking talk talk #like im not getting into details on sobriety its just not happening #but yeah its. so fucked and important for people who have loved ones suffering to get at least somewhat informed #harm reduction is a thing and its lifesaving. it really is.