Allie Holbrook

Freelance writer - addiction and recovery specialist

Australia

I'm a freelance feature writer and content marketing writer specialising in the field of addiction and recovery.

As well as the clippings featured here, I write content for rehab and recovery organisations. I am based in Australia but write for US and UK publications as well as more local organisations.

I blog about my own recovery, as well as topics relevant to the field, at www.lifeafteralcohol.com.

Portfolio
Rehabs
12/10/2014
How Can You Avoid the Dreaded Holiday 'Freelapse'?

It's obvious that for a person in recovery, the holiday season can be tough to navigate. Cocktail parties, champagne toasts and mini wine bottles sold as stocking-fillers are practically designed to trip up the sober reveler. You may not be able to indulge in the wine or brandy eggnog, but those enormous platters of food are definitely up for grabs.

Recovery
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...to Be Sober?

It's Christmas. And, if you're sober, that means you're going to miss out on all the bonhomie and joy, concentrating instead on being careful not to slip. Sure, it's not fun, but the alternative is unthinkable if you're in recovery. Right? Christmas, I would argue, is the worst possible time of the year to drink.

Recovery
How I Stay Sober in a House Full of Wine

"Get rid of all the alcohol in the house," is the advice I often heard when I made the decision to stop drinking once and for all. It's probably a useful suggestion, but one I am in no position to take. My house is full of the stuff.

Stopfryingyourbrain
12/01/2014
Is There Art After Alcohol?

Is There Art After Alcohol? By: Allie Holbrook Lars von Trier, who wrote the 2003 movie, Dogville, in a 12 day drug binge, is sober. But will he stay that way, given his conviction that "there is no creative expression of artistic value that has ever been produced by ex-drunkards and ex-drug-addicts"?

Recovery
The Importance of Personal Space as a Mom in Recovery

In my drinking days, if everything became too much-and it was often very little things that felt like too much to handle- I had my wine to protect me. If I made a mistake at work, or if my children were fighting, or if I made the mistake of staring into my own future, I could crawl into a bottle for comfort.

Stopfryingyourbrain
11/27/2014
Beware of "Blackout Wednesday"

Beware of "Blackout Wednesday" By: Allie Holbrook Thanksgiving. A day for gratitude, but also a time of excess. Tables groan with turkey and pumpkin pie, wine flows freely, and there's a sense that nothing bad can happen on a night of such goodwill. In fact, Thanksgiving is bad news for people trying to stay sober.

Stopfryingyourbrain
11/29/2014
A Spoonful of Sugar Makes Sobriety Go Down

A Spoonful of Sugar Makes Sobriety Go Down By: Allie Holbrook You've put down the bottle and committed to the path of sobriety. If you're familiar with Bill W's Big Book, you'll know that the original AA founders recommended people use sweets to help ease their cravings for alcohol.

Substance
09/19/2014
I'm Addicted to Pulling Out My Own Hair - Substance.com

Sometimes I dream that I'm looking in my bathroom mirror, and most of my hair has gone. I'm staring at raw, pink scalp speckled with a few dark strands of hair, and I'm sick with the realization that I have finally gone too far and turned myself into a freak.