Active addiction rarely stays in the lane we try to keep it in. It doesn’t just live in the apps, the bets, the breaks, or the packs. It has a...
This is the time of year when life can feel especially heavy. The days are still short. The mornings are dark. Work hours feel longer than usual, and there is...
Guilt and shame often get lumped together, but in recovery – whether from active addiction, compulsive collecting, or gambling behaviors – they operate very differently. Understanding that difference can be...
When we step away from a compulsive behavior, the hardest part often isn’t stopping, it’s sitting with what’s left behind. The quiet. The restlessness. The urge to fill the empty...
The picture below includes all of the things that 10-year-old me wanted in 1989, save a bag of Hostess potato chips (classic BBQ flavor please) and a Dr. Pepper: two...
2025 was a year I jumped right back into collecting after an on and off relationship with the hobby for the past three decades. But this year was different. Gone...
There’s a certain kind of strength that doesn’t just come from willpower, discipline, or overcoming urges. It comes from connection. From being seen. From sitting in a room, physical or...
One of the most encouraging things we’ve experienced recently is the volume and depth of feedback coming from our community. Messages from people who are struggling, people who are learning,...
Burnout doesn’t usually announce itself. It doesn’t show up as a dramatic breaking point or a conscious decision to halt everything. More often, it slips in quietly—masked as productivity, urgency,...
There are moments in recovery when the urge doesn’t feel like a thought—it feels like a force. It shows up suddenly, loudly, and with a kind of certainty that says...
New Year’s resolutions can be especially hard in this hobby because the environment doesn’t slow down when people try to reset—it speeds up. January is supposed to feel like a...
During active addiction—whether it shows up through gambling, compulsive collecting, or spending—many of us aren’t just chasing a “win”. We’re chasing an image. A version of ourselves we want the...
