My Sober Journey

Going Under My memoir ‘Going Under’ is brand new, published by Ventura Press. With sparkling, musical prose and unflinching generosity of spirit, Seana Smith lays bare the facts of a life stalked by alcohol. A life that ricochets ‘between privilege and terror, between adventure and fear.’ So much more than a book about the booze, Going … Read more

When I started writing my drinking story as part of my own sober journey, I did not only focus on the terrible behaviour. I also wanted to drill deep into the madness of it all. How desperate I felt, the lengths I would go to to get hold of some alcohol. How hard I had … Read more

The Books I Read in 2024 – the goal I have a little project for myself as a reading writer and a writing reader in 2024. My aim is to read fewer books but to read more deeply. I will list the books I read here, and will also leave the link for a review … Read more

Over the years, I have met many sorts of problem drinkers, and heard about many journeys to sobriety. Our stories are endlessly fascinating, and we all have our own unique drinking problem. Here’s my story. I would love to hear yours. I am happy to describe my issues with booze as a drinking problem and … Read more

When my close friend Susie stopped drinking alcohol, I was really fascinated and also very curious… HOW CAN SHE DO IT? What is her secret? This was at a time when I really could not ever see myself being able to stop drinking permanently. Even though I thought that my life would be easier and … Read more

I always say that the best night out in Glasgow is a visit to an open AA meeting. You meet the most spellbinding and often outrageous storytellers at AA meetings, charismatic characters whose personalities have been not in the slightest diminished by stopping drinking alcohol. At an AA meeting, you hear of the highs and … Read more

I never, ever thought I would be able to give up a glass of champagne on a flight. It had meant SO MUCH to me. So I wrote this reminder of why that was, and the times I had fallen upon that champagne like a hungry wolf. The hostess glides in stage right, how she … Read more

Often, when we think we want a drink, what we really want and need are nothing to do with ethanol and the sensation it brings. Instead what we might be looking for could be: