Summer Sobriety The associates at My 12 Step Store in West Hollywood on how they’re staying sober these hot summer days. BY PAULO MURILLO HAVE FAITH ″When I was in my addiction, I’d be running around and always looking for the next place where I could get high. I’d be walking in the heat for hours…
Day One We asked a few local sober folks with over 10 years of sobriety to reflect on their first day sober and what life is like for them now. GOOD SAMARITAN “I had passed out in front of the Laurel Pet hospital and a woman picked me up and took me home. I call her my…
Letting GO With Valentine’s Day in mind, we asked a few local sober folks how they maintained their sobriety throughout the heartbreak of a breakup while in recovery. BY PAULO MURILLO TRY NEW THINGS “My divorce was around three years ago—I was like nine years sober at the time. I didn’t really think about using. I…
Celebrating The Holidays CLEAN And SOBER A few local folks with various lengths of recovery time onhow they deal with family life during the holidays. BY PAULO MURILLO SET BOUNDARIES My family is grateful for my recovery and very supportive of it. I have the dubious distinction of being the first sober person in the family and the only…
BY PAULO MURILLO / PHOTO BY GIL CORTES Grateful To LOVE Again Douglas Lantis and Jose Gonzales, two sober men who found each other in the rooms of recovery, on how gratitude impacts their sobriety. Thanksgiving Together Gratitude is key for me in my recovery. I’m one of those people who still does a gratitude…
Recover In The Trans Community Three local trans women, with various lengths of recovery, on their journey being clean and sober. OUR CHALLENGES “I don’t think trans women have a harder time staying sober. I think we have a harder time not sexualizing ourselves for money—because of society and the way we are treated. It’s harder for us…
MR. SISTER LEATHER 2017 The Sisters’ new titleholder, David Sanford, on sobriety, kink and living your life out loud. BY MARK ARIEL PHOTO BY ROBERT GREEN, MOTORBOOT PHOTOGRAPHY The results of The Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence contest are in – David Sanford is the new Mr. Sister Leather 2017. The Sisters’ first…
Andy, 2005 (left), 2016 (right). “The room, lit only by the flickering closed-circuit porn on the TV, begins to darken further. I feel panic, but there’s nothing I can do as I slip headlong into the utter nothingness of the g-hole.” BY ANDY NICASTRO It’s the spring of 2005, three years into my addiction. I’m…
Foundations Los Angeles at Encino, The Canyon at Peace Park in Malibu and Michael’s House in Palm Springs. Located just northwest of the bustling heart of Los Angeles, Foundations Los Angeles at Encino caters to the unique needs of our fast-paced community with its convenient and comprehensive outpatient center. The foundation of their program…
SOBER NO MATTER WHAT By Paulo Murillo Ruben Zambrano has been sober since August 18, 1993. At 17-years sober, he was let go from his job of 10 years. After working various odd jobs, he decided to go into business for himself at J.Hilburn Men’s Clothier. We asked him how being sober helped him face…
HELPING OTHERS David Neuendorff Videographer David Neuendorff, has been sober since August 16, 2002. Helping others has helped him maintain his sobriety. Helping others also helped him direct his life from delivering food to building his own video editing business “1 Minute Reel” (1minutereel.com), where he recently created the training educational video called “Meth: Insight…
In recognition of National Recovery Month we contacted a few local sober folks to talk about their recovery journey. LESSONS IN HUMILITY By Paulo Murillo While choreographer, dancer and entertainer Luis Camacho is widely known for his antics in the documentary Truth or Dare during his moment as a backup dancer in Madonna’s Blond Ambition…
Long Term RECOVERY A few local sober folks with over 20 years of clean and sober time share their wisdom, motivation and the tools that have helped them along the way to stay the course. Make New Friends “I’m still doing the same things that I was doing in the beginning, like being part of…
SOBER SUMMER With summertime in full swing, we asked a few local sober folks with various lengths of recovery time what it’s like attending summer events completely clean and sober. INSPIRING TIMES “I’m an advocate for having a lot of fun in sobriety because we don’t get sober to be sad and depressed, or…
Sober Gay L.A. Folks with different lengths of recovery on gay sobriety in Los Angeles. FAIR BALANCE “My sober life in LA is pretty amazing. There is such a huge network of sober gay men in Los Angeles. An important part of sobriety for me is that I am still able to have fun. I thought…
Party N’ Play SOBER With White Party season in mind—we asked a few local folks in recovery what they think about attending circuit parties clean and sober. Special Occasions “I think sober guys going to events like the White Party is fine. If you have a love for the music and you go with a…
KINK In SOBRIETY Happy Leather Pride! We hit up a few leather/kink men and asked them what sex is like for them now that they are clean and sober. BY PAULO MURILLO More Free My first exploration in kink and dominance and submission were completely chemically induced. I got sober when I turned 37 and…
