Image Courtesy of @holly

4 Sober Influencers Worth a Follow 

Social media has changed the world in the past decade.  Some people now get their news from social networks and socialize with their peers and people they have never met differently, providing new opportunity to build community through common interests and how we choose to live.

Not surprisingly the sober niche has risen through the ranks particularly over the past five years with people sharing about struggle, recovery and creating ways to enhance connection. This week on the blog we share which influencers we are noticing within the recovery community who we think may be worth a follow.

1. Dax Shepard

@armchairexpertpod

Dax Shepard is an actor and comedian and most recently podcast host to his popular podcast ArmChair Expert.  On Armchair Expert Dax and his co host Monica Padman (@mlpadman) interview a range of guests from visionaries to celebrities and politicians to uncover the truth and have honest conversations:

I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy.”           – Dax Sherpard

In 2020 Dax opened up on his podcast about relapsing on painkillers after 16 years of sobriety.  While this was an extremely difficult conversation for Dax to have with his audience, it ultimately opened up conversation throughout the entire recovery community about relapse, redemption, and self forgiveness. 

2. Russell Brand 

 @RussellBrand

Russell Brand is an actor, comedian, and a public figure in the sobriety space with his long documented history of substance abuse.  Brand has been sober since 2002 and  credits the 12 steps for helping him overcome addiction to heroin and alcohol.  Brand posts videos daily for his audience ranging in topics from recovery, spirituality, politics, and achieving optimal health and wellness.  Brand also created an online recovery course called Commune which is an interpretation of the 12 steps supplemented with meditation, yoga, and lectures from Brand and guest speakers.  If you are looking for daily insightful content that feels personal and often with humor, Russell Brand is worth a follow.  

Image Courtesy of @russellbrand

3. Laura McKowen 

@LauraMckowen 

Laura McKowen made a splash in the online sober community in 2016 with the popularity of her podcast Home with Holly Whitaker.  A million listeners tuned into their weekly podcast on recovery and everything in between, until the podcast came to an end in 2018.  Since then Laura has continued garnering her following with the release of her book We Are The Luckiest in 2020.  During the shutdown of Covid-19 last year, Laura began conducting online sobriety meetings for her following which gained momentum and became a movement and community of its own, and is now called The Luckiest Club.  Each week members can log into multiple meetings a day and gather on the Facebook page for fellowship opportunities.  Laura offers several courses throughout the year and is currently working on her second book.

4. Holly Whitaker

@holly 

Holly Whitaker is a trailblazer in the online sobriety community.  She launched her online recovery school Hip Sobriety in which she and other sobriety coaches help students to achieve recovery.  The biggest deviation Whitaker takes from traditional programs and 12 step is the belief that those in recovery do not need to identify as Alcoholic/Addict:

“[These] words are loaded with baggage that implies a moral failing,” she told me in an email. “It defines an entire person by an experience (you are an addict versus you are experiencing addiction), it robs individuals of agency; you are no longer the one who knows what is best for you.”                                                                                                                                                                                                               – Holly Whitaker (Source

Holly is an important influencer in the sobriety space because she appeals to people who may not embrace 12 step programs opening up the door for entry and making recovery a wide road for all. 

Image Courtesy of @c_herren_

We would be remiss to not include our founder, Chris Herren (@c_herren_) as a bonus to our list. Although he would never consider himself a social media sober influencer, Chris has built a community around substance use prevention, treatment and recovery over the past 12 years. An author, motivational speaker and wellness advocate, Chris has founded three organizations that provide programs and services with the goal of overcoming setbacks and navigating life’s challenges; Herren WellnessHerren Project, and Herren Talks. We are grateful to be a part of Chris’s mission to share his story, provide recovery resources and help those impacted by addiction.

About Herren Wellness

Herren Wellness is a thriving community of people at all stages of their recovery journey. We introduce healthy habits and routines centered around emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness that provide a solid foundation for rediscovering your interests, experiencing joy in sobriety, and building structure and routine.

We provide several alumni support communities, including a weekly recovery support group, monthly alumni meeting, and online alumni community you can access anytime. Your connection to Herren Wellness doesn’t end when your stay ends; we are there for you throughout your recovery journey.

If you, or a loved one, are looking for help, please call us at (844) 443-7736, email us at info@herrenwellness.com, or fill out a contact form. You are not alone.