What Does It Mean to Be "In Recovery" Anyway?

“I had impostor syndrome -- but for slowly killing yourself.”

and

Feb 25, 2025

∙ Paid

Good morning. Today’s feature is written by Steve Kandell, who is confronting a relatable problem — the one where you stop drinking but don’t feel qualified enough to proclaim yourself “in recovery” even though the lifestyle changeover from drinking to no longer drinking is certainly significant enough to result in the similar benefits to those who prac…

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A guest post by

Steve Kandell

Steve has worked at or written for many outlets over many years, some of which still exist, including SPIN, BuzzFeed News, The New York Times, Esquire, and Pitchfork. He is currently at the pupal stage of working as a therapist in Los Angeles.