Lately I’ve been thinking about the recovery influencer. Before I get accused of it, let’s get the obvious question out of the way. “Joe, are you just jealous?” I suppose there could be a little of that. I’d love a thriving practice. I’d love enough readers that I can continue seeing people who can’t afford to pay. I’d love for High Sobriety to become a successful business. But no. I have absolutely no desire to become the Kardashian of recovery. What bothers me isn’t that pe

Is shame more toxic than cannabis? I’ve been abstinent from all forms of intoxication for nearly thirty years. It is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Sobriety gave me a career, meaningful relationships, peace of mind, and a life that would have been impossible had I continued drinking. So when I say that cannabis can be a legitimate part of recovery for some people, I’m not saying it because I’m looking for permission to get high. I’m saying it because after three de

I’ve been sober for nearly 30 years. My recovery has been built on abstinence, community, purpose, faith, and a lot of help from other people. I don’t use cannabis, and I don’t encourage people to use cannabis. At the same time, I’ve spent decades as a social worker working with addiction, mental illness, trauma, and families in crisis. My job isn’t to tell people what they should think. My job is to help people make informed decisions that reduce harm and improve their lives

I was reading that Lucas Erceg recently celebrated another sober anniversary. Congratulations to him. And congratulations to his family, the Kansas City Royals, his teammates, and his fans. When a person gets better, the systems around them tend to get better too. There’s no way to know how many people—especially young athletes—have been helped simply by seeing a successful professional athlete say, “I struggled, and I got help.” Here’s what stands out to me: If Erceg doesn’t

I spend a lot of time around baseball players. Dugouts. Weight rooms. Bus rides. Bullpens. Batting cages. And despite what people assume, I’m usually not talking about baseball. I’m not fixing a slider. I’m not adjusting a swing. I’m not arguing about launch angle like a divorced dad on Facebook. I’m listening. The young man in this photo doesn’t need another adult screaming about performance. He already has coaches for that. He has scouts, rankings, private instructors, recr

Divorce feels a little like getting traded midseason. One day you’re part of a system. You know the signals, the routines, the team dynamics. Even if the dynamics were toxic, they were familiar. Then suddenly somebody hands you a duffel bag and says, “Good luck in Cincinnati.” Even if the marriage needed to end, even if everybody involved knows it wasn’t working, there’s still disorientation. You don’t just lose a partner. You lose structure, identity, rhythm, witnesses to yo

Returning to college is an exciting time, not just for the student but for the family. Gone are the days of admission predictability...

Joe Schrank, Founder and CEO of Core Company, speaks about addiction and recovery at the third annual TEDxBrooklyn conference, Community Thr

Joe Schrank is the Program Director for High Sobriety. High Sobriety is a harm reduction program that helps individuals move from using pote

Arise Entertainment 360 interviews addiction specialist Joe Schrank.