Social media influencers are the new brand of celebrity in the age of Instagram, TikTok, and the rest. While some sober social media influencers were celebrities in their own right before they entered the social media fray —- there are also quite a few sober influences who found fame from social media itself, simply by producing compelling enough content to earn a sizable audience.
As more people are seeking sobriety or becoming sober curious, we think it’s beneficial to have a rising number of sober celebrities and social media influencers. Having examples of people we admire who happen to live a sober lifestyle inspires the sober curious and newly sober alike.
They show that life in recovery can be anything but boring. They are critical role models to the up-and-coming newest generation of sober people. When sober people in the public eye choose to influence and advocate on behalf of recovery —- that’s even better. We love to see it!
This article from North Jersey Recovery Center highlights some of our favorite sober social media influencers.
Sober Influencer #1: Russell Brand
Russell Brand is one of the best-known sober celebrities. He began his career as a stand-up comedian in 2000 and served as a video journalist for MTV, as well as hosting talk shows and awards shows for them. Well-known in his native England years before he became a famous face in the U.S. Most Americans probably know him best as the fictional rock star Aldous Snow, whom he played in the films, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek.
Always open to discussing what’s on his mind, including any aspects of his recovery — Brand is not only refreshingly open and honest, he’s also quite brilliant and insightful. While his videos and podcasts aren’t purely recovery-focused, recovery is definitely part of his brand (pun intended). With 3.5 million followers on Instagram, his reach is fairly broad as sober social media influencers go.
Russel Brand’s content can be found on his Instagram account and via his semi-regular podcasts which cover a wide array of topics from politics to religion and history.
Sober Influencer #2: Dax Shepard
Dax Shepard is an American actor and comedian who has hosted his podcast, Armchair Expert, since 2018. He has appeared in over 25 films and upwards of 30 television shows since beginning his acting career in 1998. Shepard has long been open about his experiences in recovery and before it. He says his substance abuse disorder developed when he was 18 years old, finally achieving sobriety in 2005 at age 30.
Most people know Dax Shephard from his film work, starting in Mike Judge’s cult masterpiece, Idiocracy, and CHiPs, the comedy based on the 1977 TV show of the same name. Shepard married actress Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars, Gossip Girl, The Good Place) in 2013. Dax often discusses his life in recovery on his podcast, even though it isn’t the central theme, it’s clear that sobriety is an integral part of his self-identity. He’s shared some powerful insights over the years which make it clear he is a man with a great deal more depth than the silly and simple sort of characters he usually portrays in TV and film.
You can catch Dax Shephard on his podcast, which is available on Spotify, and follow him on Instagram and X (Twitter).
Sober Influencer #3: Laura McKowen
Unlike the first two sober influencers on our list, Laura McKowen isn’t an actress or well-known celebrity. But she is the published author of the bestselling memoirs, We Are The Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life and Push Off From Here: Nine Essential Truths to Get You Through Life (and Everything Else). She has a bracing, no-nonsense attitude toward recovery which is well-tempered with an equal measure of humor.
McKowen has also had articles published in The New York Times and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Atlantic, and the TODAY show, among others.
You’ll find Laura on Instagram and Facebook as well as the online recovery community she founded in 2020, The Luckiest Club.
Sober Influencer #4: Millie Gooch
Millie Gooch got sober in February of 2018 and began her website and organization, Sober Girl Society just 7 months later. She’s a journalist by trade and has had articles published in Red, Stylist, The Telegraph, Refinery29, Elle, Cosmopolitan, UniLad, Bustle, Delish, and many other publications. Millie is from England and is headquartered in the UK. Still, her work is quite accessible to English-speaking women in sobriety anywhere in the world, or women who are considering sobriety.
Millie’s sunny, but realistic outlook on life is often just the thing to buoy sinking spirits. She manages to stay optimistic without ever seeming saccharine or disingenuous. Her online sober community for women in recovery, or interested in recovery, Sober Girl Society, holds real-world events in the UK but exists largely online. Centered on Instagram, Sober Girl Society is accessible to any woman interested in learning how to live a recovery lifestyle without sacrificing fun and spontaneity.
Look for Millie on Instagram at @sobergirlsociety
Sober Influencer #5: Ruby Warrington
Ruby Warrington is another sober influencer who gained her notoriety, in part, by speaking about her experiences and insights in recovery. She’s probably best known as the author of the 2018 book Sober Curious. She also hosts a podcast by the same name. Her other books include Material Girl, Mystical World (2017), The Numinous Astro Deck (2019), and The Sober Curious Reset (2020).
A lifestyle journalist by trade, Warrington was perfectly positioned to deliver the message of recovery to women with her own, very unique voice and perspective. She also works as what she calls a “book doula” helping other authors nurture their ideas, write proposals, and even edit their manuscripts.
The best place to find Ruby is via her Sober Curious podcast, reading one of her books, or following her on Instagram at @rubywarrington
Recovery Is A Process And A Lifestyle
We hope you enjoyed this piece on sober social media influencers. We hope the takeaway here is that recovery doesn’t mean the death of fun. We know embracing sobriety can be especially challenging for young people, but the fact is that you can have just as much fun, if not more when you’re sober.
If you or someone you love is not sober but would like to be — North Jersey Recovery Center is ready to help. Our world-class, dual-diagnosis alcohol treatment program in New Jersey has everything you need to conquer drugs and alcohol and take back your life.
Our programs are designed to fit into a busy schedule, where necessary with day and evening IOP therapy available. Everything you or the person you love needs to overcome addiction is right here. But it’s up to you to make the first move.
Pick up the phone and let’s give you a reason for hope today. Reach us at (877) 790-5873
