Book: Quit Like a Woman

Book Club

Jul 27

Click to check out The Temper, which explores life through the lens of sobriety, addiction, and recovery.

Quit Like a Woman: the Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol looks at alcohol and recovery culture from a feminist, political and opinionated approach, aiming to fire up the reader into questioning alcohol’s influence in our society and engender change. The reader is encouraged to step back from the societal influence of alcohol (which Whitaker makes the case was marketed similarly to Big Tobacco, with a consumer-focused push and withholding medical risks and data) and labels sobriety a “radical choice.” Overall, Whitaker challenges the traditional recovery community that can seem one-size-fits-all and encourages a lifestyle approach to wellness and recovery, asking us to consider “How much is alcohol causing a problem in my life?” rather than “Am I an alcoholic?”

Who is Holly Whitaker?

Whitaker is the founder of The Tempest, an online recovery community for women; as well as The Temper, a free publication of the community offering lifestyle resources, advice and stories to engage others in recovery. Whitaker has a large Instagram following and shares information and motivational quotes and stories. She uses her social media influence to involve women (especially in their 20s and 30s) to make positive lifestyle changes and while she cites research attempts in her book, she is not a journalist or healthcare professional. Whitaker makes bold statements that connect with her followers but may not resonate with those of the same lifestyle experiences.

What does it mean to Quit Like a Woman?

As a whole, Whitaker takes the stance that there are many paths to recovery and to Quit Like a Woman is finding your own path away from alcohol dependence. “This isn’t about being perfect, or doing everything. This is about finding the things that work for you, being brave enough to prioritize those things, and letting that be enough.” Whitaker emphasizes detaching from the societal influence of alcohol, learning to love wholly and generously (including yourself) and building healthy habits of self-care. Like many recovery-oriented books, it helps to hear her story of recovery and how she experienced the process of quitting, coping with cravings and addressing root issues of trauma and family relationships. Though she is not a fan of 12-step groups, some of her advice does sound familiar – essentially to “do what works,” doing one thing at a time and working on surrender.