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MoreQuiet 10d · day 10

R. Eric Thomas advice column syndicated across U.S. outlets

Advice columnist's column on navigating friendships with newly sober individuals appears in multiple regional newspapers simultaneously.

newest coverage 10d agosummary written 10d ago6 pieces Newswires

What to know

  • An advice column addresses the challenge of supporting a friend's recovery from 20-year addiction while maintaining boundaries around ongoing harmful behavior.
  • The columnist recommends setting clear boundaries rather than enabling or intervening, emphasizing that behavioral change is the friend's responsibility and requires working with a sponsor.
  • The column was syndicated across at least five major regional U.S. newspapers on September 15, 2026, reaching audiences nationwide.

“It's fine for you to set a boundary with Jac by telling him that you are proud of him for getting clean but that there are still issues between you that you need to work out before you can fully come back into his life.”

R. Eric Thomas, Advice columnist · Denver Post ↗ · Sep 14

R. Eric ThomasR. Eric Thomas Advice columnistJac (pseudonym) Letter subject—recovering addict

R. Eric Thomas advice column syndicated across U.S. outlets
Mercury News

How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articles

Peak 5 pieces in 3h at Sep 15, 2 AM; 6 pieces over 10 days (6 articles) Sep 15, 2 AM — 5 pieces · 5 articles — Newswires 5Sep 15, 5 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 15, 8 AM — quietSep 15, 11 AM — quietSep 15, 2 PM — quietSep 15, 5 PM — quietSep 15, 8 PM — quietSep 15, 11 PM — quietSep 16, 2 AM — quietSep 16, 5 AM — quietSep 16, 8 AM — quietSep 16, 11 AM — quietSep 16, 2 PM — quietSep 16, 5 PM — quietSep 16, 8 PM — quietSep 16, 11 PM — quietSep 17, 2 AM — quietSep 17, 5 AM — quietSep 17, 8 AM — quietSep 17, 11 AM — quietSep 17, 2 PM — quietSep 17, 5 PM — quietSep 17, 8 PM — quietSep 17, 11 PM — quietSep 18, 2 AM — quietSep 18, 5 AM — quietSep 18, 8 AM — quietSep 18, 11 AM — quietSep 18, 2 PM — quietSep 18, 5 PM — quietSep 18, 8 PM — quietSep 18, 11 PM — quietSep 19, 2 AM — quietSep 19, 5 AM — quietSep 19, 8 AM — quietSep 19, 11 AM — quietSep 19, 2 PM — quietSep 19, 5 PM — quietSep 19, 8 PM — quietSep 19, 11 PM — quietSep 20, 2 AM — quietSep 20, 5 AM — quietSep 20, 8 AM — quietSep 20, 11 AM — quietSep 20, 2 PM — quietSep 20, 5 PM — quietSep 20, 8 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — quietSep 21, 2 AM — quietSep 21, 5 AM — quietSep 21, 8 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietSep 23, 2 AM — quietSep 23, 5 AM — quietSep 23, 8 AM — quietSep 23, 11 AM — quietSep 23, 2 PM — quietSep 23, 5 PM — quietSep 23, 8 PM — quietSep 23, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 5 AM — quiet 1–3
Sep 16Sep 17Sep 18Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22Sep 23now · 7:08 AM ET
  1. 3

    Mercury News publishes column with expanded discussion of boundaries and recovery

    Mercury News publishes the full column including Thomas's recommendation that the reader set boundaries by expressing pride in the friend's sobriety while maintaining distance until amends are made, and noting that responsibility for change rests with the friend and his sponsor, not his friends.

    “It's not your or your other friends' responsibility to hold a friend-tervention of sorts. He needs to work on these challenges and shortcomings with his sponsor.”
    — R. Eric Thomas
  2. 2

    Column syndicated across regional outlets including Cleveland.com, AL.com, MassLive, NJ.com

    The same advice column is republished across multiple regional U.S. newspapers on the same morning, reaching audiences in Ohio, Alabama, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.

  3. 1

    R. Eric Thomas column on recovery and friendship boundaries published

    The Denver Post publishes an advice column from R. Eric Thomas addressing a reader concerned about a friend named "Jac" who completed inpatient rehabilitation for a 20-year drug addiction but continues to hurt others and blame them for his shortcomings. The reader identifies this pattern as "dry drunk" behavior—remaining sober physically while maintaining active addiction behaviors.

    “After 20 years of active addiction, it may take more than a year for Jac to put his life back together or to look at his behavior and his circumstances with true clarity.”
    — R. Eric Thomas
    1. 1 outlet Asking Eric: Newly sober friend won’t make amends

      first by Denver Post, 10d ago

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 1 outlet Asking Eric: Friend working sobriety program still behaves like he's addicted

    first by NJ.com, 10d ago

    1 more headline

and 3 smaller pieces