Many individuals new to recovery believe that a future without their “crutch” will be a miserable and depressing existence. Yes, they are happy to end the cycle of addiction they were stuck in, but they have an ingrained fear that their lives will be glum and boring without their “old buddy” alcohol or their “friend” mister pill, which they have grown so accustomed to and relied on; and if recovering people aren’t shown how to enjoy life without these substances, their worst fears come to fruition.

The Crisis We Face

For the first time in U.S. history, Americans are more likely to die from an accidental opioid overdose than from a motor vehicle crash.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin, is a leading cause of this crisis. In 2022, more than 81,000 opioid-related deaths occurred, with fentanyl playing a dominant and devastating role.

In Texas, the fentanyl epidemic has hit hard. Recent data shows that fentanyl-related deaths across the state have risen sharply. In Austin, the impact is particularly severe, with local health officials reporting a significant rise in fentanyl-related deaths in recent years. The victims are often young, and many lose their lives after a period of abstinence, underscoring the critical need for ongoing support in recovery.

A critical factor contributing to these tragedies is the lack of support for individuals transitioning from treatment to everyday life. While many receive guidance on how to cease substance use, they often lack the resources to rediscover joy and fulfillment without drugs or alcohol. This gap can lead to feelings of depression, isolation, and anxiety, increasing the risk of relapse, overdose, and death.

Their lives are glum, they wind up merely existing rather than thriving, and it isn’t long before they turn back to their old habits and old ways of “feeling good.”

Our mission

The mission of NOT A GLUM LOT is to provide opportunities for growth to addicts and alcoholics who are new to recovery and to teach them that joy and happiness are possible in sobriety; thereby reducing relapse, overdose, and death by overdose.

We Provide

Fun activities for addicts who are new to recovery, helping them understand that joy and happiness are possible in sobriety.

We Work

Every day to offer exhilarating and accessible events to people in recovery, literally saving lives by illuminating a world of fulfillment outside of addiction.

Our goal

To reduce the alarming rate of relapse, poisoning, overdose, and death among addicts and alcoholics who are new to recovery in Central Texas.

Our Impact

Our Team

Not a Glum Lot is led by a volunteer Board of Directors, 100% of whom are Recovering addicts.

The board is instrumental in planning and running NGL’s events, shifting responsibilities each month for tasks such as venue registrations and logistics, recruitment within the Austin recovery community, and soliciting in-kind donations and event sponsorships.

With effective collaborative partnerships with sober homes, treatment centers, and sobriety groups, the NGL board organizes safe, exciting, and trust-building recreational activities for the recovery community that directly combat the depression, isolation, and anxiety that precede a relapse.

2025 Board of Directors