Will's Story
Will House
Get ready to be inspired by Will House, the mind behind Oberit – a revolutionary incentive-based app designed to help people conquer addiction and enhance their well-being. Since its launch in 2021, Oberit has already attracted over 34,000 users to take charge of their lives, and its popularity is on the rise.
Will brings to the table a rich experience in the tech world, having collaborated with both major corporations and agile startups. He has traversed the world and now calls sunny California home, sharing it with his loving partner, their canine companion, and two rescued feline friends.
Earlier this year, Will crossed paths with our founder, Beth, and he was instantly drawn to Sobar's vision. United by their common goal of raising awareness about healthy alternatives, Will instantly recognized the potential of Sobar and expressed his enthusiasm, acknowledging the immense need to raise awareness for resources like Oberit that can transform lives and make a difference in the world “There is a big need out there for awareness of alternatives… that's what [Oberit] is all about.”
From an early age, he was immersed in a culture of drinking and quickly learned that it was the norm. As adolescence ebbed into adulthood, his habits changed and the focus shifted to nights out, excessive drinking and riskier behaviors. Years later into his mid 30’s, he was drinking from a place of desperation, not for fun. It was a gradual downward spiral and he tried drinking more to get out of it. This lifestyle gradually took its toll on his mental health “Drinking took me down to the ground. Unfortunately, it usually takes getting beyond that point of total rock bottom, sometimes more than once.”
In pursuing recovery, Will tried a variety of methods - rehab and Alcoholics Anonymous - but what he found worked best for him were “micro-habits,” consistent daily actions. He was asked to participate in a neuroscience-based program where he tracked his daily actions, like sleep, eating, and exercise. The program emphasized the importance of developing a growth mindset by setting daily intentions such as gratitude, affirmations, and priorities. When he stopped drinking, everything improved but these approaches helped him understand his patterns so he could build the resilience required for long-term recovery. The key for him was “doing things consistently even when you don’t want to. By attaching incentives to daily actions, recovery becomes rewarding.” This was the inspiration for Oberit, to have that incentive to take consistent action.
As to where he is in recovery today, “I have a mindful attitude about it – especially with sleep, it’s the one area I’m always looking at and working to improve.”
With almost 1,000 days of sobriety under his belt, I asked him about what life was like without alcohol. “You start to realize very quickly what you can accomplish and how much more productive and helpful you can be when you spend your time not chasing that next drink.” He focuses his time now on being a better and more productive person. He shares with others that are early in their recovery and still craving “just one drink”, to first ask themselves “what is the cost of taking that drink? Is it worth destroying my life over?” And if that doesn’t work, grab a NA Beer!
His other advice to the newly recovered is a reminder “You're not a bad person. You don’t have a disease … You can overcome this adversity and become your best self.” He urges people to recognize that everyone is struggling in one way or another and everyone has a different way of coming to recovery. “If substances are the way you cope, there is a better way.” But no matter what way you choose, Oberit is proof that consistent healthy habits lead to big results.
To learn more, please visit Oberit!