Recovery Elevator

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RE 149: Facts About Alcohol Dec 25, 2017

Show notes

Today we have Makenzee, with 13 days since her last drink.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

Facts about Alcohol: Less than 20% of people with alcohol abuse disorders actually seek treatment for their disease. Excessive alcohol consumption costs the U.S. economy an estimated 250 billion dollars in lost productivity according to a study from 2010. Alcoholic's Anonymous success rates vary depending on the source.

SHOW NOTES

[12:05] Paul Introduces Makenzee. I am from Boise Idaho. I am 23 years old and I work in the emergency department at the hospital. I love crafting, and fitness and nutrition. I got married 9 months ago.

[13:15] Paul- When did you first realize you had a problem with alcohol?

Makenzee- I had a constant build up of sickness and hangovers on my days off. I started to realize that my hobbies didn't exist anymore. I wasn't really present in the moment. It was miserable.

[16:57] Paul- 13 days ago, did you have a rock bottom moment? Tell us why you quit drinking.

Makenzee- It was hard to say one specific thing happened. I was excruciatingly hung-over 13 days ago. It lasted about two and half days. I was going through some physical withdrawals.

[25:22] Paul- Let's back up to Day 1,2, 3, 4, 5, how have you gotten this far?

Makenzee- Days 1,2,3,4,5 were… I'm not going to sugar coat it, absolute hell. My body was physically aching. I had a hard time wrapping my head around the situation. Yesterday was the first day I did not feel miserable. It was very difficult the first few days.

[31:36] Paul- What have you learned most about yourself over these past 13 days?

Makenzee- I'm actually a good person. I beat myself up a lot. I realized everyone is not going to like me. But I like me, and I am comfortable in my own skin.

[36:52] Rapid Fire Round

What was your worst memory from drinking? Blacking out after my husband face timed me from overseas, and not remembering talking to him.
Did you ever have an "oh-shit" moment? Waking up after our wedding night and not remembering the last half of it.
What's your favorite resource in recovery? Café RE, and self-care.
What's the best advice you've ever received (on sobriety)? Facing it is the only way to overcome it.
What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? Rip it off like a Band-Aid. It's terrifying; it hurts like hell, but just do it. Your life will flourish.
You might be an alcoholic if... you buy a plane ticket to Vegas instead of paying for a lawyer for your DUI.

Resources:

Sobriety Tracker iTunes

Sobriety Tracker Android

Sober Selfies! - Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to info@recoveryelevator.com

"We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!"

RE 148: The Perfect Storm for Alcoholism Dec 18, 2017

Show notes

Today we have Randy, with 49 days since his last drink.

SHOW NOTES

[2:53] Paul Introduces Randy. I was born and raised in Casper Wyoming. I went to school in Colorado, and worked there for a few years. Music has been a part of my life since I was very young. I like to read, play music, take my dog on walks. My passion revolves around my music.

Randy tells his story in detail to Paul, and explains his journey up to this point.

[41:59] Rapid Fire Round

What was your worst memory from drinking? Waking up in that Hospital in ICU.
Did you ever have an "oh-shit" moment? My first detox.
What's your favorite resource in recovery? Out of the Wreck I Rise" – by Neil Steinberg
What's the best advice you've ever received (on sobriety)? It starts with you.
What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? If you are even questioning it, odds are you should try to stop it before it gets worse. It is an awful disease.
You might be an alcoholic if... I'm on my deathbed with an expired liver, and still have the energy to go to the bar.

Resources:

Out of the Wreck I Rise- Neil Steinberg

Sobriety Tracker iTunes

Sobriety Tracker Android

Sober Selfies! - Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to info@recoveryelevator.com

"We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!"

RE 147: Is Alcoholism a Disease, a Habit, or Voluntary? Dec 11, 2017

Show notes

Today we have Greg, with 361 days since his last drink.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

The 3 basic camps of addiction can be broken into the following categories:

The prevailing wisdom today is that addiction is a disease. This is the main line of the medical model of mental disorders with which the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is aligned: addiction is a chronic and relapsing brain disease in which alcohol use becomes involuntary despite its negative consequences.

The idea here is, roughly, that addiction is a disease because alcohol use changes the brain and, as a result of these changes, alcohol use becomes compulsive, beyond the voluntary control of the user. In other words, drinker has no choice and his behavior is resistant to long term change.

Marc Lewis' "The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction is Not a Disease", has stirred controversy among addicts, their families, addiction researchers, and treatment providers. Lewis claims that the scientific facts don't support the disease model of addiction. Rather, addiction, like romantic love and other emotionally loaded habits, develops through accelerated learning. Combining scientific views with intimate biographies of addicts who recovered, the book also shows how addiction can be overcome, through self-directed change in one's goals and perspectives.
Drawing on psychiatric epidemiology, addicts' autobiographies, treatment studies, and advances in behavioral economics, Heyman makes a powerful case that addiction is voluntary. He shows that drug use, like all choices, is influenced by preferences and goals. But just as there are successful dieters, there are successful ex-addicts. In fact, addiction is the psychiatric disorder with the highest rate of recovery. But what ends an addiction?

At the heart of Heyman's analysis is a startling view of choice and motivation that applies to all choices, not just the choice to use drugs. The conditions that promote quitting a drug addiction include new information, cultural values, and, of course, the costs and benefits of further drug use. Most of us avoid becoming drug dependent, not because we are especially rational, but because we loathe the idea of being an addict.

SHOW NOTES

[13:45] Paul Introduces Greg. I'm 54 years old, I live In Las Vegas, I'm an attorney, and working in HR currently. I have been married for 26 years, and have 2 daughters aged 22 and 18. I love being outdoors.

[18:59] Paul- Can you describe your rock bottom moment?

Greg- The summer of 2016 I played on a work Softball League. We won the championship. I had a party at my house to celebrate. I drank way too much, I blacked out, we ended up doing shots of tequila. It was a bad scene. The next morning it was the lowest I had felt in my life. It was ruining my relationships.

[26:43] Paul- When you came out, how liberating was that feeling?

Greg- It was awesome. I felt like I had taken a huge first step. I admitted to myself I had a problem. It was liberating. I have expanded my accountability network.

[37:01] Paul- You look at it like an opportunity and not a sacrifice. Comment more on that.

Greg- It is really a celebration. There were times in the past when I tried to give up drinking. With that mentality it didn't work. I have gained peace and happiness, and joy and serenity. I really look at recovery as something that I have been given. I am going to make the most of it every single day.

[41:18] Rapid Fire Round

What was your worst memory from drinking? It was definitely waking up the morning after the softball party. That was the low point from there, I started heading back up.
Did you ever have an "oh-shit" moment? There was a time a few years ago when one of my kids had an event during one of my drinking nights. I thought it is kind of twisted thinking for getting upset I was going to have to spend time with my family because it would interfere with my drinking.
What's your plan moving forward? Doing this podcast has been great. One day at a time. I'm going to continue to go to Celebrate Recovery.

What's the best advice you've ever received (on sobriety)? Focus on the similarities, not the differences.

What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? If you think you might have a problem, reach out to one other person you trust.
You might be an alcoholic if...you are nick named after a drink.

Resources:

"Beyond the Influence" - Katherine Ketcham

Gene Heyman "Addiction: A Disorder of Choice"

Marc Lewis "Biology Of Desire"

Article: "Is Addiction a Disease?"

Sobriety Tracker iTunes

Sobriety Tracker Android

Sober Selfies! - Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to info@recoveryelevator.com

"We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!"

RE 146: We Came to Believe Dec 04, 2017

Show notes

Today we have Mike, with 86 days his last drink.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

Paul discusses Step 2 from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous: We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

SHOW NOTES

[11:31] Paul Introduces Mike. I live in Vermont; I'm 33 years old. I work as a social worker; I hang out with my wife, my 12-year-old son, and play video games.

[16:50] Paul- Describe the progression, coupled with Father time, hangovers are getting worse and worse, talk about that progression.

Mike- Yeah, I would buy those little boxes of wine, then I would just buy the bottle, and the bottle would be gone. It felt like I was in quicksand, when you are running in sand and can't get any traction.

[20:21] Paul- It's tough to get 86 days of sobriety, how did you do it?

Mike- Listening to the Recover Elevator was huge. I felt like I was in the contemplation stage. I've been thinking about quitting for years. Listening to Recovery Elevator is what really helped motivate me jump right in. I listen to "This Naked Mind" on audio book and really tried to "brainwash" myself, and felt like it worked.

[28:12] Paul- What advice would you give to your younger self? If you could go back to your 16-year-old self, what would you say?

Mike- I would like to go to my 15-year-old self and smack the beer out of my hand. I disagree with the stance that some people can drink normally. Don't be ashamed that it's hard.

[35:29] Rapid Fire Round

What was your worst memory from drinking? The day after St. Patrick's Day party trying to piece together what happened.
Did you ever have an "oh-shit" moment? I had a lot of times, the most recent time I drank, I had the house to myself and just laying there by myself.

What's your favorite resource in recovery? "This Naked Mind" by Annie Grace
What's the best advice you've ever received (on sobriety)? Alcohol is shit. It resonated with my bodies' reaction to alcohol.
What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? When we are in the contemplation stage of am I an alcoholic or not. The real problem is alcohol is an addictive poison, and anyone can become addicted to alcohol.
You might be an alcoholic if... you go to St. Patrick's day party, spill red wine on the rug, you put your arm around another woman, and rub her back while standing with your wife, and you black, the last thing you remember is raising both fists to the sky and yelling "I'm the king of the world"

Resources:

Alcoholics Anonymous "Big Book"

"This Naked Mind" by Annie Grace

Sobriety Tracker iTunes

Sobriety Tracker Android

Sober Selfies! - Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to info@recoveryelevator.com

"We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!"

RE 145: Four Strategies to Utilize in Social Situations Nov 27, 2017

Show notes

Today we have Neal, with 20 months since his last drink.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

These 4 Strategies will help us get through any social situation. Will power can only last us so long.

Accountability
Play the tape forward
Always have an exit strategy
Stop and think. Alcohol is a poison.

SHOW NOTES

[8:20] Paul Introduces Neal. I am in my late 50's. I have 2 boys, 2 grandchildren. I do maintenance work, I like to go camping and spend time with our granddaughter who lives with us.

[11:50] Paul- In 1990, was your wife leaving you what got you sober?

Neal- Yes. I was driving a taxi in Seattle at that time. The AA world convention came to town. It was a huge emotional relief. I cried throughout the whole event.

[16:06] Paul- Let's back it up to 2008 when you took that first drink after 18 years of sobriety. Can you walk us through that?

Neal- The pressures, and there were times I would tell my wife to bring home a 6 pack of beer. One day she finally did. It took 6 months for me to ramp up to where I was after that.

[25:04] Paul- Curiosity is killing the cat, what was the reason?

Neal- I had to go on Antabuse in November of 2015. I had to go to the pharmacy and take the white pill. Antabuse and alcohol do not mix.

[29:43] Paul- With nearly 20 years of sobriety logged, do you still get cravings, and if you do still get them, what do you do?

Neal- I don't get any cravings. Like I said, on that day when I read the obsession, the cravings, it was all lifted, it's gone. I try to remain calm. Step back and take a deep breath. I try to reflect how they affect me.

[33:34] Rapid Fire Round

What was your worst memory from drinking? I was at a former employers business and I asked my wife to come down to give me a ride home, she came down, and brought somebody else with her and I flew off the handle and was yelling and screaming, and they called the cops. I wouldn't come out, they couldn't come in. I finally came out, but it was scary.
Did you ever have an "oh-shit" moment? It was the last week of my drinking. I laid in bed, and called in sick everyday.
What's your plan moving forward? To keep connected with AA. Keep going on, and enjoying my 2 grandchildren.
What's your favorite resource in recovery? I have to say Podcasts. I work alone a lot. I listen to 10's of 100's of hours of podcasts.
What's the best advice you've ever received (on sobriety)? Go to meetings, stay connected.
What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? One day at a time.
You might be an alcoholic if... when you are opening that bottle to take a swig, at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, or 5:00 in the morning just to get another 45 minutes or hour of sleep.

Resources:

Sobriety Tracker iTunes

Sobriety Tracker Android

Sober Selfies! - Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to info@recoveryelevator.com

"We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!"

RE 144: Gratitude is Key in Sobriety Nov 20, 2017

Show notes

Today we have Dan, with 66 days since his last drink.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." – Cynthia Ozick

What is gratitude, and how can this help us get and stay sober? Service and Gratitude go hand in hand.

Here's Paul's Holiday challenge:

Write 10 things you are grateful for 10 days in a row. Be thankful for something you totally have taken for granted your entire life. After 10 days when you have 100 items listed, review the list, and look for reoccurring themes. Email your completed lists to Paul@recoveryelevator.com

SHOW NOTES

[8:10] Paul Introduces Dan. I live a town called Guildford, about 30 minutes outside of London, I have 2 boys named Sebastian and Felix who are 4 and 7 years old, I live with my girlfriend, together we have 4 kids under the age of 9. For fun I enjoy working out, going to the gym, swimming, and desperately trying to learn to play guitar. I work in primary schools, and I deliver health and fitness workshops.

[15:58] Paul- 66 days ago, was this your first attempt at quitting drinking?

Dan- In all honesty, this is my very first attempt at stopping drinking. One time 10 years ago, I quit drinking for January and February. I don't want to spend the money; I don't want to feel crap. I want to set the example for my children growing up.

[23:00] Paul- Earlier you said you look at sobriety like a challenge, are you looking at this as an incredible opportunity?

Dan- Yeah, I am. After reading Alan Carr's book, and Annie Grace's book, it just puts things in perspective. You never used to have to have to have a bottle wine or beer to have fun, or enjoy yourself. The way I sleep the past couple of months. You feel so much better the way you start your day.

[28:02] Paul- What's on your bucket list in sobriety?

Dan- At this point in time I really want to focus on my business, and my work. I would really love to do something on YouTube, or something that is focused on the positive of giving up alcohol.

[33:43] Rapid Fire Round

What was your worst memory from drinking? Waking up on Christmas morning and clearing up the mess I made outside from getting sick on the way home on Christmas Eve.
Did you ever have an "oh-shit" moment? I had 1 beer after playing golf. My cousin asked me if I wanted another, and that moment where I realized I was driving, and knew 1 more beer would put me over the limit.

What's your favorite resource in recovery? I enjoy reading, and listening to podcasts.
What's the best advice you've ever received (on sobriety)? Alcohol is shit, that's it.
What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? From day 1 start to focus on it as a challenge, and the benefits of it. Don't focus on what you are giving up. Don't focus on how hard anything is going to be. Focus on the benefits of giving it up, and how it's going to make your life better.
You might be an alcoholic if... you drink for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Not a celebration, not a sporting event, not a birth, not a wedding, if you sit there and drink at night watching crap TV, and you're drinking a bottle of red wine. You might need to have a little think.

Resources:

"This Naked Mind" - Annie Grace

Allen Carr's Easy Way

Sober Grid

Sobriety Tracker iTunes

Sobriety Tracker Android

Sober Selfies! - Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to info@recoveryelevator.com

"We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!"

RE 143: The Reverse Intervention Nov 13, 2017

Show notes

Today we have Amy, with 11 years since her last drink.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

Paul discusses reverse interventions. They, "normal drinkers" don't get it. How can we expect normal drinkers to understand what we are going through? What do you need to cover in a reverse intervention? Let them know this isn't easy for you. Having the real conversation and being vulnerable. Lay out your game plan. Accountability is key.

SHOW NOTES

[11:40] Paul Introduces Amy. I'm 54, a Midwestern housewife. I have two grown sons, and husband of 34 years. What I do for fun has changed quite a bit over the years. I enjoy recovery, and spending time with my 4 dogs.

[23:35] Paul- You said when you finally discovered you had alcoholism, you started to recover. What is your definition of alcoholism?

Amy- My last drunk I ended up hospitalized. I didn't believe you could drink enough to kill yourself. But I came real close. My husband found me, and got me to the hospital, or I would have died from alcohol poisoning. My doctor told me I had alcoholism. They handed me a meeting list, and I immediately started going to 12 step meetings. I finally felt like I landed on the planet I belonged in that I was seeking for 43 years.

[27:02] Paul- What did it feel like when you finally found your herd, you found your tribe?

Amy- It so radically changed my life. My husband calls me his second wife without the paperwork. I didn't interact with society. I now seek out social situations. I have more friends than I can handle.

[33:25] Paul- Amy you mentioned something earlier you said "Give up the mind fight." Tell us more what it meant for you to give up the mind fight.

Amy- When I heard a man say two things. I knew it was true. I can drink; I can drink with the best of them. I can't say I can drink safely. The other one I heard was once I take the first drink; I have no control over my decisions, or where it will take me next.

[43:33] Rapid Fire Round

What was your worst memory from drinking? Driving my children and neighbor kids to Great America and home in a blackout. It is over an hour on major highways from our home.
Did you ever have an "oh-shit" moment? Second pregnancy, the day I brought him home, I wanted one glass of wine. I got really drunk, and when I woke up, there was a newborn in the house.

What's your favorite resource in recovery? 12 step meetings, personal relationships, and doing things like this out of my comfort zone.
What's the best advice you've ever received (on sobriety)? Just try; cause you can always go back to hell. Hell doesn't close its door.
What's your plan in sobriety moving forward? I don't have a plan. That's one of the best things about sobriety. I wake up and go OKAY.
What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? The only thing I can say, is come join us. It's a wonderful thing. Everything I was trying to get from alcohol I have gotten 10 fold in sobriety. All is 10 times better in sobriety.
You might be an alcoholic if... you wake up five years married thinking, "Did I really do that?"

Resources:

Brenaim1@yahoo.com (Amy's email)

Sobriety Tracker iTunes

Sobriety Tracker Android

Sober Selfies! - Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to info@recoveryelevator.com

"We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!"

RE 142: We Were Powerless Over Alcohol Nov 06, 2017

Show notes

Today we have David, with 46 days since his last drink.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

Paul discusses Step One: " We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable." from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.

SHOW NOTES

[10:20] Paul Introduces David. I'm a dad of 2 great boys aged 11, and 7. We live in Atlanta. I work at a software firm. I have been there for quite some time. I'm 42, and divorced. For fun there is a lot of baseball, I help coach basketball. Both my boys are in scouts. I love to play and collect guitars.

[12:52] Paul- When did you realize that perhaps you didn't drink normal?

David- I have several memories of self-questioning my drinking habits going back a decade. I have milestones in my life I questioned my drinking.

[29:02] Paul- You are identifying yourself as a non-drinker. Have you experienced a different case of the F-its like I have 3 years of sobriety, F-it, I might as well keep moving forward?

David- I love this concept, I have not felt this feeling of you have come this far, you might as well keep going. I feel like that day is going to come. You have to be hopeful for the future. I am doing this. You have to balance that with healthy caution around relapse. I can be proud, I can be hopeful, but I have to be cautious.

[34:28] Paul- I know from the retreat you met a lot of people who have the same life goal, how has that affected you moving forward?

David- I described it when I started this journey. I didn't have any tools. I had no institutional knowledge of what I was getting myself into. It was through your podcast I was introduced to AA in a meaningful way. What I learned from the retreat is that this is something where community helps.

[39:23] Rapid Fire Round

What was your worst memory from drinking? You can insert any viscous hangover here. Missing a flight out of Vegas after a night of tearing it up. Head throbbing, and having to rearrange flights and childcare back in Atlanta while my head was throbbing.
Did you ever have an "oh-shit" moment? When I figured out that the unit of measure was no longer 2 beers, it was a six-pack. No longer 3 glasses of wine, it was the entire bottle.
What's your plan moving forward? My number one internal dialogue is that I am no longer like that. I am no longer that person. It is almost a chant I give myself daily. I'm plugging back in with my therapist.
What's the best advice you've ever received (on sobriety)? While you're working on your sobriety, your addiction is doing pushups.
What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? Your litmus test is if you have you every asked yourself if you have a problem with alcohol, that is the test. I know I did that hundreds of times over a decade. Sick and tired of being sick and tired. The management of chaos we all endure as we introduce chaos into our evening routine.
You might be an alcoholic if your favorite drink is "lots of it"

Resources:

Alcoholics Anonymous- Big Book

Sobriety Tracker iTunes

Sober Selfies! - Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to info@recoveryelevator.com

"We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!"

RE 141: Alcohol and "Hanxiety" Oct 30, 2017

Show notes

Today we have Aaron, with 16 days since his last drink.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

Anxiety as it relates to drinking is discussed. Alcohol suppresses the nervous system. It is a depressant. If we depress the nerves for long periods through binge drinking, our body reacts once the alcohol is gone by releasing adrenaline to compensate. This gives us severe anxiety in return. Which totally unbearable, and creates a fear that grabs you right in the chest.

SHOW NOTES

[11:12] Paul Introduces Aaron. I'm 38; I live in Albuquerque NM, I work at a print shop. I'm separated, I used to like to fish, and want to get back into that. I like to be out in nature. I have a miniature pincher named Packer.

[13:29] Paul- How is it different this time? Explain that feeling that something clicked.

Aaron- My body was telling me with the anxiety and the insomnia. It wasn't fun anymore. I was drinking miniatures while I was at work, and tried to hide all the time. Tired of being tired. I'm 38 years old, the party is over already.

[26:13] Paul- Talk about your experience with Opioids.

Aaron- I started off with the pills. Hydrocodone etc. Then I started doing oxy, and for a few years I was doing that. I was going through withdrawals because I couldn't get them. I started going to the clinic and got on methadone.

[30:28] Paul- 16 days ago you were sick and tired of being sick and tired. What happened, and how did you do it?

Aaron- I started downloading and listening to podcasts. I was trying to figure out what this was, and how to stop. I jumped into it with both feet. I went through the tough first few days of detox. I stopped doing things that were triggering me.

[37:00] Rapid Fire Round

What was your worst memory from drinking? Waking up in a Virginia jail, and couldn't bond out because I was considered a flight risk.
Did you ever have an "oh-shit" moment? The time I was in San Diego and hit that show and ended up in jail in another state.
What's your plan moving forward? I'm going to hit the podcast circuit. I'm going to create a program that will work for me.

What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? Stop beating yourself up. Don't try to think ahead too far.

You might be an alcoholic if get pulled over in your work car going the wrong direction down a one way road and you didn't know until you read the police report the next day.

Resources:

Anatomy of an Epidemic- By Robert Whitaker

Sobriety Tracker iTunes

Sobriety Tracker Android

Sober Selfies! - Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to info@recoveryelevator.com

"We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!"

RE 140: Those Uncomfortable Feelings Serve a Purpose Oct 23, 2017

Show notes

Today we have Heather, with 269 days since her last drink.

Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.

Paul discusses anxiety and depression as interpreted through an episode of the Dharmapunx Podcast.

SHOW NOTES

[10:50] Paul Introduces Heather. I'm 37; I live in Los Angeles, CA. I've been here for about 7 years. I grew up in south Texas. I work for a small cable network. I love yoga, hiking, going to the movies. I have an identical twin sister.

[16:04] Paul- When did you realize perhaps that you don't drink normally?

Heather- I think its been varying stages of that. Moving from Texas to New York was an adjustment. I got a job in a bar, and that was my life.

[25:54] Paul- What was the impetus that really forced you to make that jump into sobriety?

Heather- I had been reading "A Happier Hour" and the light bulb went off when I was reading that book. I was also reading a blog from tired of thinking about drinking. I started a 100-day challenge.

[35:02] Paul- When did AA come into the picture?

Heather- I am still going. I am kind of afraid of the steps. Around day 60 or 70 I was feeling lonely about talking about it, and I was afraid to go. I put it out there, and things happened.

[40:28] Rapid Fire Round

What was your worst memory from drinking? One of my best friends husbands passed away. Her father didn't want any of us to be drinking, and I drank anyway. I should have not drank, but I had to.
Did you ever have an "oh-shit" moment? One of the last conversations I had with my boyfriend when he said it will be okay and we will both stop. But if we break up, I'm fine, and I can continue to drink.
What's your plan moving forward? When I started the 100-day challenge, I want to keep clarity. I'm going to work the steps, and go to more meetings, and build more of a sober community here.
What's your favorite resource in recovery? Recovery Elevator, and a speaker meeting I attend in LA.

What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? What you gain is so much more than you are giving up.
You might be an alcoholic if you know your boyfriend is, and you decided to move in with him after 9 months, and you still don't think you have a problem.

Resources:

Dharmapunx Podcast Link

Tired of Thinking About Drinking

A Happier Hour- By Rebecca Weller

Sobriety Tracker iTunes

Sobriety Tracker Android

Sober Selfies! - Send your Sober Selfie and your Success Story to info@recoveryelevator.com

"We took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!"