Recovery Elevator | Stop Drinking, Start Recovering. | Alcohol, Addiction & Life In Sobriety

Today we have Joel. He is 42 from Lawton, OK, and took his last drink on November 28th, 2022 Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.    [2:18] Highlights from Paul:   Boredom is a completely normal and natural emotion, one of the many all humans have. In today's world, we are were unconsciously wired to feel inadequate if we are not stimulated 24/7. But boredom is healthy and what is needed for a creative spark. Big alcohol has done a great job of convincing us that we cannot have fun without alcohol, and part of the sobriety process is finding joy or fun again – without the shit. We can learn to leverage technology and maybe start researching something that we are interested in. And everything becomes a possibility when you quit drinking. It takes our body time to find a heathier homeostasis but with time and practice, boredom becomes the invitation for us to be open to whatever wants to come our way in an alcohol-free life.     [12:

Today we have Bethany. She is 34 from Michigan and took her last drink in January of 2021. Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.    [2:15] Highlights from Kris:   Kris enjoys living in a small town where everyone helps one another, and the pace is rather consistent. He and his wife were recently on a trip to the city, and it was busier than usual which created sensory overload for Kris. He found himself in the candle section of Target taking a moment and saying the serenity prayer. It helps him shift his thinking that it's all about him and reminds him that he can exist better with others.   God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change The courage to change the things I can The wisdom to know the difference   It doesn't fix everything right away, but it assists with pausing and choosing how to react going forward.     [10:15] Kris introduces Bethany:   Bethany is 34, has two kids and a fiancé. She just graduated co

Today we have Jenny, she is 36 from Hudson, WI and took her last drink on 2/16/2020. Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.    [02:45] Intro Summary:   When Paul describes the best and worst places to be with a drinking problem, they both look a lot alike.   That realization that alcohol no longer serves us, but we can't imagine life without it can be a scary place to be. Alcohol has us right where it wants us. It may feel like part of you is dying, that feeling is grief.   But on the flip side, when we realize that alcohol no longer serves us, we can see that as an invitation to live the life we were meant to live. We are at the tipping point about to embark upon the greatest journey in our life.   We are all right where we need to be. Life will keep giving us the same lesson until we are ready to learn or make a change. By making that first jump into the unknown, you give others courage to do the same.   [10:15] Paul introduces Jenny:  

Today we have Mike, he is 59 from Newport, OR and took his last drink on 1/27/2022. Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.    Thank you Café RE chat hosts!  You do an amazing job!   [01:34] Highlights from Paul:   When quitting drinking, the thinking mind creates 99 problems or obstacles, but what to drink when we ditch the booze shouldn't be one of them. Exploring AF beverages in recovery should be fun.   Paul gives us the three key pillars (the drink, the temperature, and the glass/cup) along with many great tips on combining these elements to make the perfect AF drink.   [10:31] Kris introduces Mike:   Mike has been sober for 323 days at the time of recording. He lives on the Oregon coast and after leaving the restaurant business three years ago, he now manages a deli. He enjoys writing and walking on the beach which he lives very close to.   Mike started working in the restaurant business as a cook at the age of 15-16 years old. He say

Today we have Jorie, she is 31, from Westford, VT and took her last drink on 9/19/2020 Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.  [02:01] Highlights from Paul:   We hear a lot about dopamine in recovery.  All humans have dopamine, but our dopamine systems all work differently.  It is the chemical that drives us eat, find warmth, shelter, find a mate and is also known as the pleasure molecule.   Living in a world of abundance rather than scarcity finds us with an overwhelming number of dopamine-triggering stimuli for nearly all of us in one way or another.  Many of us reached the point in our drinking where we no longer drank to feel good but drank just to feel normal.  This is all tied to dopamine and how it is processed by the body.  Dopamine is important to keep us going, but we must find healthier ways to get it.   Check out the book Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke, it is a great read on the topic.   [09:14] introduces Jorie:   Jorie is 31

Today we have Emily, she is 44, from Phoenix, AZ and took her last drink on March 10th, 2019 Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.    [02:34] Paul's thoughts:   Paul doesn't make many promises on this podcast but feels he can 100% positively tell us that we will never regret not drinking.  You won't regret the extra $20 you save; the planet won't regret the gallons of water not used after "breaking the seal" or the trash drinking creates. Your family will never regret you not drinking. Your pets, your plants, your job, your community. Your hobbies, and your goals as well as any one of the 70 trillion cells in your body will not regret you not drinking.   It takes bravery and courage to take this path but listeners, you will not regret ditching the booze. You can do this.     [08:30] Kris introduces Emily:   Emily has been sober for almost 4 years. She lives in Phoenix AZ with her husband, two daughters and two cats. She currently works in

Today we have Matt who is from Atlanta and took his last drink on November 15th, 2022. Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.    [02:35] Thoughts from Kris:   Turning 40 found him thinking more about longevity and being able to be healthy later in life. He has struggled with his physical health the past few years but gave himself a pass because his mental and spiritual health was more important at the time. Now, five years later and several stops and starts, he realizes he needs to treat his nutrition and physical health goals like another form of recovery. Much like sobriety, he felt he shouldn't do it alone and reached out to a friend in the health and wellness world and asked for help. Together they set some small, attainable goals rather than a strict daily routine bound for failure.   He talks about the virtues of "grit" "grace" and "gratitude" and their relation to our recovery.   [10:21] Paul introduces Matt   Matt has 31 days at th

Today we have Brad who is 35 from Fort Wayne, IN and took his last drink on 8/31/2018     [3:19] Highlights from Paul:   Human beings are wired for connection, we need it to survive. It's up on the list with food, clean water, and shelter.  Paul shares several statistics surrounding chronic disorders with the biggest one being mental disorders and loneliness. Loneliness has been compared to smoking in how it affects our bodies and is considered to be unhealthier than inactivity or obesity. Our addictions are symptoms of our disconnection.   Are we doomed?  Paul says no. There is a remedy - get connected!   The ability to connect is a skill that we acquire naturally as kids/young adults but connecting later in life isn't as easy.  Here are some steps to help with connecting: #1 – leverage your decision to quit drinking #2 – Connect - Go to AA, join Café RE, meet with other sober people   Connection isn't always human to human.  Animals can help too.  Paul credits Ben in saving him and helping him get sober.  W

Today we have Lisa who is 65 from Atlanta, GA took her last drink on 11/17/2022.   Highlights from Paul:   Paul didn't understand a fellow AA member's references to being a "grateful alcoholic".  Only after getting to know Jim, did he understand what they meant. It took a few years for Paul to get to that point to be grateful for his addiction.    He reflects that our addictions are signposts trying to guide us to a more authentic life and that there are no such things as failures. They are learning opportunities and we should never give up.  We should trust the process of healing from the addictions, and we can all become grateful for the role that alcohol has played in our lives.   [00:00] Paul introduces Lisa   Her last drink was November 17, 2022 - a little over three weeks from the time of this recording.  She says it feels wonderful, relieving, liberating, comforting, all positive things.   Lisa is 65 and lives in Atlanta area with her husband of 36 years. They have two grown children and remain close t

Today we have Justin, he's is 37 from New York, and he took his last drink on September 8th, 2020.  Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.  Highlights from Paul: Many of us have asked the question "what's the point of life?" The response is always a near derivative of love. It's safe to say that the core religions can be summarized with one teaching. The Golden Rule. The mystics recognized, we are all one, what you do to another you do to yourself and if you treat your fellow human being with respect and dignity, you in turn will experience the same.   We have learned that we cannot find the point of it all at the bottom of a bottle.  And when we hear The Golden Rule, we often think of the other person, but what about being kind to ourselves? Treat others as you'd like to be treated, but you need to treat yourself how you want to be treated. And only then, can we have a shot at learning about what this miracle we call life is all about.  

Today we have Jeremiah, he's 35 from Denver, CO and took his last drink on April 27, 2022. Highlights from Paul:   Being inauthentic creates a lot of pain which many of us have tried to address it by using alcohol.  We often choose survival over authenticity by putting our basic needs over expressing or being ourselves.  Sometimes we have to be inauthentic to fit in.   Dr. Gabor Mate's book "The Myth of Normal" says "the perceived need to be what the world demands becomes entangled with our sense of who we are and how to seek love. Inauthenticity is thereafter misidentified with survival because the two were synonymous during the formative years."   It has been studied that being inauthentic can lead to physical disease.  And Dr. Sarno has concluded that back pain is not structural but represents repressed emotions, mostly rage.   How can we be authentic?  It is a practice and a balance. There are two sides to the coin:  saying no to BS and doing more of what you enjoy.  Paul challenges us to ask ourselves wh

Today we have Bret, 42, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and he took his last drink on September 17th, 2022. Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.  Highlights from Paul:   Paul urges us to focus on the good.  There is plenty of bad news out there but ruminating on issues that don't directly affect us can be detrimental.  While suffering is part of the human condition, there is always something to be thankful for.  He says that it is on the super challenging days where our recovery work is so important.    Like Odette said in the newsletter recently - "watch our thoughts – if a thought isn't inline with your new alcohol-free life – let it go".   Author Jay Shetty in his book Think Like a Monk classifies thoughts as a seed or a weed.  If it's a weed, let it go, if it's a seed, water it and let it grow.   Manifestation is the mind's version of The Golden Rule, which is when you treat others with respect, you will gain respect back.  With your

Today we have Jeff, 48, from Joplin Missouri with 13 days of sobriety at time of recording Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.  Highlights from Paul   For the first time in this podcast, Paul speaks to Big Alcohol. Why now? We have a limited time together on each episode he has felt that discussing how to live a better life without the stuff is better use of our time.   He addresses the fact that Big Alcohol's greatest customers are the alcoholic/problem drinkers and not the "normal" drinker that has one or two beers and the rest sits in the fridge for months.  They are also responsible for perpetuating the myth that alcohol consumption is good for you.  Spoiler alert:  it's not.  The Huberman Lab Podcast has an episode that dives deep into the effects alcohol has on the brain/body. (https://hubermanlab.com/what-alcohol-does-to-your-body-brain-health)   The amount of trash that can be found on the sides of the road is about a 10/1 ratio

Today we have Nate, Eric, Beth, Hunter, and Kathy.      Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.  Highlights from Kris   Kris speaks to the many mixed messages we get about addiction. Billions of dollars are spent on alcohol advertising that lures you to believe how fun, cool, and sexy you will be if you drink, as long as you don't become one of "those people."   After Kris's first session with an addiction specialist who shared her recovery journey with Kris, he felt less alone. Kris' counselor gave him hope that there was a better way. He continued counseling, completed treatment, and found the Recovery Elevator podcast. Today he is one of the hosts.   One of the best ways to combat the stigma of addiction is to tell your story. Kris recently attended the 6th Annual Recovery Reinvented event founded by Kathryn Burgum, the first lady of North Dakota. Kris had an opportunity to hear Dr. Bruce Perry speak, who co-authored the book, "What Happ

Today we have Rachel.   She is 29, from Wisconsin, and took her last drink on September 4, 2022.   Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.    Highlights from Paul   Is there a stigma for those in recovery, or are we ahead of the pack? This past August, Paul invited Elaine Huang  mindfulness and spirituality teacher) to speak at the RE Bozeman retreat. Elaine shared with Paul that those ditching the booze are ahead of the pack. She never has to modify or simply her course content for Café RE members. Members of our group are advanced students; they are more resilient, elite, and have a greater capacity for love and a greater capacity for recovery after pain & suffering. Elaine referred to us as "old souls ."The recovery community has a greater capacity for survival, compassion, and love.    Elaine believes our population is part of the 1% of people who can achieve a higher level of consciousness, vibration, and frequency:  the frequency

Today we have Natasha.   She is 43, from Vancouver, B.C, and took her last drink on August 23, 2021.   Book:  Alcohol is Sh!t. https://www.amazon.com/Alcohol-is-Sht-Paul-Churchill-audiobook/ Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.  Highlights from Paul   Paul outlines the order of healing when we quit drinking. He describes the healing as happening in reverse order of the harm done. You can do the following:   Ditch the booze Fuel the body with healthy food and hydrate Cut down on sugar and caffeine Move (aim for 20 mins a day 3x a week) Recovery – AA, Café RE, Smart Recovery, IOP, etc.   Book:  The All-Day Energy Diet. https://amzn.to/3CmLivc   The healing process:   The body (3-12 months) Mental healing (6 months to 1.5 years) Spiritual healing                                                                                 [11:04]  Natasha has been sober for over a year.   She is in medical sales, has a son, and enjoys friends, bingo

Today we have Pat.   He is 38, from Georgia, and he took his last drink on February 22, 2022.   Events:  https://recoveryelevator.com/events Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.    Highlights from Paul   The opposite of addiction is connection. Near-death experiences often connect us to a higher power and make us question where we go after we die. In today's episode, Paul shares his views on spirituality and connecting with a higher power.   Addiction disconnects us from the external world and from within. Paul reminds us we are not alone:  we are connected to every living on the planet. Love, connection, inclusivity, and wholeness.                                                                               [13:14]  Pat got sober on 2/22/22 and planned his sobriety date as a military child who has lived in many places. He is married, loves archery, plays guitar, writes music, and sells hearing aids.      Pat began experimenting with a

Today we have Emily.   She is 34, from Cincinnati,  OH and took her last drink on Aug 27th, 2022. Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.  Highlights from Paul All emotions are created equal and you need them all equally. Here is why. In the world of duality we need opposites for defining purposes. I want to tie this into recovery one more time. Do not gauge your recovery success on your emotions. You will feel them all. Yes, do more of what you enjoy, but thank the other side of that for telling you what you don't enjoy. [11:35]  Emily is married and has 2 little boys, ages 5 and 8.  She runs a bar in downtown Cincinnati.  Emily enjoys being crafty and making stuff.    Emily doesn't remember seeing any unhealthy alcohol behavior in her home while growing up.  Emily was 13 the first time she got drunk.  20 years old and in college Emily got her first bartending job.  She met her husband working in the bar in Cincinnati and they have now b

Today we have Jen.   She is 52, from Connecticut, and took her last drink on March 10th, 2022. Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.    Highlights from Paul In episode 391, Paul asked listeners what they wanted to hear. Jeff L, with 5 years alcohol-free (That's what's up!) said he wanted to hear from past guests. Great idea Jeff as we are also curious as to where they are now.   Paul gives updates from 15 past guests. [20:30] Jen lives in Connecticut, has 2 kids (21 & 23), and just recently got a new job as a counselor at a treatment center. Jen had her 1st drink at 13 years old playing quarters, which resulted in her blacking out and being sick for 3 days. She says that was a sign of what was to come and that drinking was never fun for her. At 19 she started thinking she was an alcoholic and became a daily drinker. Jen was sober for 10 years (and then another 8 years). Those first 10 years were spent in the rooms of AA and it took 7

Today we have Nick.   He is from Vancouver, B.C, and took her last drink on December 7, 2018.   Today's Sponsor: Café RE Use the promo code CONNECT for one free month in the alcohol-free community Café RE.    Highlights from Kris   Kris speaks to the crossroads of recovery. He acknowledges that so many new thoughts, podcasts, tools, mindsets, books, and videos on recovery. Then there is real life with an equal number of views, podcasts, and tools, on how to meet deadlines, be a great husband and father, a great worker, and a good friend.   With all these different concepts flying at us and life asking us to show up, how do you handle recovery and life simultaneously? For Kris, the crossroads show up often, and he has come to appreciate them as options. He has also learned that the best way to handle all possibilities is to sit with them, observe them and refrain from acting immediately. Krist describes this practice as combining mindfulness and refraining. Kris is working on finding peace and comfort where he