by Paul Churchill | Oct 16, 2017 | Podcast
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This week’s topic is PAWS- Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms/Syndrome. Paul explains what PAWS is, how to deal with it, and some of the signs to look for.
Josh, with 15 months since his last drink, shares his story
SHOW NOTES
[8:13] Paul Introduces Josh. I am from Phoenix originally, now living in LA; I am a digital content producer. I am 36 years old. I like hiking and exploring with my miniature golden retriever Diego.
[10:30] Paul- You left AA in recovery determined to find a way to drink normally. How did that go?
Josh- Once you’ve been introduced to recovery and then you go back out, it’s tough because you can’t enjoy drinking the way that you were. I just wanted to learn to drink responsibly. To me it felt like there were people with more serious problems than me.
[19:35] Paul- Why did things start to change after you adopted Diego?
Josh- It took me out of myself. Talking to others about their dogs. Going to the dog park, and meeting other people. I kept myself busy in early sobriety. Having Diego at home with me really helped me more than I can explain.
[27:49] Paul- Talk to me about outpatient treatment, what was that like?
Josh- I didn’t feel connected to the group, it wasn’t a good experience because I wasn’t’ putting the work into it. When I was finally ready in 2016, it was a really good experience. I went 6 days a week for the first month.
[35:07] Paul- Where are you at these days with 12 step programs? Do you go to AA meetings?
Josh- I do. I was anti- AA for a long time. I don’t embrace everything about it. What I admire is that it is organized so well. There is a core connection of people there if you want it. I was going to 5-6 meetings a week the first year. I definitely get something out of it. It is not everything to me. I am working the steps.
[38:31] Rapid Fire Round
- What was your worst memory from drinking? I blacked out in the middle of trying to go to Jack in the Box and moved my roommate’s car out to the street where it got towed. We had to go to the tow yard and get his car.
- Did you ever have an “oh-shit” moment? Too many to mention. One being at my friend’s house and drinking his entire liquor collection. Another one would have been when I almost been fired from my work. I told myself I wouldn’t drink at work anymore, and 6 weeks later I was.
- What’s your plan moving forward? My plan is to keep doing what works and stay connected. I count my day’s everyday. I take pride in each day as a separate milestone.
- What’s your favorite resource in recovery? Diego, my dog.
- What’s the best advice you’ve ever received (on sobriety)? “It’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life that you are proud of, and if you find you are not, I hope you have the strength to start over.”
- What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? This has to be the most important thing in your life.
- You might be an alcoholic if you are out with friends at a bar, and you go to the bathroom, but you stop at the bar to have a shot by yourself, and then return to the table to resume to drinking.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Post-Acute Withdrawal (PAWS)
Connect with Cafe RE– Use the promo code Elevator for your first month free
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!”
by Paul Churchill | Oct 9, 2017 | Podcast
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Paul summarizes an article from National Geographic “The Science of Addiction.” Nearly 1 in 20 adults worldwide are addicted to alcohol. 21 million Americans have a drug or alcohol addiction. Making the disorder more common than cancer. Addiction is a pathological form of learning.
Carey, with 40 days year since her last drink, shares her story
SHOW NOTES
[8:52] Paul Introduces Carey. I am 30 years old; I’m an RN from Rochester New York. I used to say I liked to do a whole lot of things, but I put a lot of it on the back burner when I was drinking.
[14:45] Paul- Did you have a rock bottom moment? What caused you to make this decision to get into sobriety?
Carey- I feel like there are so many situations in which I should have chosen that time. 40 days ago was the time I decided to make the decision for myself. I hated when people told me I should quit drinking.
[19:39] Paul- Before 40 days ago, was that your first time tried to quit drinking?
Carey- Back in the day when I first started noticing issues, I was trying to narrow it down. I went through the whole cycle. After the wedding I had quit drinking for 10 weeks. If I got into nursing school, I was going to celebrate with wine. A few months after starting nursing school I got a DWI.
[35:28] Paul- You were sick and tired of being sick and tired. You used the word excited. How has that shift in mindset?
Carey- I was excited at the fact that I didn’t have to worry anymore. I didn’t have to go out to dinner and worry if my second order of beer would be frowned upon. I am excited about meeting other sober people.
[42:39] Rapid Fire Round
- What was your worst memory from drinking? Let me count the ways. One of the worst ones was when I got home from a concert, and drove to my friend’s house because I thought I left my phone in his car.
- Did you ever have an “oh-shit” moment? I would say my DWI. I also hate to admit that my dog was with me at the time. That scared me for sure.
- What’s your plan moving forward? Right now I want to keep learning and getting out of my comfort zone. I love Café RE, which has been amazing. I want to explore the steps.
- What’s your favorite resource in recovery? The Recovery Elevator Podcast. I am going to be sober today, and plan on being sober tomorrow.
- What’s the best advice you’ve ever received (on sobriety)? Tell somebody else. Do research, look into sobriety and come up with a game plan. You are not alone.
- You might be an alcoholic if you don’t like being called an alcoholic.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Cafe RE– Use the promo code Elevator for your first month free
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!”
by Paul Churchill | Oct 2, 2017 | Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe to the Recovery Elevator Podcast Apple Podcasts | | More
I want to talk about the word Alcoholism, more specifically, the tail end of that word, the ISM- Incredible Short Memory, the painful acute memories are sobriety fuel. We cannot do this alone.
Adam, with 57 days since his last drink, shares his story
SHOW NOTES
[8:50] Paul Introduces Adam. I’m 36; I live in New Hampshire, married with 2 awesome sons and a beautiful wife. I love being outdoors. I began drinking in my early twenties. I was drinking to get away from stress problems. It got to the point where I was drinking everyday.
[15:05] Paul- What was different on July 17th? Was it a shift in mindset? Did you go to an AA meeting?
Adam- It was more of a mindset. Everywhere I looked there was something about recovery. It was my mind putting it out there. I created the accountability, and it made it harder to go back on.
[21:40] Paul- Was there some sense of discomfort before you quit drinking? What was the source of pain?
Adam- It wasn’t anything huge. I called myself a high bottom drunk. There wasn’t anything that set it off. I was sick of relying on it everyday. Waking up every morning sleepier than I should be. It became too much a part of my life, and I didn’t want it there anymore.
[23:56] Paul- What was it like the first 24 hours? The first couple of days, the first week?
Adam- It was not the easiest time in my life. I had a little bit of the shakes, some headaches the first 3-4 days was the worst of it. I remind myself how great I feel now.
[26:53] Paul- What’s on your bucket list in sobriety? What do you want to achieve with this new life you’ve been given?
Adam- I want to spend more time with my family Instead of playing with the kids, the first thing I would do would be to grab a drink. They are 3 and 7 years old right now. Be closer to them. This time of their life I really want to remember.
[29:45] Rapid Fire Round
- Did you ever have an “oh-shit” moment? Just realizing that everyday that was the first thing when I got home from work that I wanted to do.
- What’s your plan moving forward? Just to keep enjoying life, get to know my kids better, and getting healthy.
- What’s your favorite resource in recovery? It’s the Recovery Elevator Podcast.
- What’s the best advice you’ve ever received (on sobriety)? The accountability. Creating that accountability and making it a real thing.
- What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? Suck it up and talk to somebody. It has to be someone that you care about and trust and respect. Once you make it a real thing, you will not want to let them down.
- You might be an alcoholic if you lie to your wife when you are sick as a dog, because you know she will say you don’t need that beer tonight.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Cafe RE– Use the promo code Elevator for your first month free
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!”
by Paul Churchill | Sep 25, 2017 | Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe to the Recovery Elevator Podcast Apple Podcasts | | More
New data has revealed that one in eight Americans are now alcoholics due to an alarming rise in alcohol consumption in women, elderly people and ethnic minorities.
Experts at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism say that the rise could constitute a public health crisis that is being overshadowed by the opioid epidemic and marijuana legalization.
During an 11 year gap, the number of people who received a diagnosis of alcoholism shot up by 49 percent, meaning 12.7 percent of the population – or roughly one in eight Americans – are alcoholics.
Megan, with 11 hours since her last drink, shares her story
SHOW NOTES
[5:15] Paul Introduces Megan. I’m from Baltimore, Maryland. I am 38, single, with a live-in boyfriend.
[7:19] Paul- What forced you to reach out to me again, and give us a little background.
Megan- The whole point of what you are doing is when you can relate to other people. I love that you are an advocate for the acceptance part of it. People are ashamed to come out so to speak. I didn’t start drinking until late in college. I liked the way it made me feel. I wasn’t self-conscience. It was never really a problem. One day in my late twenties I realized I was drinking everyday.
[23:49] Paul- Talk to me about your withdrawal symptoms.
Megan- It’s usually worst the second and third day. The shaking and the anxiety is the worse. I can’t shut my brain off.
[26:36] Paul- What’s your plan? How are we going to do this?
Megan- I am going to get through today. One day at a time. Right now it is just getting through today. I know that I want to get sober and stay sober. Am I done yet? I’m not entirely sure. I want to be there, but I don’t know if I am.
[32:36] Rapid Fire Round
- What was your worst memory from drinking? Blacking out. I started drinking after a run; I woke up the next day and had no memory of how I got home.
- Did you ever have an “oh-shit” moment? About a month ago, I got up in the morning and was walking to the grocery store and I couldn’t walk. I inched across the street and went back home.
- What’s your plan moving forward?
- What’s your favorite resource in recovery? I love podcasts. The HOME Podcast, the Shair Podcast, Recovery 101.
- What’s the best advice you’ve ever received (on sobriety)? Don’t beat yourself up.
- What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? You are going to feel crappy. Don’t make it worse on yourself by pouring poison into yourself. It’s going to get a little bit better everyday.
- You might be an alcoholic if the liquor store on the corner knows exactly who you are, and lines up 4 mini bottles of Fireball everyday at 9:00 in the morning.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
It’s a public health crisis: 1 in 8 Americans are now alcoholics By Abigail Miller for Dailymail.com
Connect with Cafe RE– Use the promo code Elevator for your first month free
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!”
by Paul Churchill | Sep 18, 2017 | Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe to the Recovery Elevator Podcast Apple Podcasts | | More
Paul reads posts from members of Café RE answering the question: “What are some things that helped you in early sobriety?
There are some emerging common themes from these responses. Change, you don’t have to change much, you just have to change everything. Accountability is the key, you can’t do this alone. Alcoholism is a thinking disease. You can’t think your way out of it. Knowledge is not power unless you use it.
Marybeth, with 8 months since her last drink, shares her story
SHOW NOTES
[8:40] Paul Introduces Marybeth. I’m 51; I live in southern New Hampshire. I am married with 4 children, 2 of which have special needs so that takes up some time. I like to visit with friends and family, downhill ski, and exercise.
[13:39] Paul- Tell us about your drinking habits, how much did you drink prior to November 26th, 2016?
Marybeth- I was a big red wine drinker. I did a sugar cleanse, and then I ended up sipping Tequila neat. Then I switched back to wine. I knew I would never be a morning drinker, or drink before 5:00. I typically had 2 glasses of wine a night for years.
[17:45] Paul- Was there a bottom moment, or were you sick and tired of being sick and tired?
Marybeth- I attribute my sobriety to an accident. I broke my ankle while I was walking and texting. It was difficult to be on crutches, and drink at the same time. I came upon the 30-day sober solution while I was in my cast.
[21:48] Paul- How important do you think accountability has been these past 8 months?
Marybeth- It’s been really great. I couldn’t handle my alcohol, and was passing out early. Now I can stay up late and have fun. I was asleep and numbing my self with alcohol. I was snared by it socially, and numbed by it unintentionally. I wasn’t seeking to numb anything.
[29:05] Paul- What does your sobriety portfolio consist of? Walk us through a typical day of sobriety.
Marybeth- I wake up everyday and meditate for 30 minutes. I use the headspace app. It is like exercising a muscle. I connect with friends, and do things, which interest me.
[30:16] Rapid Fire Round
- What was your worst memory from drinking? I was separated from my husband, and got into a car. I put the car in drive instead of reverse and ran over the curb.
- Did you ever have an “oh-shit” moment? When I broke my ankle. I had a bloody Mary on board when that happened.
- What’s your plan moving forward? I am going to continue with meditation, my wellness, helping others, and reading books. Possibly attending an AA meeting.
- What’s your favorite resource in recovery? The Recovery Elevator Podcast. I love listening in the car on the way to work.
- What’s the best advice you’ve ever received (on sobriety)? My dad was a recovering alcoholic. He would always say don’t sweat the small stuff.
- What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? Just do it. You can always go back to drinking if sobriety doesn’t work for you.
- You might an alcoholic if you are at a weight watcher meeting and all you are concerned about is if you have enough points left for wine at the end of the day.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Cafe RE– Use the promo code Elevator for your first month free
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!”
