RE 103: Why I Quit Drinking

RE 103: Why I Quit Drinking

Shane with 3 days since his last drink, shares his story…..

Paul starts the show off by listing his reasons for quitting drinking:

  • I wake up eager to start the day
  • I’m not lying to myself anymore
  • Because It’s a progressive disease and I know the pain and misery that awaits
  • I do not have a beer gut anymore
  • THIQ was being deposited into my brain after every binge drinking episode which made it harder and harder to stop
  • I do not want to get dumber.  I want to get smarter.
  • Most alcohol tastes like moldy tootsie rolls
  • I was sick of telling myself “One day we are going to ________”
  • Alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs in the world and it kills more people than any other drug combined
  • I was failing as a dog owner… big time
  • I do not wonder if I have Alzheimer’s anymore
  • Because alcohol is shit, total and complete shit
  • Money is neat, and I have a lot more of it now
  • I do not black out anymore, I’m only on this planet once and I don’t want to miss a thing
  • I haven’t had a serious physical injury since stopping drinking. That would be a torn hip flexor doing Limbo in 2012. No joke
  • No more black eyes
  • Sometimes I feel “High on Life”
  • A diet based on calories from alcohol doesn’t work. I’ve tried it
  • I put an Altoids in my mouth because I like the taste, not to mask the vodka on my breath
  • No more cavities – In those blackouts, brushing my teeth wasn’t a priority for some reason
  • My face no longer looks like a swollen pumpkin
  • I quit because one day I would like to share my life with a very special person. Slim to no chance of that happening before
  • My standard poodle Ben looked at me to go play on a beautiful summer day in 2014 and I was drunk in bed at 3pm on a sunny afternoon. Those eyes broke my heart. Ben, I am so sorry
  • Alcohol was my best friend and it turned on me
  • I couldn’t stop drinking once I started
  • I found I needed more and more alcohol to obtain the same effect
  • I quit drinking because I heard the Brave Heart soundtrack for 3 weeks straight – When it wasn’t playing, it was in my head
  • I wasn’t free
  • Alcohol determined where I worked, who I hung out with, when I went to bed and when I woke up
  • Music didn’t look like much of anything
  • I want to look at myself in the mirror in the morning and say “Hey, I know that guy!”
  • I do not want to go to rehab, but if I do, I’m going to Thailand
  • I want to stop living a life of life or death. I would probably commit suicide within 5 years and I’m not really living.
  • It’s been 8 years since I got a black eye at a bar… by a girl
  • Girls like me now-well more than when I was talking to them cross eyed and blacked out
  • I was sick and tired of being sick and tired
  • My body doesn’t randomly ache anymore
  • My right elbow hurt when I swam for about 7 years. Not anymore
  • I can now run a 7:30 mile – three of them in a row actually
  • I do not want a DUI… okay another one
  • Alcohol is shit. Did I mention that already?
  • I saw Guns and Roses in Bolivia and remembered it. I saw 311 at Red Rocks and do not remember any of it. I’d like to remember concerts in the future.
  • I wanted to stop blaming others for my problems
  • Ulcers are painful, and I’ve got a several ulcers due to a compromised immune system
  • I do not want to go to jail… okay go to jail again
  • Shovels give me blisters, so I decided to quit digging… See what I did there?
  • I’m AHDH and being in the moment is something I struggle with,  now I’ve got a shot
  • My parents just retired and I can fully be there for their golden years
  • Alcohol wasn’t cheap. Per the Recovery Elevator tracker app I’ve saved $11,867
  • I’ve learned to get to it, you need to go through it. Today, I feel uncomfortable feelings at face value and lean into them instead of jam them into a box only to have them explode and an inopportune moment, like my best friends bachelor party
  • My stomach hurt from laughing 4 times 2016; from 2007-20014 that number was zero
  • This is going to sound lame but it’s the truth. At about 6 months without a drink, the childhood feeling that I can do anything I put my mind to had returned… and is still here… watch out stigma
  • I don’t want to kill myself anymore. That’s pretty cool eh?
  • I watch my favorite episodes on TV instead of being the lead actor in the drunken episodes
  • I can play 4 Third Eye Blind Songs on the Guitar. Okay, 3.5
  • Stars. Holy shit. Have they always been there and so bright?
  • It is liberating to not need a mind altering substance at social functions
  • Depression and anxiety are unpleasant feelings. They still lurk around at times, but not for nearly as long nor as thick
  • Turns out I do not suck at kickball or dodgeball.  I was too drunk to kick or dodge the ball
  • Being a business owner overseeing a staff of 22 is easier without a splitting headache
  • In sobriety, I’m learning that that guy Bob was on to something and everything is gonna be alright – Hey Mon!
  • Problems pertaining to money have pretty much dissolved
  • Anxiety = 98% better now
  • Shirley Temples, I have rediscovered, are the best drink known to mankind
  • The people that I surround myself with are my true friends, not drinking friends
  • Binge drinking in airport stalls and then throwing up in the boarding line was miserable.
  • I want to enjoy 100% of my vacations, instead of around 30-40%
  • I still get depressed, but no longer than a couple days. Before, it would be for weeks/months.
  • Because today is the best chance I have at staying sober.

 

SHOW NOTES

[ 8:58 ] Paul Introduces Shane.  When was your last drink?

Shane – My last drink was on Christmas day (which was 3 days ago at the time of this interview).  These past 3 days have been tough.  I’ve been doing a lot of sweating.

[ 11:00 ] When did you first realize that you had a problem?

Shane – I received my first DWI when I was 18.  That was my first time in jail and it was horrible.  When I first starting drinking I thought I had found my soul mate.

[ 13:08 ] Tell us a little about yourself.

Shane – I am 32 years old and from California.  I like to play tennis, golf and travel.  I like to do anything outdoors.  Booze took away the fun I used to have in these activities.

[ 14:26 ] Did you ever try to put rules in place in order to control your drinking?

Shane – You name the rule and I have tried it!  I tried to limit myself to specific types of alcohol but would always forget the rule once I started drinking.  The best rule you should remember is to just not drink.

[ 17:50 ] What is so different now?

Shane – I did not chicken out when I thought of calling Paul.  I try to live in the moment and stay busy.  I also try not think too far into the future.

[ 19:45 ] What was your bottom?

Shane – 1 bottom was that I was mentally draining my family constantly.  Other bottoms were all of the 4 times I ended up in jail.  I was basically blacking out my entire life.  Alcohol made me feel like I was going crazy.

[ 24:40 ] You have mentioned a few times how bad going to jail was.  Whose fault was it that jail was so bad?

Shane – It was my fault that I had ended up in there.  But the guards were really harsh.  The other inmates were fine

[ 25:40 ] What have you lost to alcohol?

Shane – I’ve lost many days of my life and plenty of girlfriends

[ 26:40 ] What happened this past Christmas day that made you want to stop drinking?

Shane – I’ve wanted to stop drinking for years.  It had just become too exhausting to continue

[ 28:50 ]  How have you gotten 3 days so far?

Shane – Right now I do not feel like I am white knuckling it.  I am not going to AA.  I’ve had bad experiences with church in the past and AA has too much religion in it.  Praying to a higher power does not work for me.

[ 31:53 ] Rapid Fire Round

  1. What’s your plan moving forward? Staying busy, listening to podcasts and U-Tube videos on recovery
  2. What was your worst memory from drinking? I was punched in the face by a girl
  3. What’s your favorite resource in recovery? The support of family and friends
  4. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received (on sobriety)? If you are comfortable than you are not growing, do not become stagnant water
  5. What parting piece of guidance can you give listeners who are in recovery or thinking about quitting drinking? Do not give up on yourself.  Be true to yourself.  There is hope.
  6. You might be an alcoholic if……. you wake up with pee in your pants and you are not sure if it’s yours!

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

www.alcoholmastery.com (by Kevin O’Hara)

Recovery Elevator Retreat

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!”

 

RE 102: 4 Types of Drinkers, Which One Are You?

RE 102: 4 Types of Drinkers, Which One Are You?

Amelia, with 79 days since her last drink, shares her story……

According to the HBO documentary, Risky Drinking, 70% of people drink.  Most drinkers fall within the following spectrum: no risk, low risk, mid risk, moderate risk, severe and death.  The documentary chronicles 4 people in different stages of alcoholism.  If you are drinking to fix the problem that drinking has caused, you may need to watch this program and see where you fall on the spectrum.

 

SHOW NOTES

 

[ 10:39 ] Paul Introduces Amelia who’s last drink was on 10/10/16.

 

[ 11:12 ]  Have you had any close calls since you stopped drinking?

 

Amelia – Not really, although I was pretty irritable during Christmas time.  Instead of drinking, I just went to bed.

 

[ 11:48 ]  Tell us a little about yourself.

 

Amelia – I was born and raised in San Francisco.  I am a social worker and work with children in the foster care system.  I love to watch baseball games and travel.

 

[ 13:19 ] When did you realize that you had a problem with alcohol?

 

Amelia – I started noticing I had a problem approximately 10 years ago, but I was always able to justify my behavior.  79 days ago, I just got sick and tired of being sick and tired!

 

[ 14:32 ]  Did you ever put rules into place to try and moderate your drinking?

 

Amelia – I would try to drink only at night and on the weekends.  After a hard days’ work, I felt like I deserved it.  I had not had any bad consequences yet so this helped justify my drinking.  Soon I implemented the “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere” mentality.

 

[ 15:56 ]  Did you have a bottom?

 

Amelia – I was kicked out of the Peace Corp for drinking too much.  It was Independence Day in the Caribbean and after drinking all day, I decided that I wanted to go home.  I ended up walking 7 miles in the rain back to my apartment with a co-worker.  I would also not report to the Peace Corp my location at all times and this was a requirement.

 

[ 18:42 ] How did you get to 79 days without alcohol?

 

Amelia – I had a phone call with my parents to wish them a Happy Anniversary.  I did not remember the phone call at all the following morning.  It was a total blackout.  I had asked myself, “Do I really want to be this person?”  I called a friend who I trusted and they encouraged me to go to an AA meeting.  I felt accountable.

 

[ 20:21 ]  Tell us more about this accountability piece?

 

Amelia – I had spoken to this same friend about my concerns with alcohol about a year before.  I also spoke to my mother.  She informed me that she had attended an Al-Anon meeting 1 year ago as well because she too was concerned with my drinking.

 

[ 22:53 ]  What was it like having repeated bottoms?

 

Amelia – I never thought they were real or deep bottoms.  I did not have consequences or anything taken away from me because of my drinking yet.

 

[ 24:40 ] What do you think would happen if you drink again?

 

Amelia – It would be just a matter of time before something really bad happened.

 

[ 26:00 ]  What is your plan going forward?

 

Amelia – So far AA has been working.  If I think about drinking, I just follow the drunk all of the way to the end.  I am attending the RE Retreat in Montana so that will hold myself accountable.  Soon, I would like to start working the steps.

 

[ 30:12 ] What have you learned most about yourself?

 

Amelia – that I can be happy and have a better life without drinking.

 

[ 31:00 ] What advice would you give your younger self?

 

Amelia – to look at your bottoms and see them for what they really are.  I would also listen more to my mother when she told me how alcoholism runs in our family.

 

[ 33:00  ] Rapid Fire Round

  1. What was your worst memory from drinking? getting kicked out of the Peace Corp and hitting a parked car while drunk
  2. Did you ever have an “oh-shit” moment? one of my clients told me I smelled like alcohol and I blamed it on hand sanitizer
  3. What’s your favorite resource in recovery? AA
  4. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received (on sobriety)? follow the drunk, be gentle with yourself and say the Serenity prayer often
  5. You might be an alcoholic if….. you pee in your bed after a night of drinking

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Recovery Elevator Retreat

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!”

RE 101: What Is Alcohol and How Is It Created

RE 101: What Is Alcohol and How Is It Created

Erik, with 67 days since his last drink, shares his story….

What exactly is alcohol and how is it created?  According to the book, Beyond the Influence, by Katherine Ketcham, the basic ingredient of alcohol is yeast.  Let’s just call it what it is; yeast dung to be exact.  The yeast eventually dies off during the fermenting process leaving alcohol in its’ basic form, which is ethanol.  That’s right folks!  We have been consuming the same ingredient that is used in lacquer and dyes.  Once we drink, the alcohol quickly passes through our cell membranes and enters the blood stream.  Depending on our age, gender, or whether or not we have eaten, etc., alcohol affects us all differently.  Beyond just the physically changes, alcohol also affects our emotional state.  It has been known to exacerbate anxiety, stress and fatigue by triggering the body to release adrenaline artificially.  No wonder those hang overs are so awful!

SHOW NOTES:

[ 10:44 ] Paul Introduces Erik and asks when was his last drink?

Erik – 67 days ago and it feels good on most days

[ 11:13 ] Erik tell us a little about himself.

Erik – I am 31 years old and currently live in Dallas.  I play and teach music and also enjoy cooking and exercise.

[ 13:42 ] When did you realize you had a problem with drinking?

Erik – After graduating from college, consequences started happening.  I had crashed a few cars and received a few DWI’s.

[ 15:11 ] Did you ever try to implement rules in order to moderate your drinking?

Erik – I was not real great at even putting rules into place.  But I had an interlock (breathalyzer) put on my car and would try to moderate so that I could still start the car.  One time I blew over the limit 3 times.  I was more of a binge drinker.  Once I started, I could not stop drinking.

[ 17:24 ] After your probation ended, you started drinking again.  What happened?

Erik – When you are on probation, I think mentally you are just waiting for the time to be over.  Once it is over, you can drink again.  I continued to drink for 2-3 years without suffering any real consequences

[ 19:00 ]  Did your drinking progress or remain the same?

Erik – It progressed and I started driving when I shouldn’t be again.  I also started experiencing episodes of anger and rage, which was completely uncharacteristic of me.

[ 20:45 ]  Erik shares a recent story of a wedding he attended.

Erik – I was running late for a wedding in which I was a groomsman.  My mind made this a much bigger deal than it actually was so when I finally arrived, I headed straight to the bar.  I stumbled to the service and was late for the photo shoot.  I continued to drink and my mood kept deteriorating.  After the wedding was over, I went to the after party and eventually blacked out.  When I came to, I was in the middle of a brawl with a friend.  I was very disappointed in myself and was worried that I had destroyed some friendships.

[ 27:45 ] How did you get to 67 days without drinking?

Erik – I had worked the AA program many years ago and basically got re-plugged in.  I reached out to some previous people that I knew in the program, started going to meetings and got a sponsor

[ 31:00 ]  Paul and Erik discuss the gift of desperation

Erik – My last drinking memory was that wedding I attended.  I am not sure if I can fix the damage that I did to some of those relationships.  I do not want that last memory to define me

[ 32:00 ] What is your plan moving forward?

Erik – I will continue to work my program, meditate and go to meetings.  I would also like to start my own life now, by moving out of my parent’s house and getting back on track

[ 33:33  ] Rapid Fire Round

  1. What was your worst memory from drinking? wrecking 3 cars, being in jail and having to call my parents
  2. Did you ever have an “oh-shit” moment? One night I was playing a show in Dallas.  I knew I should not have driven home but I did it anyway
  3. What’s your favorite resource in recovery? AA meetings, listening to podcasts and reading.
  4. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received (on sobriety)? Recovery is a process.  Stay busy with projects and fill in that time that you would normally drink with different things to do.
  5. You might be an alcoholic if…. You use a blood alcohol calculator (BAC) in order to get past your car interlock

****Congratulations to our very own Brandy for reaching 1 year of sobriety****

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Books – Beyond the Influence by Katherine Ketcham and Living Sober by AA

 

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!”

For Every 1,000 People Who Quit Drinking, 2.5 Make it 2 Years

For Every 1,000 People Who Quit Drinking, 2.5 Make it 2 Years

I was in my first 72 hours of sobriety when Paul threw out the stat that only 5 percent of those who want to get sober will make it to 90 days.  Of those 5 percent, only 5 percent will make it to 2 years without drinking alcohol.  Let’s see…  Okay, for every 1000 people who desire to get sober, 2.5 of them will be sober in two years.  I’m not shaking anymore, but the acute effects of withdrawal have not left.  My mind is in a fog, my skin has pinpricks running throughout, and I have not strung together more than a few hours of sleep in three days.  By the time I hear this depressing stat, I realize that the easy fix to my discomfort would be to have a few drinks… and apparently, 1,997.5 people wouldn’t blame me.  I’m not getting to sleep anytime soon.  Maybe I’ll just keep listening.

I think we all know that hyper-vigilant friend who attaches themselves to a cause.  There is the one who can string together why shopping at Wal-Mart is akin to feeding “The Corporate Antichrist”.  They are loaded with information about the 6 Wal-Mart heirs making more money than the lowest 42 percent of the population combined.  They’ll make a great case for corporation not paying living wages or providing decent healthcare and in turn, how our taxes subsidize government benefits, the services that could be provided by billionaires.  If that didn’t get you, they’ll pepper you with the working conditions of the children in Polynesia so that you know the true cost of your three dollar Duck Dynasty tank top.  They are not wrong.  They have done their homework. In fact, you are persuaded to the point that you feel ashamed, stop shopping at Wal-Mart for a few days, and maybe even clumsily repeat the stats to a non-intellectual so as to stroke your newfound sense of self-righteousness.  Problem is, within days those facts went fleeting.  While appalled, you were not as committed as your friend.  Your habits did not include the same degree of rigorous study, and in a moment of consumer relapse, you’re pulling once again to the parking lot ready to make an offering to the “Temple of Social Injustice”.  You deny your first impulse to think it through.  You certainly do not want to call your friend so he can feed you additional information.  Let’s not ruin the day by feeling bad about making the easy choice.  Besides, the sun is out and your guns are gonna look sweet in that tank top.

Yes, I am taking a dig at Wal-Mart.  Pick any cause though… If we put the effort into learning about factory farming and the mistreatment of animals that are our food source, we would cringe and give pause to the effects of our consumption.  Find out a few more facts about the mortality rates of the workers who assemble our smartphones and we are confronted with moral choices.  The truth is, when it comes to these issues, we shop, consume, use, and abuse as a means to survive.  We use the littlest amount of thought to procure the food, clothing, and technology to communicate.  It is the basis for survival and we let the lizard portion of the brain do the thinking.  Ease and value compete against taking a more difficult, long term approach that benefits everybody.

Now let’s be honest. How many of those inspirational, uncompromised, hyper-vigilant, cause oriented, intellectually sound, unwavering social renegades do we know?  Not that many.  Most of us slowly go the way of the buffalo which makes the impassioned moral minority pretty easy to spot.  That minority friend, whatever their cause, is the rare bird that continually absorbs information, which in turn, informs their actions.

I was pretty discourage with that statistic that Paul relayed over my headset that night.  I had no false sense that I was going to be in that minority of the first 5 percent, let alone in the second 5%.  If I was involved in this human experiment called sobriety, there was no indicator from the last 10 years of alcohol abuse that I would succeed.  I was all impulse and little intellect when it came to using alcohol.

I am close to 40 days sober.  I have just gotten current with Recovery Elevator podcasts at episode 99.  I started at Episode 00 and listened throughout the 40 days straight through.  I am so thankful for the wealth of information and experiences that have been shared on the podcast.  There is such a diverse amount of helpful experience in sobriety on the show.  As I reflect on what might be the common source of success in everyone’s personal recovery program, it’s that the sober alcoholic is continually feeding the executive center of their brain.  The AA attendant gets information and advice from a group share or a big book.  The self-employed travels in a car with a podcast in the background. A mom finds a group to confide in and have a source reminder of a difficult past.  Someone struggles with temptation, they get immediate advice from a Facebook Forum.  In quiet times the recovering alcoholic finds books, websites and blogs.  Information.

I do not have a rigid program for sobriety.  My goals are to be 100% honest with my wife and accept her help, insight, and accountability.  Second, it is to reprogram my doublemindedness with helpful and encouraging information daily.  If the lizard portion of my brain is the quickest to respond and tell me that I need a drink to survive, I want the part of my brain that controls reason, behavior, and executive decision making to be full and ready to Giving Up Alcohol.  I think it takes community and positive information.

At my core, I know who I am.  I shop at Wal-Mart. I eat fast food. I own an IPhone.  I am an alcoholic.

Ultimately, I want to be that annoying, hyper-vigilant friend when it comes to my alcoholism, but I now understand why so few will make it.  The same impulse to eat, commune, and provide shelter the easiest way possible is the same impulse that beckons me to take that first drink.  The difference today is, I understand that drinking is not a means for survival.  It wants to destroy my future.

  • Guest Blogger
RE 100: Binge Drinking Is the Problem

RE 100: Binge Drinking Is the Problem

Tricia, with 30 days since her last drink, shares her story….

Congratulations Recovery Elevator on 100 episodes!  How did we make it to 100 episodes?  How else, but one episode (day) at a time.

Problem drinking that becomes severe is often given the medical term alcohol use disorder or AUD.  Some interesting studies from the NESARC show that in 2012, 7.2% of the population surveyed had an alcohol use disorder (article found here: www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-use-disorders.)

Europe also has an organization (the ECA) who conducts alcohol related surveys.  They found that although people in Southern Europe drank larger amounts of alcohol, they were able to moderate their drinking.  In comparison, there were more alcohol related fatalities in Northern Europe.  Could this be because of binge drinking?  Perhaps the folks from the South can drink 1-2 glasses of wine with their meal while people from the North are drinking larger quantities in one sitting?  We will let the ECA draw that conclusion.

SHOW NOTES

[ 8:23 ] Paul Introduces Tricia who’s last drink was approximately 30 days ago

[ 9:00 ] When did you realize you had a problem?

Tricia – I knew I wasn’t a normal drinker even at the age of 23.  I always knew that I would have to quit one day.  I never drank just for the taste, it was always to get drunk.  Once I started drinking, I could not stop.

[ 11:28 ] Did you ever put any rules in place in order to control your drinking?

Tricia – I tried switching to a drink that I did not like.  This never worked and I would end up doing shots of something else.  My fellow drinker friends thought this was a great idea!  I was always into fitness and nutrition so I would make sure my daily caloric intake would allow for booze.

[ 15:41 ] Tell us about yourself?

Tricia – I am 35 year old chef who now owns her own business.  I have always been a runner but also enjoy anything in the outdoors, such as skiing and snowboarding.  I like to knit and cross stitch Gangsta Rap lyrics into items for friends.  My only hobby before was drinking.  I would work and drink.  That was it.

[ 19:18 ] Did you have a bottom?

Tricia – I was a high functioning alcoholic.  My bottom was very high.  I would always pretend that I wasn’t drunk or that I didn’t have a hangover. My motto was, “I’ve Got This.”   When I went on a 3 day binger, 30 days ago, I was so hung over that I could even fake it.  I had to stay in bed all day.  That was the first time I experienced the physical withdrawals of sweating, fever and shaking.

[ 22:15 ]  How did you reach the conclusion that you did not have control over alcohol?

Tricia – My friends and I were going out one night and rented a party bus.  I was terribly anxious for weeks up until this party.  I was afraid I would drink too much and black out.  The black outs were getting to be very common.  I ended up drinking too much and woke up the next day with bruises all over my legs.  I did not remember falling down but obviously it had happened.

[ 24:48 ]  Did alcohol play a role in your divorce?

Tricia – there were many other factors but both my ex-husband and I drank.  When we fought, we had usually both been drinking.  I wasn’t supposed to be the drinker of the family.  My brother was the center of attention since he had the alcohol/drug problem for years.  I was the over achiever who still managed to get to work on time and function normally.  Until I could no longer fake it.

[ 26:56 ] How did you get to day 1 without a drink?

Tricia – I had not planned on stopping drinking entirely.  It basically snuck up on me.  I had that terrible hangover and the physical withdraw symptoms so I called my brother who is now in recovery.  He is very supportive.  I went on-line and found the RE podcast and starting listening and hearing similar stories.

[  30:28 ]  What does a day in the life of Tricia look like?

Tricia – I started going to AA meetings.  I ended up being late to my first AA meeting because I went to the wrong room.  The security officer at the church shouted to everyone that the AA meeting was in the other room.  Even though I was 10 minutes late for that meeting, I was really 10 years late in trying AA.

[ 34:51  ] Rapid Fire Round

  1. What was your worst memory from drinking? the blackouts and everything that I do not remember
  2. Did you ever have an “oh-shit” moment? trying to moderate and being fearful that I would over indulge and put myself in danger
  3. What’s your plan moving forward? Every morning I read the Big Book pp 86-88.  I meditate on those pages.  I am also reading a book by Tara Brock called Radical Acceptance.
  4. What’s your favorite resource in recovery? AA meetings and connecting with other alcoholics
  5. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received (on sobriety)? keep an open mind and forget everything you think you know.  Do not try to do this alone.
  6. You might be an alcoholic if….
    • you need alcohol to do simple tasks
    • you put vodka in your water bottle to go to the gym
    • you think you are an alcoholic

Paul ends the podcast with some questions for the listeners: What type of role does or did alcohol play in your life?  Does alcohol dictate your life?  Be honest with yourself.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Paul will be speaking at a “This is My Brave” even on 1/22/17.  The event is at the Moss Theater @ 4pm.  The address is 313 Olympic Blvd, Santa Monica, CA.  Tickets can be found here:  www.bfrb.org

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!”