The Recovery Elevator Podcast
RE 142: We Are Powerless Over Alcohol
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. David, with 46 days since his last drink, shares his story SHOW NOTES [10:20] Paul Introduces David. I’m a...
Re 141: Alcohol and “Anxiety”
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...
RE 140: Those Uncomfortable Feelings Serve a Purpose
Paul discusses anxiety and depression as interpreted through an episode of the Dharmapunx Podcast. Heather, with 269 days since her last drink, shares her story SHOW NOTES [10:50] Paul Introduces Heather. I’m 37; I live in Los Angeles, CA. I’ve been here for about 7...
RE 139: PAWS – Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms/Syndrome
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...
RE 138: The Science of Addiction
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...
RE 137: The “ISM” or the Incredibly Short Memory
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...
RE 136: One in Eight Americans are Alcoholics
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...
RE 135: Key Tips For Early Sobriety
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. ...
RE 134: What I Learned at the Recovery Elevator Retreat
Paul summarizes the Retreat, which took place in Bozeman, Montana. SHOW NOTES [13:22] Paul Introduces Kristin 238 days sober, Amy 11 years sober, Dave 12 days sober, and John with 18 and ½ years of sobriety. [15:55] Paul- What did you think the retreat was going to...
RE 133: America’s Drinking Problem Is Much Worse This Century
Paul summarizes the article “America’s Drinking Problem Is Much Worse This Century” by John Tozzi Alcohol abuse has shot up since 2001, and the number of adults who binge weekly may top the population of Texas. Americans are drinking more than they used to, a...
RE 132: Don’t Beat Yourself Up – Alcohol Already Does That
Self-Loathing is rampant in addiction, and it needs to be addressed and curtailed if we want to find long-term recovery. Self-trash talk is a double whammy when we judge ourselves harshly. We are both the attacker, and the attacked. Dr. Kristin Neff’s book “Self...
Re 131: The Hungry Ghosts
Paul summarizes a talk by Tara Brach named “Healing Addiction: De-Conditioning the Hungry Ghosts” Addiction is addiction, it doesn’t matter what it is, it is applicable. Tara talks about the “hungry ghosts” of addiction. There is a sense that something is missing. ...
Re 130: When Things Fall Apart
Paul summarizes the book “When Things Fall Apart” by Pema Chodron. How can we live our lives when everything seems to fall apart—when we are continually overcome by fear, anxiety, and pain? The answer, Pema Chödrön suggests, might be just the opposite of what you...
RE 129: No One Really Believed I Was An Alcoholic, Even When I started Going To AA
Paul comments on a video show on stopdrinkingexpert.com titled “Alcohol will kill you” If we can put “smoking kills” packaging of cigarettes, why can’t we put similar labels on alcohol? This documentary takes place in the UK, but is contemporaneous throughout the...
RE 128: The Spiritual Consequences of Alcohol Consumption
Paul breaks down and discusses the article: “The Spiritual Consequences of Alcohol Consumption” by Zahrah Sita Although it is mass produced, mass promoted, legal, and ingested by a multitude of people all over the world, most people don’t ever consider or understand...
