Lo, with 7.5 months of sobriety, shares her story...
FYI! Alcoholism does not segregate. It is straight-up an equal, all around ass-kicker⌠Alcoholism does not care about your gender, race, social status, height, weight, athletic prowess, economic status or celeb status. Yep, thatâs right, this mean celebrities can be alcoholics too! Itâs just that you donât ever hear about the list of celebs that fade away because their drinking habits become too much⌠They just literally fade away. AdiosâŚ
But, what you maybe didnât know is the list of recovering alcoholics that run the Hollywood gamut. So here it goes, a short list of the Famous & Sober: Stephen King, Ben Affleck (rehab in 2001), Michael J. Fox, Jamie Lee Curtis, Diana Ross, Mel Gibson, Johnny Depp, Mickey Mantle, Eminem, Anthony Hopkins, and Harry Potter (became sober is 2010).
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[ 08:40 ] Paul Introduces Lo
Lo has been sober for 7.5 months. She is originally from Northern Minnesota with a bad (but proud) habit of moving back to Bozeman, Montana time and time again. âIt has been a good place to keep coming back to.â Lo is a massage therapist. She enjoys running, hiking, coffee, theatre, and is rediscovering her passion for art. âThere are so many more hours in the day now that Iâm practicing sobriety,â comments Lo on making time for creativity and art.
[ 10:52 ] What brought you to the decision to stop drinking?
âI surrendered enough.â It took Lo close to a year to truly decide to get an AA sponsor and stick with the plan. âThe previous day I had wanted to drink so bad. The next day it returned, so I drank. It was enough, the shame, the guilt, the wanting to commit suicide the next day. It was enough. My emotional hangovers were just so heavy.â
[ 14:29 ] Did you have any âplansâ?
âSometimes I would wake up and feel shitty enough that I didnât want to drink. My therapist told me to try to have only x amount of drinks per week⌠I usually hit the mark by Monday or Tuesday. I would tally up the drinks at the end of the week, and I just never could make itâŚâ
[ 17:23 ] How did you do it 7.5 months ago?
âI finally got serious with the program (referring to AA). It took me several months to come to the understanding that I was an alcoholic. It was time to take the program seriously.â
[ 19:45 ] Paul refers to the idea of âbreaking up with the word alcoholic.â
Check out RE #75 for more on this!
[ 21:07 ] Lo speaks about her struggles, discovering who she is and what having a higher power means to her.
âI have to learn to trust it. To let go.â Lo finds relief in this technique, knowing that she has relief from her mind and anxiety.
[ 25:39 ] What does your recovery portfolio look like today? Walk me through a day in recovery with Lo.
Lo gets out for a morning run a couple times a week, drinks coffee, meditates, and tries to stay conscious of being connected to her higher power. Lo also stays in contact with people from the program (AA), texting, calling and just connecting.
[ 31:48 ] Lo talks about the âPink Cloudâ that has not shown up yet.
âAdios alcohol, welcome back hobbies and passions.â - Paul
âIf youâre concerned enough about your drinking and youâre at an AA meeting (youâre probably an alcoholic)â - Lo
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Randy, with 124 days of sobriety, shares how he did it.
Ponder this. We have been conditioned to think that alcohol is relaxing. Now, cue the visions of a Corona commercial; a couple on the beach, kicking back beer after beer⌠In fact this notion of ârelaxationâ has the exact opposite effect on our bodies. Alcohol actually slows down your brainâs function, affecting two neurotransmitters, Glutamate and GABA. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter that is released by nerve cells in the brain. It is responsible for sending signals between nerve cells, and under normal conditions it plays an important role in learning and memory. When we consume alcohol, Glutamate production slows W-A-Y down, completely bogging down your brainâs neuro-highways. GABA, is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that reduces energy and slows down brain activity. Alcohol increases GABA productionsâŚ. Folks, that is just not a good thing. This process starts instantly after just one drink⌠And stays with you long after you stop drinkingâŚ
Jason Valeâs book : Kick the Drink...Easily!
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[ 07:34 ] Paul Introduces Randy
Randy has been sober for 124 days (using the sobriety tracker). âIt feels great, every day is a new experience.â Randy is from the East Coast (grew up in RI) and made his way around the world in the Air Force. Randy found his career through the military. Randy now works in aviation with the FAA in Guam, U.S.A. Randy is a hardcore cyclist, with a renewed passion for pedaling.
[ 11:29 ] What was your elevator like? What was your bottom?
âIâd been a lifelong drinker and never thought that I would have a problem, I thought drinking to some degree was healthyâŚâ Randy made all kinds of "plans"⌠a 30-day sober binge, operating in moderation, writing, using apps, etc⌠âIT DID NOT WORK!â⌠âI have that switch, once you turn it on, it doesnât really turn itself offâŚâ
In preparation for his daughterâs baby shower, Randy noticed that he went through a 6-pack within an hour⌠He quickly opened up the next 6-pack and shortly thereafter found himself drinking a bottle of wine⌠âThe next morning Iâm completely useless, I wasnât there, I wasnât availableâŚâ The shower happened and the next day I thought to myself, âI donât want to do this anymore, that continuous vicious cycle.â
[ 26:30 ] Randy speaks about his clarity and peace of mind being sober.
[ 26:59 ] What does your recovery portfolio look like today? Walk me through a day in the life of Randy.
âItâs staying engaged with the process and the journey of sobriety. I think about alcohol multiple times throughout the day, and then I just have to let it goâŚâ âYeah, yeah, thereâs the beer (commenting on the coolers full of beer @ Kmart),â says Randy. "Just noticing these thoughts and letting them go, constantly reminding myself why Iâm doing this. Cafe RE is the strongest network that I have. Iâve been to one meeting (AA), and it was a candlelight vigil. I just havenât found myself showing up at meetings, just not yet anyways.â
âEnough is enough. I was tired of waking up with that dull, heavy feeling in the mornings.â - Randy
âIâve got to take this one day at a time.â - Randy
âIf youâre a real boater, you donât need shoes.â - Paul
âMaintain a clean deck.â - Randy
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Annie has been sober for 2 years. She never thought twice about her drinking because she didnât know enough about it. Annie started journaling about her drinking habits as an exploration in March of 2013 which enabled her to stop drinking in December of 2013. Annie is from Colorado and works in marketing. She is married with children and loves the outdoors (hiking, skiing).
[ 02:08 ] When did your Elevator hit its bottom? When did you finally decide to stop drinking?
Annie was living in London when her Elevator hit bottom the first time. Annie and her family were going to the London Eye (an amusement park) and she had decided it was a good idea to bring in two large beers, packed in her purse, to sip on. âI dropped my purse and the beers exploded, spraying beer all over my children and my parents.â "I had a 'What the fuck has happened, what am I doing?' moment right then.â On another trip, Annie was traveling all over the world for work, she comments, âYouâd take off on the airplane and get drunk, and then Iâd justify having drinks in the lounge⌠I was pretty much existing on coffee and alcohol. I realized that I had to get back into regular mommy life. I just remember sitting there thinking, Whoa, what is this?'"
[ 04:27 ] Talk to me about your drinking habits?
âThe plans are my worst enemy! As soon as you start to try to stop something, it becomes even more tempting. Itâs like putting yourself on a diet.â Annie had all sorts of ideas/plans: no drinking until 5pm, only having 2 glasses of wine (but after two she didnât care how many more she consumed), trying to have a sober day... âI remember finding an excuse every single day to drink. I was driving myself further and further into separateness and defensiveness.â
[ 06:31 ] How did you make the change (into sobriety)?
âI didnât seek help. I just didnât know any better. I didnât know what I didnât know (referring to all the resources out there). I had a different kind of 'talking-to' with myself one day in the Heathrow airport, I decided to give myself permission to write about this, to explore this in a mindful way." Dr. John Sarnoâs work really inspired Annie to dive deeper into understanding her need to drink.
[ 09:59 ] What was it like?
Annieâs research took her on a journey for 8-9 months. âI was still drinking during the research, but by the time I stopped, I had made peace with it. On an emotional level, I felt free.â âIt was like being sick to save my life for about a month. There were a lot of tears and a lot of laughter and joy.â
[ 13:23 ] This Naked Mind - Control Alcohol by Annie Grace
Paul lets the Cat out of the Bag (meow!) - Annie Grace wrote, âThis Naked Mind - Control Alcoholâ. It is a MUST read for recovery.
[ 14:40 ] What was the push back like after writing a book that wasnât based on AA?
âI questioned the word 'alcoholic' because in my research, any organism can become addicted to something. I took issue with this because we are all built with flesh, blood, bones, and cells⌠We are all the same. The word 'alcoholic' is really a solace for people.â
[ 20:12 ] Annie talks about the Hedonic Threshold and the fact that alcohol is just plain addictive.
[ 25:17 ] What is the difference between the conscious and the unconscious mind?
Annie speaks wholeheartedly about protecting her unconscious mind and understanding the need to have self-compassion, self-worth and acceptance in this process.
[ 31:15 ] Annieâs Projects
This Naked Mind - Control Alcohol is available on Amazon. She is also working on a second book that focuses on the first few years of her sobriety, highlighting techniques she used to maintain a clean and naked mind and keep the garbage out. Annie is also putting together a video-based course complete with worksheets and exercises that she hopes to launch this Fall (2016).
âThere are so many people who are heavy drinkers, who donât believe they are alcoholics, because we use it (the word âalcoholicâ) as a shield to defend our addiction.â - Annie Grace
âShame, guilt and self-loathing just donât work. We need understanding, acceptance and love.â - Annie Grace
âAcceptance is the answer.â - Paul
âAs soon as you start to try to stop something, it becomes even more tempting. Itâs like putting yourself on a diet.â - Annie Grace
Promo Code: Elevator
Connect with Annie - https://thisnakedmind.com/annie-grace/
This Naked Mind - Control Alcohol
âWe took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!â
Donât forget to support the Recovery Elevator Podcast by shopping at Amazon with the Recovery Elevator link:
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This episode was brought to you by Cafe RE and get your daily AA email here!
It was a simple and joyous time that I spent with my family. These are fond memories. But, somewhere along the line, my camping experiences diminished, the joy of spending time in nature was replaced with Hot Dogs, Booze and Passing Out.
Last weekend, I was camping with Ben (my partner in crime, my four-footed friend), we had called it a night and crawled into the back of my truck in the woods of Montana. Now, these are real woods, mountain lions, grizzlies, etc. Nature is not to be taken for granted around here. Suddenly, around 2am, I awoke to Benâs perked ears and sounds of snapping branches. The sounds grew louder as whatever was roaming the woods got closer⌠I reached for my headlamp⌠And...
GOATS! Rocky Mountain Goats, a herd of them⌠Now, if I had been camping with Hot Dogs and Booze I would have been PASSED OUT (probably face down in a pile of biting red ants at that!) and would never have experienced this beauty, this joy. The Goats brought me out of the truck where I was then able to see the expansiveness of the sky and the stars and experience the cooling sensations of the pine trees. Nothing needed to change. I didnât need to drink a Keystone Light or 50 of themâŚ
I am now getting back my memories and creating new memories that are more than just a party. Memories such as this that fill me up with satisfaction, connection, and awe.
AND NOW⌠onto the podcast!
Paul Introduces Westin
Westin is from Indianapolis, Indiana. He is 33, has been married for 7 years, and has an amazing little girl who is turning 4 in September. âShe is the most important thing in my life alongside my sobriety.â Westin works at an addiction treatment center as a âRecovery Coach.â
How long have you been sober?
Westin has been sober for 2 years and 363 days, he is 2 days away from 3 years of sobriety! âRight now Iâm in a place where I have to count days again. Iâm in a weird place where I just have to count.â says Westin on his sobriety.
When did you realize it was time to quit drinking?
âMy bottom was 3 years ago almost to the date. I woke up face down on my Momâs couch, not knowing how I got there, and not knowing what happened over the past 24 hours. I was highly addicted to Klonopin and drinking on top of them. I looked up from the couch and just saw this look of utter disappointment on my Momâs face. It was different. I had unknowingly gone through her medicine cabinet the night before, and found all sorts of pills in my pockets.â
What were your drinking habits?
âI was a blackout drinker from the age of 17. I was never trying to control it, I thought it was normal. I was proud of the amount of alcohol I could consumeâŚâ âBut, I was physically addicted to it⌠Always struggling with anxiety and shaking. I couldnât function without that first drink, and then the pills took over.â
What does it mean, when youâre back to counting the days?
In the early days of sobriety Westin was counting: 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 1-year sober⌠Getting those next tokens, proving to himself that he could do this. âI needed the external motivation. From 2-years sober to just now I didnât count, I didnât need to, but now, Iâm back to counting the individual days. Iâve been referencing my sobriety tracker, and just trying to get through each day. Itâs not a comfortable feeling.â
The whole âGodâ word in AA. That one word kept you from getting sober⌠Expand on that.
Westin discusses his âreligiousâ philosophy and how he made AA work as an agnostic. Westin had been agnostic (without knowledge, an individual who does not claim to say whether God exists or does not exist) most of his life. AA taught Westin to own his agnosticism, his belief system. âIâm now more comfortable being honest and open with who I am, and AA taught me this. I found a way to make my beliefs, or lack thereof, work within the framework of AA.â The gift of desperation allowed Westin to take what works and leave the restâŚ
How did you do it? (on getting sober)
Westin went to a treatment center, Fairbanks Hospital in Indianapolis. âI looked at my wife and said, I think I need some help with this.â⌠âWe tried to do a walk in, but like a good addict I had just finished the rest of my klonopin refill (half of the prescription), so I had to wait. I went through a 7-day long detox and then a 6-week intensive outpatient treatment.â
What emotions did you feel?
âI had anxiety through the roof. Drinking brought about terrible, terrible anxiety⌠But now, I didnât have my self medicating procedures in place. I had to face it. My anxiety was peaked out for 6 months. Drinking was not an option.â âThat was my first time going into treatment, I had been looking for a solution, and I just kept doing all the things that were recommended to me. I still struggle with social anxiety. I still canât attend a basketball game or a big social eventâŚâ
What is your recovery portfolio like today?
âMy recovery is inspired by my work, surrounded by people who are on this same journey. I donât want to be that guy who is physically in shambles and I get to see that every day. I attend a minimum of 2-3 meetings a week. If Iâm struggling, I hit the meetings hard.â Westin takes a holistic approach that includes: AA and the 12 steps, eating better, daily physical exercise, and alone timeâŚ
âI need to get plugged-in, connected back to my recovery network.â - Paul (on being in a recovery rut)
âTake what works, and leave the rest.â - Westin
You might be an alcoholic ifâŚ
âYou continue to drink once everybody else has been asleep for hours.â
âIf you are still thirsty at 2am in the morning.â
Promo Code: Elevator
âWe took the elevator down, we gotta take the stairs back up, we can do this!â
Donât forget to support the Recovery Elevator Podcast by shopping at Amazon with the Recovery Elevator link:
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This episode was brought to you by Cafe RE and get your daily AA email here!
Simon, with 15 years of sobriety, shares how he did. Three years ago, Simon started the Hope Rehab Center in Thailand and has been helping people change transform their lives.
The Conscious and the unconscious mind. I recently read the book "This Naked Mind - Control Alcohol" by Annie Grace and the chapter covering the how the brain worked was fascinating.
Conscious: Aware of something, knowing that something exists or is happening.
Unconscious: The part of the mind a person is not aware of but is a powerful force in controlling behavior.
Consciousness: Being aware of something within oneself. The upper level of mental life that a person is aware of as contrasted with unconscious process.
Warning: This may blow your mind...
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This episode was brought to you by Cafe RE and get your daily AA email here!