Episode 21

Daniel talks about planning some upcoming travel and being careful not to overthink the plans. Jenna shares about attending the first happy hour she's been to since getting sober and acknowledges her signals to know when to leave. They discuss having acceptance of potentially missing out on some things, or not being invited to certain events, in return for maintaining their sobriety.

Jenna tells Daniel about a recent injury and the potential of needing surgery, the use of pain medication and potential cross addiction. Their discussion leads them to consider how they have evaluated their individual reasons for becoming addicts in the first place, and how that can be a grey area for some people in recovery.

Daniel and Jenna talk about fear mongering as a method to promote sobriety and the aggressive nature of some sober people in their promotion techniques. They discuss associated policing and judgement-based modalities, particularly when trying to figure out your "why" to stop drinking. 

Jenna asks Daniel about his drunken gaming during his active addiction and Daniel explains his need for control and escape at the time as a coping mechanism. They discuss their hyper awareness of alcohol in everyday life as Daniel talks about a recent trip to HomeGoods with his daughter, which prompts Jenna to tell a story of being over friendly and over generous during her drinking days.

Daniel and Jenna talk about their experiences with isolation and the importance of sober community. Jenna recognizes her stubborn nature and how it affected her willingness to initially accept her need for a sober community. Daniel talks about recently attending a sober house party and an app that hosts sober events nationwide.  They talk about putting in the work and researching available events to potentially connect with other people in recovery. 

Daniel and Jenna talk about celebrating St. Patrick's Day. They recall the internal negotiations and bargaining in active addiction when it came their habits as they tried to maintain a "normal" appearance to outsiders. They talk about the shift from envy to disinterest when watching people celebrate or day drink, and the ebb and flow of these feelings in sobriety.

Daniel tells Jenna about recently going to a concert and being the only sober person there. They discuss the relief of knowing the how, what, when and where of events in sobriety versus the work of arranging, coordinating, and doing the drunk math in active addiction. They recall the dreadful feeling of blackouts and the associated anxiety. 

Daniel and Jenna talk about the feeling of being fully engaged in activities and how freeing it is to not experience self doubt. They discuss the emotional stability and self confidence that comes with more sober time. 

Daniel and Jenna talk about Daniel's new game idea, "Sober Bingo", and brainstorm how to play and suggest sharing wins on social media. They discuss idle time, particularly in early sobriety, and how they survive the mundane without alcohol.

Jenna and Daniel talk about Super Bowl Sunday and how they approach social situations in recovery. They discuss different techniques they've successfully used to safely participate in gatherings while maintaining their sobriety.