RE 594: The Most Important Person

Today we have Eric. He is 55 years old, lives in Columbus, OH and took his last drink on February 14th, 2008.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Sober Link sign up and claim your $100 enrollment bonus   Check out our upcoming Recovery Elevator Events. We have Bozeman next month, Morocco in March 2027 followed by a sober Camino de Santiago in October 2027.   [04:52] Thoughts from Paul:   The most important person in the rooms of recovery is not the person with 40 years of sobriety spouting off all the wisdom compiled over the years. It is the newcomer. The person in the room who shares the most truth, is the person who has the least amount of time from their last drink. To the new listener, the newcomer, we want to hear from you. Paul shares a personal experience where a newcomer gave him some of the best motivation he ever received.   The newcomer is also the most important person in the room because a core foundation of recovery is helping others. People in recovery want to help, and we encourage you to accept that help.   There are many other reasons why the newcomer is the most important. And if you're a new listener to Recovery Elevator, we are happy to have you. Stick around.   [08:38] Paul introduces Eric:   Eric is the podcast host of The One You Feed. He is 55 years old and lives in Columbus, Ohio with his partner of 10 years. He has one adult son who is a wildland firefighter. For fun, Eric enjoys playing guitar, walking, hiking, and reading.   Eric started drinking as a teenager, but it didn't really take off until he was around eighteen. Over the next seven years, Eric says he was rarely sober. He was just drinking alcohol initially, but his drug use progressed to where he says he was a homeless heroin addict facing 50 years in prison and weighed only 100 pounds.   Eric was sober for about eight years but ended up drinking again and leaving the recovery community. Eric says his brain told him that he could do it this time and it would be ok because he was different now. But he wasn't. The next rock bottom wasn't as bad as the first, but he was out of control just like before. After a five-day binge that left him feeling scared and sick, he went back to a 12-step meeting.   Eric says it was a gradual process getting sober the second time. He knew he was out of control because he would be saying "I'm not going to drink today" and then gets hammered, or "I'm only going to have two" and then gets hammered. He was not on board with going back into a 12-step program, so he joined the Moderation Management program and tried to control his drinking. What he learned was that trying to control his drinking was miserable.   Eric's life looked completely different on his second sobriety attempt. The first time he went into treatment after burning his life to the ground. This time he had a job, a child, and while he went to a meeting every day, he couldn't give his whole life to recovery like before. It was a little bit harder but soon cool things began to happen for Eric.   It has been 18 years since Eric had his last drink. He no longer thinks about drugs or alcohol at all and can easily be around it all without a thought. Recovery for him meant he needed to learn to understand how his mind and emotions worked and how to use them both more skillfully.   In this disconnected world, Eric shares several things he does that help him stay connected. Working on his podcast helps because he having conversations with others 2-4 times each week. He makes himself leave the house regularly and spend time with friends. He plans walks with friends and he also does coaching work.   Eric has recently published a book called How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life.   Recovery Elevator It all starts from the inside out. I love you guys.   Café RE RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube

Today we have Camille. She is 36 years old, lives in Montreal, Canada and she took her last drink on April 20th, 2026.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help   If you're wondering what you can expect in your first seven days alcohol free, check out our FREE 7-day guide.   [03:19] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares with us that his beloved dog Ben has passed away. He credits Ben with not only being a major catalyst for his recovery, but also for saving his life. Ben was a member of the staff at Recovery Elevator retreats and touched many people over the 12 years he was Paul's companion.   Paul says his thinking mind has tried to figure out where Ben is now, and after countless thoughts and tears, he always lands in a place of gratitude for the 12 incredible years he was able to share with his dog.   The opposite of addiction is connection, and we generally think of other humans when we hear this. But the quote is infinite and definitely includes our connection with animals.   [08:18] Paul introduces Camille:   Camille is 36 years old and lives in Montreal, Canada. She is a graphic designer for a software company. She lives with her partner, and he has a 9-year-old daughter who they see often. For fun, Camille enjoys sports climbing, crochet, crafting and DIY projects.   Camille had her first drink when she was 13 while at boarding school. Her roommate who was 14 was already struggling with alcoholism. In spite of being a "goody two shoes", Camille was occasionally binge drinking with friends. There were several hints that things were getting precarious with her drinking.   What sealed the deal Camille says is when she started working at a bar in her early 20s. She worked there for six years. While she did have some fun and met some great people, Camille says she was constantly either drinking or combatting a hangover. Towards the end of her studying, she was getting tired and looking forward to getting out of that scene but wasn't ready to moderate while she was still there. She was good at keeping up the appearance that her drinking wasn't out of control.   Even after trading the bartending in for a graphic design job, Camille would still find herself binge drinking to get drunk. She says it was hard to consider it a problem when everyone around her drank too. Gradually the drinking increased to a daily occurrence by the time she was 33. She was just drinking to take the edge off, and Camille began wishing that alcohol was not part of her daily life. She would journal about not wanting to drink for the day but would find herself doing it anyways. It was frustrating feeling so powerless and shameful.   Camille first quit drinking in 2025 after running a 5k and recognizing that she was pouring poison into a body that she had just asked to complete a strenuous activity. This stuck with her and she was able to stop drinking for two months. The moderation and exploration of self-awareness began at this point. She attempted to moderate for the rest of 2025. It was after three days of heavy drinking at an all-inclusive vacation that Camille finally said enough is enough.   Camille joined a local support group but has not attended AA. She says it helped her feel less alone and believes that the reason we feel that way is because having a problem with alcohol is so shameful that we don't want speak about it. Camille says her drinking stemmed from a lot of desire to be polished and perform well so the alcohol helped her turn it off. Going forward Camille is planning to continue taking actions to solidify her commitment to being alcohol free. She is going to focus on existing as she is and accepting the human experience without covering it up with booze.   Camille's parting piece of guidance: You can do this and be forgiving with yourself, be tolerant, give yourself grace.   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down. You've got to take the stairs back up. We can do this.   Café RE RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube  

Today we have Lauren. She is 39 years old from Chicago, IL and took her last drink on November 22nd, 2019.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help   Bozeman 2026 – August 12th-16th, 2026   Stay tuned here for some upcoming travel opportunities in 2027-2028   If you're wondering what you can expect in your first seven days alcohol free, check out our FREE 7-day guide.   [02:58] Thoughts from Paul:   This week, Paul talks about GLP-1s and the growing evidence that these medications can help with cravings for opioids, cigarettes and alcohol in addition to their effectiveness' in assisting with weight loss and diabetes.     The research is in the initial phases, but there have been studies showing that GLP-1s can lower alcohol cravings. Researchers found that GLP-1 plus therapy can reduce heavy drinking. And a clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry found that GLP-1s significantly reduced weekly alcohol cravings compared to placebo.   This may not be the magical cure for alcoholism that we've been looking for, but it could give the jump start we may need. Since the drinking problem is more like the canary in the mine saying something in your life is out of balance, a GLP-1 will not fix that.   We've always said at RE that there is no one-size-fits-all path to sobriety. For some people it's AA. For some it's therapy. For some it's community, nature, spirituality, movement. Maybe for some people, the path starts with a GLP-1.   [11:29] Paul introduces Lauren:   Lauren lives in Chicago, she is single, and she lives close to her family. She is a director of business processes for car wash equipment manufacturing. For fun, Lauren is a member of multiple clubs and enjoys taking painting classes.   Lauren says the first time she drank was while on a date when she was 16. She recalls that she blacked out and that blacking out was common for her throughout her drinking career. In college, Lauren was in sorority where they hosted a lot of drinking activities. This continued after she graduated and got a job. Drinking on the weekends, after work and at work events was common for Lauren.   Lauren's drinking got bad in 2018 when she began traveling often for work. When she wasn't traveling, she found herself drinking more frequently, often early in the day. She was driving while in blackouts, damaging her car and waking up the next day not knowing what happened. Over time Lauren realized she needed to quit. She began watching YouTube videos about quitting drinking and concluded that she needed to get off the road and find a job that was more stable if she was going to be able to quit.   Lauren tried moderation and it rarely worked. She was letting people down and not following through on commitments. She finally broke down with her sister on the phone on the morning after a blackout and told her she had a drinking problem. Lauren says this was when she surrendered. She said a prayer, vowed that she would try to quit and if she was successful, she would help others.   Lauren didn't know anyone that was sober, so she Googled sober podcasts and found RE. She began listening to episodes while walking. Lauren began to notice the similarities in everyone's' stories, instead of the differences. Lauren thought to herself "one day I'm going to be on this podcast". In addition to listening to the podcast, Lauren started practicing cognitive behavioral therapy. She is a member of Café RE and a local group in Chicago that meets every week.   The first few years were hard for Lauren. She reflects that maybe it was because she wasn't connected to a community at the time. As time has gone on, she has got more involved and is giving back to communities by hosting meetings and started her own coaching business called Sober Professional Club.   Lauren's parting piece of guidance: Don't wait. Do it today. Do it right now. You could have your last drink right now.   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down. You've got to take the stairs back up. We can do this.

Today we have Meg. She is 36 years old, lives in Houston, TX and she took her last drink on October 11th, 2020.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help   Soberlink – claim your $100 enrollment bonus   Bozeman 2026 – August 12th-16th, 2026   If you're wondering what you can expect in your first seven days alcohol free, check out our new FREE 7-day guide.   [02:26] Thoughts from Paul:   You've heard the opposite of addiction is connection. Alcohol wants you turning away from people into a more isolated life. Paul encourages us to find small moments in the day when you can open up towards life and shares some examples of how we can engage with other people and nature throughout our lives.   [07:21] Paul introduces Meg:   Meg is 36 years old and lives in Houston, TX with her two cats Fred and George. She works as an HR coordinator for Meow Wolf and for fun, Meg enjoys walking, puzzling and writing.   Meg didn't have her first drink until she was 18 years old but instantly knew it was a special elixir that was going to allow her to be more social and comfortable. Throughout college, Meg says she always drank, often to excess with the purpose of getting drunk. She didn't recognize it as a problem at that point and just continued to spend time with friends who drank like her.   Meg got two DUIs when she was in her early 20s. She developed relationships where drinking was part of how they would relate to one another. It wasn't until she was in a relationship with a normal drinker that her drinking became very noticeable. She found herself trying to moderate around him, but says it backfired often.   Meg's says that she had some cognitive dissonance growing because she knew that the alcohol was pulling her away from her authenticity but found herself drinking more to try and shut that voice down. The drinking escalated during COVID when Meg was working at home, drinking all day, and hiding bottles from her boyfriend. She soon lost her job and the next day her boyfriend broke up with her.   Meg moved from California, back into her mom's home in Las Vegas. Meg and her mother hadn't lived together for the last 10 years, so her mother wasn't aware how much Meg drank. After a day of drinking and blacking out, Meg and her mother got into a big fight that led to her trashing her room. Meg woke up the next day feeling really low and scared of the person she was becoming when she drank.   The day after the blowout, Meg and her mother had a long discussion where Meg revealed more to her about how drunk she was and that she had a problem with drinking. Her mother told her, "I love you and I don't like you right now". Meg says that was very painful, but it opened her up to working on recovery.   Meg knew she couldn't say "never" so instead focused on taking things day by day. She was in a great environment for healing and had plenty of time to take walks and she came up with an idea to treat it like an experiment. She set goals of not drinking through several upcoming events and leaned on friends and family to help hold her accountable.   After around 90 days, Meg recognized that she was doing ok by herself but knew she needed community and connection. She joined the Café RE community and started attending retreats, which have been life-changing for her.   Meg quickly saw some positive results when she quit drinking. Her career has kicked off, and she has been promoted every year since she started at Meow Wolf. Meg says she went from being a reactive person to a proactive person. Sobriety has given Meg tools to navigate the full range of emotions. Journalling and writing are important to Meg. She is currently documenting her journey through treatment for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma on her blog Sincerely, Nutmeg.   Meg's parting piece of guidance: make sober a priority, because you are worth it.   We love you, Meg. Looking forward to seeing you dance at Bozeman 2027! 😊   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down. You've got to take the stairs back up. We can do this.

Today we have Stef. She is 39 years old, lives in Truckee, CA, and took her last drink on March 24th, 2026.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Bozeman 2026 – August 12th-16th, 2026   If you're wondering what you can expect in your first seven days alcohol free, well, we just created a FREE 7-day guide for your first seven days.    [02:00] Thoughts from Paul:   Yes, we are all broken. Not because of a drinking problem, but because all 8 billion humans on the planet are perfectly imperfect.   While a drinking problem breaks you, it can be alchemized or transformed into your greatest strength. The transformation that someone makes when stepping into an alcohol-free life is hard to describe. Imperfection, brokenness, and flaws are not failures, but rather essential openings for growth, understanding, and hope.   "There's a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." – Leonard Cohen   "The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places..." – Ernest Hemingway   Kintsugi – the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending cracks with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum.   [06:10] Paul introduces Stef:   Stef is 39 years old, works in property management and has two dogs.     Stef was socially awkward growing up, but when she had her first drink, she says she felt at home. She loosened up and her personality came out. Rules were restrictive at home, so she didn't have a lot of opportunities to party until she was kicked out. She says she floated around and did a lot of partying at that point.   When Stef was in her early 20s, her boyfriend passed away in a drunk driving accident. Stef says the only way she knew how to cope with things was to drink and forget it.  It wasn't long after that she got her first DUI. She ran from the charges for about two years and when she was picked up on a warrant, she was sent to AA meetings.   Stef says going to the first AA meeting felt like the first drink she had. She felt like she belonged there. She was 24 at the time and was able to quit drinking for six months before moving which is when she stopped reaching out to her sponsor.   Stef thought that she could use what she learned in AA to keep her from drinking alcoholically again. But as time went on, the drinking ramped back up. Stef eventually found herself unemployed, unable to pay rent, and had to move in with her grandmother in Sacramento.   Things were going well for Stef. She was able to get a job, stopped drinking and partying, but she was still hiding alcohol and drinking after everyone in the house went to bed. Not long after this, she moved to Lake Tahoe because she enjoys snowboarding. She ended up choosing the party over snowboarding and began having consequences.   Between 2014 and 2019, Stef got three more DUIs. The fourth DUI came after a rock bottom day of drinking that ended with Stef in a mental health facility swearing that if she was able to get out of there, she would return to AA. The judge ultimately mandated that Stef attend AA, so she dove in and began a four and a half year stretch alcohol-free.   Stef says the desire to drink came out of nowhere in April of 2025. I progressed to daily drinking very quickly and once she caught herself justifying driving drunk again, she knew enough was enough. This time she is quitting for herself, not a court order.   Praying, playing the tape forward and attending meetings are important resources for Stef. She hasn't forgotten anything she learned in AA and now she enjoys being able to help others. Stef is grateful to have a clear head and be present for everyone in her life now.   Stef's parting piece of guidance: "Give yourself a chance. See what could come from it. It's likely going to be very positive for you. So give yourself that chance. You deserve it."   Recovery Elevator It all starts from the inside out. I love you guys.   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube Café RE      

Today we have Brooke. She is 55 years old, lives in Denver, CO and she took her last drink on February 17th, 2026.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help   If you're wondering what you can expect in your first seven days alcohol free, well, we just created a FREE 7-day guide for your first seven days.    [02:39] Thoughts from Paul:   In the upcoming book, This is How We Quit, we are currently narrowing down the submissions from 66 to around 20. While reviewing these all, Paul shares with us a snippet from one of them by Kristi, who was the guest on episode 492.   [07:45] Paul introduces Brooke:   Brookes lives in Denver, CO, has been married for 25 years and they have two sons. She has a background in education and for fun she enjoys being outside. They enjoy hiking, skiing, walking and playing tennis.   Growing up, Brooke believed that alcohol was necessary part of living. She saw her parents drink casually and was in a lot of environments where drinking was a given. Brooke took her first drink in high school, and it was just part of socializing throughout high school, college and her early professional years.   Brooke says it's hard to imagine a time when she didn't think drinking was normalized. Whether drinking for celebration or drinking for grieving, alcohol was always present.   Once Brooke reached her 40s, she noticed that it wasn't as easy to get up the next day without some sort of hangover symptoms even if all she had was one or two drinks after a hard day at work.     Brooke was starting to question her drinking but the talk about alcohol being "good for us" was conflicting. She was beginning to see the signs of alcohol interfering with her health. She was participating in cleanses for 10 or 30 days and found that she felt so much better when she took breaks from drinking. It was hard for her to think about quitting completely because if how much it was present socially.   When Brooke's mother was diagnosed with cancer, she noticed that all of the doctors discouraged alcohol. This got the wheels turning for Brooke and she did a deep dive on the detriments of alcohol on our bodies.   Brooke was recovering from shingles this past February and that is when she decided she was done with alcohol. She doesn't feel like it was a rock bottom moment, but more of a realization that she was just exhausted from the inner dialogue around her drinking.   When she initially quit, Brooke was questioning how she was going to show up in her life without the drinking. She had experience quitting from doing cleanses in the past, so she knew it would be tough initially, but was prepared to be kind to herself throughout the process. She focused on caring for herself as she would care for one of her children if they were in distress or sick.   Learning and reading research about what alcohol does to our bodies has been helpful for Brooke. She has learned to slow down and be more aware of her feelings and what she needs to make herself feel better, without alcohol. Brooke uses a breathwork to help calm her nervous system and has also found great healing in nature.   In addition to yoga, mediation, breathwork and nature, other resources Brooke has found helpful on her journey are attending therapy, reading Quitlit, research on functional medicine and reading the bible. Attending meetings with sober communities has been important as well.   At about two months sober at the time of this recording, Brooke says she feels stronger than she's ever felt. She feels free and clear in both her head and heart spaces and is excited to explore life free of alcohol.   Recovery Elevator Go big. Because eventually we'll all go home. I love you guys.   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube Café RE – THE social app for sober people      

Today we have Anita. She is 49 years old from Bend, OR and she took her last drink on January 4th, 2026.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help   [03:14] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares with us that in the upcoming interview, he and the guest talk about religion. While he knows this can be a triggering topic for some, including him, he encourages us to be open minded to both the interview and religion in general.   [12:38] Paul introduces Anita:   Anita is 49 years old, lives in Bend, OR she is single and works as a family doctor. Much of her family also lives in the area. Anita enjoys hiking, cold plunges, dancing and frequently travels to Esalen in Big Sur.   Anita was raised in a Christian cult called but went to public schools which left her feeling anxious and nervous all the time. She says the didn't have a TV at home, so Anita would find herself reading comics and snacking. This later developed into an eating disorder as she grew into adolescence.   Anita graduated from high school and attended a Christian college in Michigan. Being a rule follower, Anita didn't drink much before she was 21. Her drinking remained rather moderate while she was addressing her eating disorder. She was attending Overeaters Anonymous and followed a meal plan that didn't include alcohol.   After about five years, Anita became an atheist and decided she didn't want to practice medicine anymore. She decided to trust the universe and move to southern California, but it didn't go well for Anita, and she moved back to Oregon after four years.   Anita would go back and forth with alcohol over the years, but up until this past January, would always find herself going back. With a stressful job helping others, drinking was a way to regroup at the end of the day. On January 5th, Anita stumbled across a copy of Paul's book Alcohol is Shit she had in her office and started reading. From there, she started listening to the RE podcast and found herself deeply identifying with an interview Paul had with Sarah (episode 568).   Anita agrees that there is power in listening to others' stories. Acknowledging that she was a high-functioning alcohol user, Anita believes that we get to choose how low we go. She says while she still thinks of alcohol, it doesn't nip at her heels the way it used to. Intuitively she knows that it is toxic and no longer wants to use alcohol in her existence. Without alcohol she knows she can create more realness in her life that will help her address whatever is thrown at her. Anita believes in being open about her recovery and telling others that she doesn't drink. She continues to listen to podcasts, recently joined Café RE, reads books and watches YouTube videos. She has started interacting with nature more so it can reteach her where her place is in life.   Anita's parting piece of guidance: give it a chance. If you're listening to this, you're already conflicted about it. Give your heart a chance to have a day without alcohol and see where that takes you.   Recovery Elevator It all starts from the inside out. I love you guys.   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube Café RE – THE social app for sober people      

Today we have Will. He is 32 years old, lives in Allenstown, NH and took his last drink on October 5th, 2019.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Café RE – THE social app for sober people Bozeman 2026 – August 12th-16th, 2026   [06:22] Paul introduces Will:   Will is 32 years old, lives in New Hampshire and works for the US Postal Service. Will enjoys writing, watching films, hiking and traveling.    Will grew up in a strict, religious household. From middle school through high school, Will did homeschooling which left him feeling like he didn't really have any friends. By the time he was 15 or 16, he felt like he was missing out on a lot of life experiences. Will moved out of home with his brother when he turned 18 and says this is when his partying began as a way to make up for lost time.   Will began working in the food service industry and says it was his first taste of life outside of the religious bubble he had grown up in. While he had a level of social anxiety that kept him out of nightclubs and things of that nature, his brother enjoyed the nightlife and typically had alcohol in the house which Will would drink by himself.   Between the ages of 19 and 21, Will had found some friends he calls kindred spirits in that they were all creative and a little nerdy. He says his life was simple back then: go to work and then go hang out with his friends and play/watch video games while drinking.   At 22, Will got a DUI. This was not enough to make him feel like he needed to stop drinking but he thought he should try moderating. The financial struggles after the DUI were hard on Will and he was beginning to feel like he screwed his life up already. Between ages 22 and 24, Will references them as his rock bottom years. He was losing friends due to his behavior when he drank and felt haunted by social failures and missing opportunities.   Will tried going to therapy at 24 but didn't address his drinking at all. The anxiety and depression were crippling, and he began having suicidal ideations. Will tried going to AA but struggled not to focus on the things he didn't agree with. It was a TV series called Patrick Melrose that helped inspire Will to try something new. Will decided to try going to rehab.   Will started burning the ships with his family and the supervisory staff at his jobs so that he could plan to go to detox. He was there for nine days and says it was an amazing experience. He felt good about the decision to go and says he got a lot of out of it.   The cycle of starts and stops began, Will was trying to hide his drinking unsuccessfully. In this middle of this time, he had started dating someone and fell in love. They ended up moving in together. Will says the move was helpful for him, but he was still trying to drink and hide it from her.    The night before a planned trip to NYC, Will drank a couple of beers, and his girlfriend could smell it on him the next morning. They talked about it on the way to their Airbnb and Will spent his first day sober walking around the city. This experience left an impression on Will, and he recognized he could have fun sober and it made him crave more life experiences.   Will's girlfriend was very supportive; he returned to AA meetings and got a new therapist that specialized in addiction. After several months, he began taking classes for recovery support. An internship led to a job and Will says it was life changing.   Since being in recovery, Will says that his depression is gone and he is better at holding himself accountable in his life. A lot has happened since he quit drinking, but he feels that all of the challenges have made him stronger.   Recovery Elevator We took the elevator down. You've got to take the stairs back up. We can do this.   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube  

Today's episode includes a Q & A session conducted live at Recovery Point, which is a resource center for those who struggle with addiction located in Bozeman, Montana.   This episode is brought to you by: Sober Link sign up and claim your $100 enrollment bonus Café RE – THE social app for sober people Bozeman 2026 – August 12th-16th, 2026   [02:19] Paul introduces Jay, Jennifer, Chris and Linda   Each panel member shares a little about themselves and what drove them to seek recovery.   Question – When did you open up to community?   Jay shares that he started going to AA while in jail and attended a program called Bridging the Gap through treatment court which helped him find connection and community.   Jen was a few months into her recovery when she discovered Café RE and found that others sharing their stories helped her a lot.   Chris said he had made several half-hearted attempts at quitting before finding books and communities. He shares that he was stubborn at first, but now has made many friends in Café RE.   Linda attended treatment court with Jay but was trying to be a lone wolf. She didn't have a driver's license and found herself having to ask others for help. She found community in AA and NA/   Questions – What's your favorite recovery quote? One word to summarize your sobriety?   Linda – "it's only a thing if you make it a thing" and her word is "unbelievable"   Chris – "play the tape forward" and his word is "peaceful"   Jen – "keep it simple" and her word is "content"   Jay – "this too shall pass – the good and the bad" and his word is "serenity"   The panel shares their observations on the stigma around addiction decreasing and the increase of alcohol-free options when they go out. They all agree it is great to see that there are more options for people that don't want to drink and more and more places for opportunities to have mocktails while socializing and living life. Question – In a life without alcohol, has something surprised you?   Jen shares that she always loved to camp and the first time she went alcohol-free, she felt uncomfortable at first. She sees that she has more time to do the things she loves and try new things.   Chris says he has so much clarity and energy to do things. Having more time, flexibility and extra money has been nice.   Jay says a lot of his hobbies stayed the same, he just enjoys them more now. He realized he doesn't really like fishing after doing it for so many years. He has also found that he enjoys coaching his daughter's softball team.    Question – What advice do you have for the person that may be struggling to quit drinking?   Jay – you don't have to do it alone, you don't have to be ashamed   Jen – you can do it, and reach out   Chris – you don't have to do it alone, reach out and engage in a community   Linda – find one person that you can trust and start there.   [49:39] Thoughts from Paul:   The planet is currently giving out signs of distress, and all have anchoring to humans and what we have done to nature. Addiction may be the answer to this. When we stop poisoning ourselves with alcohol, a connection or reconnection with nature takes place.   Addiction, or the other side of addiction, is what connects our species back to the pulsations of the earth, animals, wind, sea and within our own hearts. Addiction and the healing that follows is what connects us back to ourselves, the planets, and the animals.   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down. You've got to take the stairs back up. We can do this.   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube Café RE    

Today we have Brittany. She is 44 years old, lives in New Braunfels, TX and she had her last drink on May 27th, 2025.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Café RE – THE social app for sober people Bozeman 2026 – August 12th-16th, 2026   [02:07] Paul introduces Brittany:   Brittany is 44 years old, is originally from Wisconsin, and lives in New Braunfels, TX with her husband of 18 years. Together they have four kids. For fun, Brittany enjoys sporting events and traveling with her family.   Brittany shares she had a great childhood. Her parents were very supportive of her and her older brother. Her father was the child of alcoholics, so he chose not to drink so there was limited exposure to it while Brittany was growing up.   Brittany's first drink was when she was 15 years old. She didn't drink much throughout her teens as she was more into sports that didn't leave much room for it. In Wisconsin, attending sporting events always included drinking. In college, Brittany enjoyed the party and playing drinking games and all of her friends drank like she did, so she didn't see it as a problem.   After college, Brittany met her husband. He went into the Air Force which found them moving to San Antonio. They hung out with a lot of other young married couples, and they all partied a lot on the weekends. Her husband didn't like Brittany's drinking so she would begin hiding how much she drank, seeing it as him trying to control her.   When their second daughter was born in 2014 with a rare genetic disorder, Brittany began to use alcohol as medication. Caring for a special needs child and also moving a lot as a military family was very stressful for Brittany. With her husband being deployed or on assignments, she was doing a lot of parenting alone which led her to self-medicate often.   When COVID happened, Brittany's husband was able to be home more, but that led to her drinking increase. Brittany switched from wine to vodka, assuming it would be less noticeable to her husband. She began to hide her drinking more and started promising to drink less but it never happened.   Memorial Day weekend of 2025 Brittany's husband left town for work, and she was getting the family settled into their new home with her parents. Brittany had vodka stashed and was drinking in secret throughout the day. That evening, she passed out at the dinner table. Since she had been lying to everyone about drinking, they were worried that something else might be wrong and her mother took her to the hospital.   While she was there, both the nurse and the doctor could see what the issue was, but Brittany was still in denial. Brittany will never forget when the doctor told her, "You are not alone". At this point, the family knew and it felt like a weight was lifted.   A family friend became a lifeline for Brittany, and she contacted him the next day. He is also in recovery and helped her feel less alone. She went to her first AA meeting that day. With the help of her parents since they were living in Wisconsin, Brittany was able to attend meetings, sometimes two, daily.   Brittany says things changed for her very quickly. She started feeling better physically, was losing weight and began working out. The light was beginning to come back into her eyes. Parenting was hard, but she enjoys it much more now that she isn't drinking.   Brittany's parting piece of guidance: You are not alone. Find a sober community and jump in with both feet.   Recovery Elevator It all starts from the inside out. I love you guys.   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube Café RE