Recovery Elevator | Stop Drinking, Start Recovering. | Alcohol, Addiction & Life In Sobriety

Episode 371– Define your sobriety   Today we have Cyndi. She is 52, from California, and she took her last drink on  July 1, 2021.   Registration for the Bozeman retreat opens April 1. https://recoveryelevator.com/bozeman   Highlights from Paul   Recovery is recovering the person you were meant to be or is the most authentic version of yourself. This isn’t a practice you want to end. It’s not a checkbox or to-do list item. Besides, if you stick with it, you will start enjoying this work.   What is success in recovery? Paul says YOU should define success for the most essential endeavor of your life. Know your why and write it down. Loving yourself and being okay with yourself should top the list.   Kala Ukelele: www.kalabrand.com/elevator - 15% off your first ukelele Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month                                                                               [11:12] Cyndi is married loves hiking, puzzles, and pets.   Alcohol entered Cyndi’s life when she w

Episode 370– Phases of Recovery   Today we have Stephanie. She is from Pennsylvania, and she took her last drink on  January 2, 2020.   Ditch the Booze:  https://recoveryelevator.com/cafére   Promo Code:  OPPORTUNITY   Finding your better you with Odette   After ten years of being in recovery, Odette discovers that she never asked herself what recovery means to her. Success means different things to different people. When Odette decided to add alcohol to her recovery journey, she enjoyed counting days and celebrating milestones. Fear is a common theme Odette noticed among her sober soulmates,  fear of failure.    Relapse has been part of Odette’s journey, and she spoke about how common relapse is for those in recovery. As she searched for the reasons she relapsed, she discovered depression, perfectionism, and shame patterns. Shame dissolves hope, and without hope, you stop showing up. Sobriety for Odette is about walking toward herself and her truth.   Odette encourages listeners to define sobriety and recove

Episode 369– You can be right, or you can have peace   Today we have Katherine. She is from Colorado and took her last drink on September 24, 2021.   Ditch the Booze:  https://recoveryelevator.com/cafére   Promo Code:  OPPORTUNITY   Kala Brand Ukelele:  www.kalabrand.com/elevator   Highlights from Paul   Paul speaks to the rise of post-pandemic alcohol-free bars. Check out: https://www.wweek.com/bars/2022/02/17/portland-is-getting-its-first-zero-proof-bar-courtesy-of-no-booze-cocktail-kit-vendor-suckerpunch/   Paul speaks to brain fog and how much it impacts those of us with a history of drinking problems. Fortunately, Paul has experienced continued improvement in his cognitive function since ditching the Booze. Paul also credits meditation with improving his critical thinking and problem-solving skills. There is ample scientific evidence that meditation can rewire your thinking.   Paul also credits plant-based medicine, playing music, and being less reactive with helping his brain fog and mental cognition. P

Episode 368 – The Mind F&ck of Alcohol   Today we have Stephen. He is from New Jersey and took his last drink on September 15, 2020.   Ditch the Booze:  https://recoveryelevator.com/cafére   Promo Code:  OPPORTUNITY   Highlights from Paul   Paul shares an email from a listener who asks Paul how people without a drinking problem can get help. He talks about the A&E show “Intervention” and how he often watched it while drinking alone, grateful he didn’t have a problem with alcohol. The show, Intervention gave Paul countless examples of how alcohol “f&cks” with your mind.   After 276 interventions on the show, 270 accepted treatment, with 151 remaining clean and sober today, which is a 55% success rate. If those numbers are accurate, they are much more optimistic than the broadly accepted low teen success rate you hear from the industry.   Paul reminds listeners that you probably have a drinking problem if you are listening to a sobriety podcast. The point of addiction is to get to know yourself and

Episode 367 – Why geographical cures won’t work.   Today we have Aaron. He is from San Antonio and took his last drink on May 22, 2019.   Ukulele:  https://kalabrand.com/elevator   Highlights from Paul   Paul advises listeners that if you aren’t doing the inner work, your problems will follow you, whether you move, change jobs, or change relationships. That’s why geographic cures don’t work. He speaks about some of his geographic solutions and why they helped temporarily, but eventually, he discovered he was the problem and had to buckle down to do the deep inner work. Paul highly recommends getting out of toxic situations.    Paul describes the inner work as connecting with yourself, learning to love yourself, setting boundaries, making decisions that benefit your sobriety, and standing up for yourself. Ultimately, inner work often causes you to leave toxic situations, relationships, jobs, etc.   When you learn to respect yourself, you will choose environments that are conducive to your wholeness.    Better

Episode 366 – Walking each other home   Today we have Hailey. She is 29, from Portland, OR, and took her last drink on September 3, 2019.   Connect with Cafe RE   Highlights from Paul   Focus on the similarities, not the differences – if you believe you are unique, your inner voice can sabotage your efforts. Create a plan or strategy that will help you in those challenging moments when you want to drink. Have it with you and use it. Be mindful of the inner voice that can cause you to self-implode. Awareness helps you override negative inner thoughts. Walk each other home – listen to others, help others, and shine the light on a new way of living. As you heal, you will help others heal as well. Say thanks to those that walk you home. When you find love, enjoy life.   Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator                                                                               [11:35] Hailey has been sober for 2 ½ years and describes sobriety as different in the third year.   She has been in the res

Episode 365 – So Who Do I Connect With?   Today we have Joshua. He is 36 years old and from North Carolina. His last drink was on October 31, 2020.   https://kalabrand.com/   Highlights from Paul:   Happy Valentine’s Day! The opposite of addiction is connection. Paul shares that reality is a mirror reflecting your inner world. The most important connection we have is the connection we have with ourselves. If we don’t love, treat ourselves with respect or stand up for ourselves, that will appear in our outer world. Connecting with yourself allows you to become your own healer. Once your inner connection/relationship is healthy, that will be reflected in your external connections.   Paul recommends splitting your internal and external actions 50/50. Connect with yourself first (via meditation, journaling, yoga, etc.), then connect externally (Café RE chat, Marco Polo chat, a family member).   Johan Hari’s Ted Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY9DcIMGxMs   BetterHelp: www.betterhelp.com/elevator   [10:45] Od

Episode 364 – Booze Cruise   Today we have Ben. He is 41 from England and took his last drink on September 26, 2021.   Exact Nature exactnature.com Code:  RE20   Highlights from Paul   Paul shares some highlights from Recovery Elevator’s recent trip to Costa Rica. The group wound up on a booze cruise, remained sober, and had more fun dancing, swimming, and connecting than others who were drinking. The group trusted Paul and had a blast.   Anxiety and depression often happen when we feel disconnected. Paul described driving through Montana in a location where people waived to one another on the road. That simple gesture was a form of mini-connection; it feels good and elevates dopamine levels in a healthy way. When you perform an act of kindness, it always provokes another. Paul suggests waiving at someone at a stoplight and reminds us that the opposite of addiction is connection.    Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator                                                                               [11:29]

Episode 363 – The most powerful pharmacy in the world   Today we have Brian. He is 48 years old and from Ohio. His last drink was on March 31, 2019.   For more information about our Denver event, please go here.   Exact Nature www.exactnature.com Code: RE20   Highlights from Paul: How do you leverage the brain to work in your favor?   Acknowledge there is a problem.  Make sure your mental energies match your goal. Use the thinking mind to pull up a good memory (vacation, significant accomplishment). The cycle: The more the nervous system is in check, the more you want to do things that bring you joy. The more you do something that brings you joy, the more your nervous system calms down.   Listen to the nature sounds playlist. We forget that we come from nature; we evolved with crickets and blue jays. All you need to do is listen to nature sounds and allow them to calm the nervous system.   BetterHelp: www.betterhelp.com/elevator   [11:19] Odette introduces Brian   Brian has been sober for 1000 days.  He is f

Today we have Noelle. She is 31 years old and from Colorado. Her last drink was on June 24, 2019.   Highlights from Odette   Odette is working on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with her therapist. ACT encourages people to embrace their thoughts and feelings rather than fighting or feeling guilty for them.   Odette is learning not to shove her feelings away but to accept them and learn not to fuse them. Embracing negative thoughts can propel you into the right thoughts and behaviors.    If I let this thought guide what I can do, will it help me create the life I want? Use the thought if it helps; diffuse it if it's not helpful.    betterhelp.com/elevator   [8:54] Kris introduces Noelle     Noelle has been sober for 2.5 years – over 900 days!   She is an engineer and works with her brother. She has a Doberman and loves hiking, skiing, and getting outside to enjoy Colorado.   Noelle had a fake ID at 17 and always thought about how to get alcohol easier. She got into college because of her basketball ski

Today we have Eric. He is 58 years old and from New Jersey. His last drink was on February 10, 2019.     The RE Alcohol Free Ukulele course registration is open! Sign up here.   For more information about our Denver event, please go here.     From Paul: Why is working with the nervous system so important?   The cycle: The more the nervous system is in check the more you want to do things that bring you joy. The more you do things that bring you joy, the more your nervous system calms down.   Listen to the nature sounds playlist. We forget that we come from nature, we evolved with the crickets and blue jays. All you have to do is listen to nature sounds and allow it to calm the nervous system.     [10:03] Odette introduces Eric.     Eric is 58 years old and from New Jersey. He is a teacher. He also enjoys performing in theater as well as teaching theater. For fun he likes hiking and going to the gym. Being in nature is important to him.   He grew up around alcohol and for him it was very normalized. As a kid

Today we have Lane. She is from San Francisco. Her last drink was on December 30, 1996.   The RE Alcohol Free Ukulele course registration opens January 7th 2022. Sign up here. For more information about our Denver event, please go here.     Paul reminds you that you’re declining one drink at a time. When we think about quitting drinking, a scenario arises in our mind with 100’s of people, simultaneously offering us drinks, all at once. That will never happen, and just like one day at a time, you’re saying no to one drink at a time.     As Paul mentioned at the end of last year he wants to cover the Nervous System, which is what he’ll be covering today, and in future episodes. Today he covers why it’s important to have a balanced nervous system and he explains, in layman's terms, what the nervous system is.   [11:38] Odette introduces Lane.   Lane is in her 50s, and lives in San Francisco, CA.  She took her last drink on December 30, 1996.  Lane is a wife and mother and a mindfulness and meditation teacher.  L

Today we have Shea. She is 42 years old and from Michigan. Her last drink was on August 9, 2021.     The RE Dry January course: REstore began January 1. There’s still time to join us! Sign up here. The RE Alcohol Free Ukulele course registration opens January 7th 2022. Sign up here. For more information about our Denver event, please go here.       From Paul: “I cannot tell you how to quit drinking”   For Paul the most important thing that helped him along his journey to being alcohol free is: accountability. Paul tells his story of one of his attempts to stop drinking in 2014. He told his family he needed help.   Paul’s 2022 goal is simply: To be sober.   As he continues to build time away from alcohol, he wants to remind listeners that even he doesn’t have it all together. And the thing he’s most proud of is the ability to recognize the insanity of his own thinking mind.   * Silencio Bruno *       [09:03] Odette introduces Shea.     Shea is 42 years old and from Michigan. She took her last drink on August 9

Episode 358 – Don’t Forget to Sing Your Song   Today we have Randy.  He is 43, from Indianapolis, and took his last drink on December 30, 2016.   Registration is now open for Restore which begins January 1,2022.   https://www.recoveryelevator.com/restore/   Highlights from Paul   This week’s tips from Paul include:  1) not everyone drinks, 2) sing, 3) give yourself a hug and say I love you.   There is a lot of uncertainty in the world and change is hard.  Find your song, that melody in your soul that is uniquely you that you sing over and over. You are the master creator of your life. https://www.recoveryelevator.com/meditations/   Exact Nature exactnature.com Code:  RE20                                                                               [9:27] Randy has been sober for nearly 5 years.  He is married with 4 kids and loves animals and running.   Randy was on episode 129.  Randy was in the restaurant business, and he was always surrounded by people who drank.  Toward the end, the hangovers and anxiet

Episode 357 – Practice Saying No   Today we have Jenn.  She is 34, from Michigan, and took her last drink on April 10, 2020.   Registration is now open for Restore which begins January 1,2022.   https://www.recoveryelevator.com/restore/.  AF Ukulele course starts 2/5/22 at 3 PM EST. https://www.recoveryelevator.com/ukulele/   Highlights from Paul   Paul talks about the parameters for success.  There’s an unhealthy paradigm in the sobriety world that it’s all a bust if we drink once. While continuous sobriety is the ultimate goal,  getting there is never pretty, and most likely is launched off a series of relapses or field research.  If you are drinking less than you did last holiday season, that’s a huge improvement.    This week’s tips from Paul include:  1) say no, 2) practice saying no, 3) create your own pep talk.   Sometimes the desire to stop drinking only swirls in our thoughts.  Don’t underestimate the power of thought.  Our thoughts are powerful.  They create our world.  Immediately discard the thoug

Episode 356 – Play the Tape Forward   Today we have Ashley.  She is 35 from Orange County, CA, and took her last drink on January 7, 2006.   Registration is now open for Restore, which begins January 1, 2022.   https://www.recoveryelevator.com/restore/ Café RE:  https://www.recoveryelevator.com/cafere/   Highlights from Paul   Paul encourages you to check in with yourself about your feelings about your AF journey.  There are more recovery modalities than ever.  Keep searching for the one that works for you.  This week’s tips are:  Play the tape forward.  Treat yourself to a gift.  Take three deep breaths into the lower lobes of the lung.    Drinking served a purpose for you initially.  Alcohol suppresses your inner turmoil: It gives you a sense of calm.  As you continue to suppress those voices, they grow louder, and you must drink more to make those feelings go away.  If you continue to override your internal guidance system, you live life truly blind, and nothing of significance takes place.  When do the mi

Episode 355 – the Uno reverse card.   Today we have Rocio.  She is 42, from Washington state, and took her last drink on August 31, 2020.   Registration is now open for Restore which begins January 1,2022.   https://www.recoveryelevator.com/restore/   Highlights from Paul   Paul reminds you if you drank over Thanksgiving or your sobriety plans aren’t going so hot, don’t kick the bucket to January or to the next holiday season.    This week’s tips from Paul include:  1) rest, 2) Uno reverse card – remember that most criticisms and judgments have nothing to do with you, 3) remind yourself that you are physically safe.  Much of our addiction is tied to an overactive nervous system that prevents us from departing from the fight or flight emotions.   When we’re drinking, there is no time left to create, to explore, to discover, to get to know, or reflect upon. Instead, we are picking up the pieces, sometimes trying to put the pieces together from the night before. Much of this behavior is the body seeking safety a

Episode 354   Today we have Cordell.  He is 38, from North Dakota, and took his last drink on December 6, 2017.   Highlights from Odette   Odette has some helpful hints to contribute to Paul’s Holiday Survival Guide.  Odette suggests 1) have a fun escape plan, 2) offer to do the dishes, 3) dig into your arsenal of why’s.   Beyond tips, Odette suggests really focusing on effective communications.  Set expectations in advance, particularly with those closest to you so they understand you are committed to staying sober, even if it means leaving early.  You don’t have to burn the ships either, you can reference plans early the next day.  Odette says having a puppy is a great reason to leave a party early.    Exact Nature exactnature.com Code:  RE20   [6:05] Cordell took his last drink December 6, 2017.  He is 38 and has a wife and 3 kids.  He spends lots of time chasing kids and he works in a coal mine.  Sobriety is the best choice he ever made.   Cordell was raised in a Christian family with lots of family gathe

Episode 353 – It’s a Week to be Thankful   Today we have Jan.  She is from Connecticut and took her last drink on February 1, 2021.   Restore – intensive on-online dry January 15 session course. Registration opens 12/1/21. Costa Rica starts January 15. Email kate@recoveryelevator.com to get on waiting list. AF Sober Ukulele (8 week) course starts 2/5/2022. Registration opens January 7th. Denver Retreat (3/31 – 4/2) Register: https://www.recoveryelevator.com/denver/   Café RE donated $15,094.73 to organizations and non-profits geared towards helping those affected by addiction.   Highlights from Paul   Paul is encouraging listeners to develop a game plan for the holidays.  Last week he encouraged us to: 1) create a detailed craving plan, 2) turn FOMO into JOMO by saying no and, 3) pick a holiday theme song.   Paul shares that when we make the decision to not drink, an unbelievable amount of energy is released. This is less about staying away from alcohol and more about creating a life that doesn’t require al

Episode 352 – Allow the deeper you to emerge   Today we have Kendall.  He is 30, from Texas, and took his last drink on March 13, 2021.   Paul shares some personal insights on the growth of Recovery Elevator.   Highlights from Paul   Paul resumes the discussion about having a game plan for the holidays.  He reminds us that alcohol can have catastrophic effects.   A recap from last week:  1) Accountability, 2) Stock up on AF beverages, 3) Begin a new healthy practice that you enjoy.  Paul introduces three additional concepts: 1) Develop a cravings plan and get specific, 2) JOMO – find something this holiday season to say “no” to and savor the new boundary, 3) Pick your holiday theme song.    When you begin the journey in a life without alcohol, an incredible thing begins to take place.  You get to experience a transformation that allows the deeper you to emerge.  You get to know yourself, your true and authentic self, your needs, wants, desires and more. Paul encourages us to listen to the inner voice and the