Recovery Elevator

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 public health crisis that is being overshadowed by the opioid epidemic and marijuana legalization.  During an 11 year gap, the number...

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.  Accountability is the key, you can't do this alone.  Alcoholism is a thinking disease.  You can't think your way out of it.  Knowledge is no...

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 be like?   Dave- I didn't have any set expectations.  It has been sharing, but so much more.  I have connected with every sin...

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 troubling trend with potentially dire implications for the country's future health-care costs. The number of adults who binge drink at lea...

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 Compassion" is summarized. Tori with 16 days since her last drink, shares her story.   SHOW NOTES   [9:25] Paul Introduces Tori.  I am...

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.  A feeling that this moment does not contain enough happiness.  How you live today is how you live the rest of your life.  When we d...

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 expect. Here, in her most beloved and acclaimed work, Pema shows that moving toward painful situations and becoming intimate with them...

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 globe.  They found that 50% of the people tested had elevated liver values.  The price of alcohol has become significantly cheaper th...

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 the spiritual consequences of drinking alcohol. Let's begin by taking a look at the etymology of the Word alcohol. Etymology means th...

Rule Number One of podcasting is plug in the microphone. Pete, with 488 days of sobriety shares his story.   SHOW NOTES   [2:19] Paul Introduces Pete.  I am 38 years old, and golfing is my favorite leisure activity.  I have an 8-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son.  I am in construction sales, mostly traveling around Ohio and surrounding states.    [6:07] Paul- When did you realize you had a pr...

"The most effective way to do it, is to do it."  - Amelia Earhart Paul discusses his difficulties in quitting smoking, and it's parallels to quitting drinking.  Alcohol is not your friend.  Stop drinking cold turkey, and don't try to a taper off strategy.  Rip the Band-Aid off.  Get rid of the booze from your house.  At this moment, you are not stronger than your addiction.  One day at a time.  Th...

Paul discusses the webinar, which took place in Café Re, and focused on why taking action is so hard.  It's much better to focus on the action and not the results.  We are definitely in a results oriented society.  Focus on the journey and not the destination.  Success can follow a flawed effort, and failure can follow a flawless effort.  If your happiness is predicated on your success, and if you...

Garrett, with 16 days since his last drink, shares his story   SHOW NOTES   [ 9:15 ] Paul Introduces Garrett .  I've had stretches of sobriety, I had 14 months, and I've had 3 years.  I live in Southern California, in Santa Clarita.  I work in outside sales, which is a non-structured job perfect for an alcoholic with hangovers.  I'm 43, married, like going to Dodger Games.  I have 2 kids, 1 in hig...

Mary, with 3 years since her last drink, shares her story…. We all think that the cities we live in should be on the "Nations Drunkest Cities" list.  The state of Wisconsin wins the prize for the largest number of cities on this list.  Listed below are a few of the favorites: Greenbay, WI O'Clair, WI Appleton, WI Fargo, ND Missoula, MT Iowa City, IA Lincoln, NE Milwaukee, WI   SHOW NOTES   [6:31]...

Becky, with 10 months since her last drink, shares her story………… What I learned after spending the weekend with 12 other people at a lake house: People did not care that I was not drinking People were appreciative to have a designated driver Drunk people have the memory of a goldfish Hangovers still suck Noticed potential problem drinkers Everyone overshot their mark Alcohol makes you act like an...

Dan, with 27 years since his last drink, shares his story…… The new Café RE Blue has been launched.  This face book group will cap @ 200.  If you would like to join, go to www.recoveryelevator.com .  Enter the promo code 1month to get the first month for free. Getting sober can be confusing.  14 medical schools only offer 1 class on addiction so it is no wonder doctors do not always "get it."  Jus...

Jason, with 4 years since his last drink, shares his story……………. Sign up now, there are only 3 spots left for the RE Retreat in Bozeman, MT ( www.recoveryelevator.com ) Paul reviews the GQ interview with Brad Pitt.  Pitt states that he was boozing too much and learned that either you deny your feelings and stay where you are or you feel the feelings and evolve.  He did not want to live that way an...

Kari, with 4 years since her last drink, shares her story………………. Café RE is now on a waitlist to join.  Once the list gets to approximately 30-40 people, another group will be formed.  To be placed on the waitlist, go to www.recoveryelevator.com and click on the Café RE tab at the top of the page.  Enter the promo code RE1month to join. Paul reviews the video "The 13th Step."  The 13th step (where...

Steph, with 6 months since her last drink, shares her story Café RE is now on a waitlist to join.  Once the list gets to approximately 30-40 people, another group will be formed.  To be placed on the waitlist, go to www.recoveryelevator.com and click on the Café RE tab at the top of the page.  Enter the promo code RE1month to join. It is often said that our HP will not give us more than we can han...

Ashley, with 16 days since her last drink, shares her story….. Do not forget the AALRM race in Bozeman MT, on 5/20.  This supports recovery.  You can also sign up to do a virtual run at www.recoveryelevator.com\run .  Enter promo code "recovery" for a discount.  The Café RE private face book group will be capped at 300 members.  If you would like to join the original group, now is the time to sign...

Laura, with 41 days since her last drink, shares her story……. Do you ever feel duped by alcohol?  Throughout high school, we were all told to "just say no" to drugs but not much was ever said about alcohol.  The reality is that only 1 in 10 people with an alcohol problem get treatment.  The research shows that the number 1 most addictive drug is alcohol.  It kills more people than all other drugs...

Julie, with 92 days sober, shares her story……… Big alcohol companies like to blame the individual rather than the poison that they sell.  The liquor industry spends millions of dollars on advertisements that tell us we should drink responsibly.  If we do not drink responsibly, than we are to blame.  We should know when to say when, right?  The facts show that alcohol kills 85,000 people each year....

Coral, with 7 months since her last drink, shares her story…… Do we have to say it again?  Let's drop the stigma regarding addiction.  The research shows that alcoholics have a genetic predisposition towards alcohol.  It is not a character defect, nor a moral weakness.  Yet, even after these results are published, about 20% of the general population, along with many psychiatrists still believe tha...

Michael, with 32 years since his last drink, shares his story. In a recent CNN interview with Jeremy Broderick, he talks about how the GOP replacement plan for Obamacare makes things worse for the addict.  Many treatment plans were covered under Medicaid as well as the Affordable Care Act.  Trump-care isn't what is seems to be and pushes more for accessibility instead of universal coverage.  In th...

Heath, with 40 days since his last drink, shares his story….. *****Please review the RE podcast in iTunes***** Can we taper off alcohol?  It is nearly impossible to cut back on alcohol because it is so addictive.  Our own addictive mind lies to us and tells us that we can cut back.  In all of the interviews done on the Recovery Elevator podcast, there has not been 1 interviewee who claimed they we...