Recovery Rocks

Now that Dry January is in the rearview mirror, what comes next? Tawny and Lisa discuss how taking a break from booze gives us an opportunity to be intentional and consider what a dry or damp month can provide. Maybe it helped to identify triggers and stressors – including people – and how you might handle them without alcohol going forward. Maybe you picked up some new habits and friends you’d li...

Tawny and Lisa talk to Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, an author, TV personality, and cohost of the popular podcast For Crying Out Loud , about her new book, DRUNK-ISH: Loving and Leaving Alcohol . She is the co-host of the podcasts, For Crying Out Loud, Rose Pricks, and Bored A.F. She co-created and hosted the late-night comedy parenting show Parental Discretion with Stefanie Wilder-Taylor for NickMom on...

Tawny and Lisa announce their new card deck out next fall! The Sobriety Deck is for anyone making the choice not to drink today, whether sober or sober-curious. It will provide support, guidance and inspiration in an easy-to-use format that can be drawn on anytime you need a little boost or help. While the deck is a real light, they also discuss the realistic side of recovery: when there’s good ne...

Tawny discovered a name for the Venn diagram of burnout, imposter syndrome, and work addiction than many of us struggle with: Productivity Dysmorphia. Focused on output and feeling like we’re never doing enough, productivity dysmorphia keeps us from understanding how much we truly do and have already done. To fight it, we can recognize it as a feeling (not a fact) and ask ourselves if we really ne...

Tawny and Lisa talk about what’s ahead in 2024. It’s a Strength card year in the Tarot – showing up and standing with a lion. And we know it’s going to be a challenging year in U.S. with so much at stake in our election. How do we take care of ourselves? One day at a time, for sure. And also asking, how can I “go first” in my life, while still showing up for everything and everyone we need to.   ...

Tawny and Lisa talk to Dr. Brooke Scheller, the creator of Functional Sobriety and New York City’s top nutritionist specializing in alcohol use. Her new book, How to Eat to Change How You Drink , is a guide to leverage food and nutrition to reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption, develop mindfulness, and promote a healthier relationship with alcohol. Music Minute features Jewel   Find all things...

Tawny and Lisa talk with Carrie Finch, Deputy Director of PAWS NY, an organization which provides pet care support to older adults and individuals living with illness, substance abuse, or disability in New York City, allowing these families to stay together and thrive. PAWS NY recently launched a new Substance Use Recovery Program, which provides foster and emergency care for pets as their guardia...

Tawny and Lisa interview Jill Sirianni, co-host of the podcast Frugal Friends, which aims to change how we think about frugality. It does not mean being cheap. Frugal living intersects with minimalism, simple living and sustainability. Many of us have financial stress, often left over from when we abused substances. They talk about how practicing curiosity around finances can help identify priorit...

Tawny and Lisa interview Gina Moffa, author of the new book Moving On Doesn’t Mean Letting Go: A Modern Guide to Navigating Loss . Grief can show up over a death, the end of a friendship or relationship, or an ambiguous loss. Gina takes an honest look at how grief affects our lives and provides a heartfelt, practical map through the dark terrain of loss, shifting the pain of grief even when things...

Tawny and Lisa celebrate 200 episodes of Recovery Rocks and send a giant thank you to all of the listeners! It’s also the fifth holiday episode. They talk about getting through the season in a way that keeps their recoveries strong. That means planning ahead, setting boundaries, and taking time for themselves. As always, “No,” is a complete sentence, but no one has to navigate the holidays alone e...

Tawny and Lisa talk about burnout, a term that’s everywhere these days, but can sometimes be hard to spot in ourselves. A recent article from The New York Times , "Your Body Knows When it's Burned Out," lays out both the symptoms of burnout and how you might address them. It helps to recognize burnout when it begins to appear. Then we are able to question the causes and begin – slowly and in our o...

Tawny got married! She and Lisa talk about life milestones and rites of passage sans alcohol. While being grateful for living lives beyond what they expected when quitting booze, they also recognize that there are no guarantees in life. They talk about not relying on external events (marriage, moves, kids) to “fix” their lives. The most important thing is working to become comfortable and confiden...

Tawny and Lisa welcome writer, teacher, and retired indie rock drummer, Freda Love Smith. Her new memoir, I Quit Everything explores addiction, intoxication, and the twilight of her musical career. They talked about Freda’s experiment taking time off from alcohol, sugar, caffeine, weed, and social media during the pandemic. For some people, those not experiencing full-blown addiction, quitting for...

Tawny’s and Lisa’s good friend Katie Mack is back to talk about her latest project, #UGLYCRY, a one-woman show onstage in New York. Based on a true story, after the death of her ex-boyfriend, Mack, a grieving, social media-obsessed millennial brings him back to life with her phone. They talk about how grief looks different for everyone and changes over time, as well as how loved ones live on with...

Tawny and Lisa talk about the importance of taking care of their bodies, which helps them take care of their brains. Tawny recently had bronchitis and when her doctor asked if she was using her asthma inhaler, she had forgotten all about her asthma! When she used it, it totally helped. Lisa has issues with her back and while she knows her physical therapy exercises would prevent flare-ups, she oft...

Tawny and Lisa went on reading sprees over the summer (nothing new – Tawny has already read 42 books this year!). They talk about some of their recent favorites, including RIPE , YELLOWFACE ,  OLD ENOUGH , and THE LAST CHAIRLIFT . They’re all new books from both emerging authors and an old favorite (John Irving) and all have compelling, unique messages.   Music Minute features two of Tawny’s recen...

Recent research suggests that people who habitually judge negative feelings — such as sadness, fear and anger — as bad or inappropriate have more anxiety and depression symptoms and feel less satisfied with their lives than people who generally perceive their negative emotions in a positive or neutral light. Tawny and Lisa discuss how they try to keep their negative feelings in context. They also...

One of the things Tawny and Lisa love about sober life is being able to show up for other people, often people they couldn’t truly show up for before. But showing up isn’t always on our time – we don’t control who plans what and when. They talk about those times and how they handle them. Tawny was in a wedding the weekend before her book launch! Clear communication, as well as managing boundaries...

Tawny and Lisa talk with Amanda Kuda, an alcohol-free lifestyle expert and the author of the upcoming book, Unbottled Potential: Break Up with Alcohol and Break Through To Your Best Life . Amanda is also a holistic life coach and speaker. She teaches a modern approach to personal development, self-actualization and spiritual enlightenment through the lens of elective sobriety. They talk about all...

Tawny’s officially a published author! Her book, DRY HUMPING, is the book she needed when she was newly sober and terrified of dating and intimacy. Tawny’s book baby is out and on sale wherever you get your books! Tawny and Lisa talk all about DRY HUMPING and how it will help readers on sober and sober-curious journeys have better dates, sex, and partnerships. It’s the book Tawny wishes she had wh...

Tawny and Lisa catch up on what’s been going on this summer. DRY HUMPING is out September 19! Tawny talks about recording her audiobook, pre-launch stress and how she’s managing the things she can’t control. Lisa talks about her presentation to first-year law students at Vanderbilt Law School and how important it is for young people going into high-stress professions to understand how to take care...

Tawny and Lisa chat with Celeste Yvonne, author of It’s Not About the Wine: The Loaded Truth About Mommy Wine Culture . She is a certified sober coach (IAPRC) with over 20 years of experience as a communications professional in corporate America. Her writing has been featured in The Washington Post , Good Morning America, The Wall Street Journal , and others. Celeste is founding host of the Sober...

Tawny and Lisa talk with Dawn Nickel, a founder of the SHE RECOVERS® Foundation, a groundbreaking organization serving women and non-binary individuals globally in or seeking recovery from mental health issues, trauma, substance use and related life challenges. It recognizes that we are all recovering from something and no one should have to recover alone. Dawn is a Certified Professional Recovery...

Tawny has recently experienced the loss of several friends from drugs, alcohol and by suicide, mainly in Waco, Texas, where she grew up. It’s a mental health desert where many are encouraged to “pray away” addiction or depression. She and Lisa talk about coping with grief in sobriety, which means feeling your feelings and leaning into resources.   Music Minute features KISS and King’s X.   Call or...

Tawny and Lisa talk to (and fangirl!) Ann Dowsett Johnston, the bestselling author of DRINK: THE INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WOMEN AND ALCOHOL , the book that broke the story on the pinking of the alcohol market and the closing of the risky drinking gender gap. Now a psychotherapist, Ann also runs her popular memoir-writing course called Writing Your Recovery, open to women. They talk about the...