Recovery Rocks

Tawny and Lisa talk about getting their COVID vaccines and revisit their earlier concerns about agoraphobia as we start to return to something like normal. The good news is neither of them are experiencing significant fears going back out into the world. Tawny talks about reading, "How to Talk to a Science Denier" and the concern around living in different realities. Music Minute features Dolly Pa...

TW: Heavy content. Tawny and Lisa talk about Lisa’s search for whether trauma underlies her substance use disorder. They talk about nightmares, looking back at the past, and looking forward. Music Minute: Tawny recommends “Beautiful Trauma” by Pink and Lisa discusses “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac.

Relapse is a common conversation in the recovery community. Tawny and Lisa discuss how relapse isn’t black and white, especially for folks in recovery from eating disorders, sex addiction, or other behaviors. When it comes to Netflix binges or online shopping, it can be a fine line between self-care and unhealthy escapism, but Tawny and Lisa share tips on how to distinguish between the two. Music...

Tawny and Lisa open up about their journeys to getting on medication for depression and anxiety. This conversation is a classic example of how everyone’s recovery journey is unique and always evolving. The two also stress the value of taking mental health days at work. Music Minute: Alanis Morrisette’s “Smiling” and their eternal crush on Pete Davidson.

Kate from Seltzer Squad podcast joins Tawny and Lisa as they discuss what it’s like to have a partner who still drinks alcohol. Kate and Lisa talk about having partners who are “normies” with alcohol. They also discuss protecting their own recoveries and finding their voices in conversations with their partners.

In sobriety, it’s common to feel like we’re constantly making up for the time we wasted while we were getting wasted. Lisa and Tawny bond over the feeling of constantly feeling like they’re behind, which leads to feeling exhausted from trying to play catch up.

Lisa and Tawny revisit their reasons for getting sober and how they channeled creativity in their recovery. Lisa wrote a book, Tawny became a freelance writer/blogger, and they started this podcast! The two also discuss the role that “liquid courage” played in their drinking lives and how they found confidence in sobriety. The Music Minute features “Snow” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and “Doesn’t...

Lisa and Tawny talk about the value of asking for help. Whether it’s for something urgent like needing help getting sober or something mundane like asking for assistance with luggage on an airplane, we can often feel like our problem isn’t worth wasting peoples’ time. In fact, asking for help can make life easier for other people, too! Tawny shares how finding a therapist and support group relieve...

Lisa and Tawny reflect on 2020 while preparing for another sober New Year’s Eve. They talk about what it’s like to be sober during a global pandemic and how their recovery is impacted. They also discuss the importance of making your goals and resolutions as realistic as possible. The Music Minute is all about our current vinyl favorites: The Flaming Lips B-Sides and The Rollings Stones Exile on Ma...

Khadi is a sober lawyer in NYC who launched the non-profit, Sober Black Girls Club, as a way to provide resources to people of color. She and Lisa discuss the normalization of alcohol culture in law firms then she and Tawny discuss creating their own online sober platforms. SBGC hosts support groups, leads online workshops, provides mentorship, and so much more! Find them at www.soberblackgirlsclu...

Tawny opens up about how having her wisdom teeth pulled triggered extreme relapse anxiety. Lisa shares a story about having wrist surgery and the drama that ensued from potentially being prescribed pain killers. She and Lisa discuss how they sometimes take sobriety for granted—especially during humbling reminders like this. This conversation aims to destigmatize relapse, honoring the fact that it’...

Tawny and Lisa talk about chasing that elusive, dangling carrot. Lisa shares stories about how she used her job as an NYC lawyer as a way to seek validation. Tawny talks about her insecurities around being a writer, wondering if she’ll ever “arrive”. They both come together to discuss body image and how to stop comparing ourselves to others. The Music Minute features a discussion on Lenny Kravitz’...

Bethany Stevens does it all, y’all! She’s a queer, femme lawyer who’s working on her Ph. D. in sociology. She also leads support groups for the sober disability community. She joins Lisa and Tawny to discuss her personal journey and how able-bodied folks can be allies when they witness ableism. The Music Minute is all about pop! Bethany talks all things Cardi B and Rihanna. Follow Bethany at @disa...

F*cking Sober is a new serialized podcast about the first 90 days of sobriety. The creator of this new show, Mack, joins Tawny and Lisa this week. Mack opens up about recovering from heroin addiction, experiencing relapses, and how she fictionalized her story to create Anita, the protagonist of F*cking Sober. The Music Minute is all about sober musicians that Mack has collaborated with on each epi...

Tawny and Lisa catch up as election season transitions into the holiday season. They discuss how their socially distanced holiday plans affect them and their families. They also read from a Vice article, giving listeners tips and talking points before having the “I’m not going home for the holidays” discussion with family. They also discuss not glamorizing past holidays. Remember that maintaining...

As Lisa and Tawny get more comfortable adapting to Work From Home life, but have a lot of mixed feelings. There’s grief for our old ways of life, but glimmers of the positive that the future might bring. A lot of acceptance and gratitude in store!

Chris Marshall, writer and Founder of Sans Bar, joins the girls this week to discuss writing, the intersection of Blackness and Recovery, and of course...Hamilton! He also shares insight on why he created a booze-free bar in Austin, Texas and why he’s obsessed with Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Tawny and Lisa take turns discussing the importance of celebrating SoBerthdays...AKA Sober Anniversaries. They talk about fun ways to reflect on and celebrate the big day as well as the challenges that often come in the days and weeks before. Music minute: Every day is like “another brick in the wall!” 

Rejection is something we all deal with throughout our lives. Lisa and Tawny discuss some of the times they’ve been rejected and how they dealt with it. Hint: Rejection is not personal—it usually just means something isn’t a good fit. They also share tips on how to be on the other end of rejection. They both bond over the fact that they met because they rejected alcohol! Shout out to Tempest for m...

Telling people you quit drinking can be awkward. Tawny and Lisa share tips on how to navigate this conversation. They emphasize the difference between knowing who deserves the full version of the story and knowing when to remember “No” is a full sentence. They also discuss the trend of Sober Curiosity vs Sober Tourism. Shout out to our Tempest for making season 3 possible! You can find them at joi...

Some can be highs and some can be lows, but there’s a first time for everything in sobriety! Tawny and Lisa discuss “explaining” why you’re not drinking, finding sober-friendly events and new sober friends, and, yes, first sober dates. They also discuss breaking the cycle of bummer holidays, celebrating successes, and being kind to our sober, growing selves. Shout out to our Tempest for making sea...

Dealing with death and grief are a real challenge for everyone and can test our recoveries. Tawny and Lisa discuss different kinds of grief, the danger of prolonged isolation, and how-to connect and stay sober through it. No surprise, the ladies turn to music, too, at these times. If you’re looking for help with substance use issues, check our friends and sponsor at Tempest. You can find them at j...

Lisa shares a big takeaway from studying to become a SheRecovers coach: boundaries are the space you hold around yourself to protect your recovery. Tawny takes it a spicy step further to describe her boundaries as a full-body condom that protects her from the outside world. 

Tawny and Lisa chat about how it’s totally OK to have a low sex drive during this very unsexy global pandemic. Tawny offers alternative ways to connect with your partner if you’re not in the mood. Then she fills Lisa in on how Zoom dating has changed and how she thinks the future of dating will evolve. Finally, she teaches Lisa about online orgies and how the porn industry has adapted social dista...

Tawny and Lisa interview Amanda and Jardine, whose new book, The Sober Lush, comes out Tuesday, June 2. A Sober Lush life is lived in the present and full of abundance, whether it’s a fancy bath bomb and self-care, doing a small kindness for someone else, or enjoying a live music show sober. And they teach us that we all need an Adult Snow Day from time to time!