Recovery Rocks

Like so many people, Tawny and Lisa have struggled with meditation. The idea of sitting with your breath without sitting in your thoughts sounds great but is tough to do. Taking the pressure off meditation helps. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. You can just show up for it the same way you show up for other things like exercise or a hobby. Music Minute includes Biet Simkin ( www.bietsimkin....

Tawny and Lisa talk about the importance of giving themselves credit for the good things they do, big and small, in sobriety – not always focusing on what they could have done better. Achievements look different for everyone on different days. Sometimes just getting a sober head to the pillow that night is cause for celebration. While Tawny has celebrated with a sequin bodysuit, Lisa opted for a p...

Kathy and Morgan are the mother/daughter team behind podcast sponsor Sober Dating. They talk about how they turned this genius idea into a new app with features designed for the best matches and fewest awkward moments. Tawny and Lisa ask, “Where was this when we were single?” They also talk about Morgan’s mommy blog ( www.liliesandlambs.com/ ) that started with her struggles around infertility but...

Tawny and Lisa go back to basics to talk about how they deal with triggers in sobriety, including those that pop up coming out of the pandemic. Spoiler alert: tools include connecting, avoiding isolation, and talking to ourselves with the compassion we would show a friend. Put down the bat (unless you’re in a rage room) and be gentle with yourself. Music Minute features Limp Bizkit, the Halston so...

The U.S. CDC defines binge drinking as four drinks for a woman or five drinks for a man over a two-hour period. That sounds like a pre-party to a lot of big drinkers. But after a while, it stops looking “cute” and starts looking like a problem. Tawny and Lisa talk about how our culture has normalized, glorified, and encouraged binge drinking despite its dangers. Music Minute features George Thorog...

Brianne Davis, author of the novel “Secret Life of a Hollywood Sex and Love Addict,” joins Tawny and Lisa to talk about this often-misunderstood addiction. It’s not the stereotype of compulsive sex with strangers. It’s like any other addiction, impacting women and non-binary folks as well as men. Brianne talks about recovery and how it can lead to healthy romantic relationships. Tawny talks about...

With the explosion of conversation around sobriety and recovery, the words we use to describe elements of it can get confusing. Self-confessed “word nerd” Tawny raises some specific terms that she and Lisa dig into, including sober curious, gray-area drinking, AF, zero proof, harm reduction, alt-sober, Cali sober, one day at a time, and life on life’s terms. Like so much, these words mean differen...

Tawny and Lisa talk with Alysse, founder of The Sober Curator , SOBER POP, and all kinds of sober lifestyle and community connections. Alysse coined #sobrietyisthenewglutenfree and the ladies are all in! It’s a healthy lifestyle full of options for anyone who wants it, no questions asked. She’s got all the social media networks covered! Music Minute features a can’t-miss Tupac concert story and th...

Tawny and Lisa talk further on forgiveness, particularly owning their own mistakes. They try to avoid ruminating and choose to “look back, but not stare.” They also talk about imposter syndrome and understanding that they’re not unique. Music Minute includes “Let It Go” from “Frozen” and all the fantastic takes on “The Weight.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1GU1qQ1zQ

In what became a two-part conversation, Tawny and Lisa take on this big topic. Forgiveness can bring peace when and if the time is right. And there is support because they never do any of this alone. They talk Al-Anon and the movie “6 Balloons.” Elton John makes his first Music Minute appearance. https://al-anon.org/ https://www.netflix.com/title/80130625

Tawny and Lisa talk about investing time, energy, and sometimes resources in things that bring them joy. For Tawny, it led to a Webby Award for the “F*cking Sober” podcast! All by being open to new ideas and projects. Lisa learns how to pronounce “Tarot” correctly. Music Minute ranges from Pink Floyd to Donna Summer on time and money. https://fckingsoberpodcast.com/

Tawny and Lisa talk about summer excitement but there are still big pandemic issues affecting all of us. An article in The Atlantic captured the new depression/anxiety many people feel. And Tawny’s got a perfect book recommendation. Music Minute features a throwback disco from Ryan Murphy’s latest masterpiece, “Halston” on Netflix. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/05/pandemic-trauma...

Tawny talks about her recent interview with WebMD.com about these often-tricky conversations. This discussion has gone mainstream! Music Minute features a Gin Blossoms favorite and Counting Crows. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/features/talking-family-friends

As the sober world continues to evolve, so does the drink market. This episode celebrates Tawny's favorite NA beers, wines, liquors, and other fun booze-free drink options while Lisa shares her apprehension with certain NA drinks. Together, they have a great convo about the vastly expanding NA drink market and how that impacts the recovery community. The Music Minute goes to "Alcohol" by The Baren...

Tawny and Lisa discuss how they have drifted away from their regular music listening during the pandemic. A big reason for that has been content overload and the feeling that they should always be listening to a podcast or an audiobook to be learning something new. But now they realize finding joy in music, whether it’s old favorites or some new tunes, is essential to their recovery. They cover ev...

Lisa talks about how she’s been struggling with her eating through COVID and Tawny talks about her relationship with food. As with any other substance, they agree that it’s important to look at why their eating can feel disordered at times. And to give themselves grace and compassion when those struggles come up. Music Minute includes Halsey’s “Nightmare” and Silverchair’s “Ana’s Song.”

Recovery advocate, survivor, writer, and overall rock star Jen Elizabeth (@resurrektion_of_me on social) talks with Tawny and Lisa about harm reduction: what it is and why it’s saving lives. They delve into the stigma that needs to be broken around harm reduction, including in the recovery community. They also talk about the work of Dr. Carl Hart and community organizations like The Sidewalk Proje...

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...