Recovery Rocks

Tawny and Lisa talk about dry months and dry challenges. For folks considering getting sober, they’re a great way to take an intentional look at your drinking. They share ideas to set yourself up for success: grab an accountability buddy, stock your fridge with yummy NA drinks, and journal to reflect. But most of all, be gentle with yourself!     Music Minute features Monster Mash, Macy Gray, Pink...

Tawny and Lisa catch up at the end of summer on all that’s gone on and what they’re up to. They talk about Tawny’s honeymoon and the importance of taking a real break to recharge and reflect. Lisa talks about how if she was ever to believe Mercury Retrograde was a real thing, August would be the clincher. They also talk books, TV, and movies.   Read The Hunter , The Safekeep , All Fours and Filter...

Tawny and Lisa chat about how finding hope in a period of stress and anxiety transforms their mental states. And acting on that hope reminds them that they do have power to try to change things. Since VP Kamala Harris became the Democratic Party’s candidate for the presidency, they both feel like a weight has been lifted physically and their mental health has improved significantly. It’s time to f...

Hey fam! We’re on a summer break, but will be back soon. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this encore episode! This episode is sponsored by the sober entrepreneurs at Sour Humanoid vinegar. Add a splash of these artisanal vinegars to your dinner to brighten up the flavor of your protein and veggies. Order a bottle today at sourhumanoid.com and follow them at @sourhumanoid Tawny and Lisa talk wit...

Hey fam! We’re on a summer break, but will be back soon. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this encore episode! 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,...

Hey fam! We’re on a summer break, but will be back soon. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this encore episode! Tawny and Lisa talk to Jolene Park, founder of Healthy Discoveries. Jolene is a functional nutritionist and a pioneer in the area of “gray area drinking,” the kind where there’s no rock bottom, but where one drinks to manage anxiety and later regrets how often or how much they drink. Th...

Hey fam! We’re on a summer break, but will be back soon. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this encore episode! This episode is sponsored by the sober entrepreneurs at Sour Humanoid vinegar. Add a splash of these artisanal vinegars to your dinner to brighten up the flavor of your protein and veggies. Order a bottle today at sourhumanoid.com and follow them at @sourhumanoid Tawny and Lisa intervie...

Tawny and Lisa talk with Melissa Urban, the co-founder and CEO of Whole30 and an authority on helping people create lifelong healthy habits. She is a seven-time New York Times best-selling author, and her books have sold millions of copies in 20 languages. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband, son, and a poodle named Henry. Melissa is also in long-term recovery and the author of one...

Tawny and Lisa talk with Shirah Benarde, CEO and Co-Founder of NightCap, a line of multi-purpose drink spiking prevention products. When she was just 16-years old, the idea for NightCap came to Shirah in a dream after hearing about the horrors of drink spiking from friends who experienced it. By 2021, NightCap was featured on ABC’s Shark Tank series, striking one of the fastest deals in the histor...

Watch the special video convo here ! Our card deck is available for pre-order! We’re so excited! The deck comprises 50 cards, with a glossary and additional resources, that offers guidance and inspiration for anyone rethinking their relationship with alcohol. We’ve loaded it with practical tools and inspirational prompts to help you conquer the challenges and embrace the joys of a booze-free life....

Tawny and Lisa talk with Anna Goldfarb a journalist, author and speaker. Called “ The New York Times ’ friendship correspondent”, Anna’s work explores the nuances of friendships, relationships, and pop psychology. They talk about making friends, keeping friends, and approaching friendship with empathy.  Her new book, Modern Friendship: How to Nurture Our Most Valued Connections , is available ever...

Tawny and Lisa talk about how the 24/7 news cycle, algorithmically designed to spark extreme reactions, can make us feel overwhelmed and sometimes hopeless. They go back to their sobriety tool kits to not only keep them sober, but to reset their thinking. This includes remembering where they are in the moment, reminding themselves of what they can and can’t control, connecting locally, doing servi...

Tawny and Lisa talk about addiction as a family disease. Whether it’s with your birth family or your chosen family (or both!), healing individually and as unit can break cycles of addiction and unhealthy behaviors. They both talk about their experiences with their families and how it’s an imperfect journey that never really ends.   Music Minute features Sister Sledge, Everclear, The Killers and Bi...

A recent article in The New York Times discussed two recent studies that cast doubt on whether large-scale mental health interventions are making young people better. But most specialists in adolescent mental health still agree that lack of access to treatment is the biggest problem young people face, along with the damage social media can do. Tawny and Lisa discuss all this with therapist Amanda...

Tawny and Lisa talk with composer Melissa Dunphy, an award-winning composer who specializes in vocal, political, and theatric music. Her work includes, LISTEN (2019) , two choral movements set to testimony by Anita Hill in 1991 and Christine Blasey Ford in 2018. They talk about creating art as a tool for healing trauma and understanding ourselves. Creating art is for everyone, whether you consider...

Tawny and Lisa talk to Emmy Jo, an indie-soul pop musician based in New York City. Emmy Jo's first viral moment came with her Spotify single "yellow year" . Her music, self-dubbed "sad girl bangers," creates a space where melancholy meets infectious beats, inviting listeners to share in the collective human experience. They get into mental health, her influences, and going viral on Tik Tok.   Musi...

Tawny and Lisa catch up on what’s been going on lately. Tawny has been settling into post-book tour and post-(parentheses) launch life and taking time to go to cultural events and see live music. Lisa spent time in Nashville to speak at a benefit for the Women’s Center at Cumberland Heights , a nonprofit addiction treatment center. They also talk about the importance of taking time to rest, play,...

Tawny and Lisa talk about a recent article in The Washington Post ,  "Why Loneliness is Associated with Food Cravings in Some Women." It reports on a new study that suggests that alterations in the lonely brain may be why some women are more susceptible to unhealthy food choices. And why they often crave sweet, calorie-rich foods, in particular. They also talk about the article’s note that it’s th...

Tawny gives Lisa an update on her changing relationship with substances, which she wrote about in her recent newsletter . They talk about her discovery of plant medicine and its benefits for her. They also talk harm reduction and stigma. For both Tawny and Lisa, it all comes down to the fact that one day at a time is the only approach that actually works – how we show up today and how we react to...

Tawny and Lisa talk about Tawny’s recent Beyond Liquid Courage newsletter, "People Pleasing is Over."   She learned through years of recovery and therapy that her people-pleasing is tied to her codependency. Lisa learned in early recovery that if she didn’t stop always trying to please others, she wasn’t going to be able to stay sober. People pleasing is more nuanced than just doing something for...

Tawny and Lisa talk about being discerning with what we add to our plates and what we say “no” to. Our tendency to be “people pleasers” means we end up saying yes to things we don’t want or need to do to avoid disappointing others. But oftentimes, that concern can be misplaced or exaggerated. We can also tweak the way we accept invitations if they would otherwise take too much out of us (hint, hin...

Tawny and Lisa talk to Steve Rose, an addiction counselor specializing in gambling addiction, with a Ph. D in sociology. Tune in for a fascinating conversation about how gambling addiction is on the rise. This trend is closely linked to broader addictive behaviors such as smartphone and social media usage, which draw on many of the same psychological mechanisms. They talk about what gambling addic...

Tawny and Lisa talk to Camille St Martin, an author and recovery advocate who recently released Spilled , her book of poetry inspired by her recovery journey. Like so many of us, she felt alone in her drinking spiral and found relief and catharsis in writing. Poetry was a passion she had as a teen and sobriety brought her the chance to reconnect with it.   Music Minute features Ani DiFranco.   Pur...

Tawny talks about what’s going on with Dry Humping six months out and how she’s promoting her new drink, (parentheses). She’s also teaching a class on writing a nonfiction book proposal on May 22nd . They also talk about Lisa’s 20th SoBerthday and how indie non-alcoholic bottle shops are the heartbeat of the burgeoning non-alcoholic drink industry.  Music Minute features Khruangbin and Beyonce.   ...

Tawny and Lisa talk to Art Alexakis, frontman for Everclear, one of the defining bands of the 1990s, still going strong. Art has almost 35 years of recovery, living very much one day at a time. They talk about recovery and Art’s writing process, including the iconic song, “Father of Mine.” They also discuss what it takes to know when you’re done with drugs and alcohol, to ask for help, and to live...