The Other Side of Hell Podcast

The drink or the drug was often a solution. It did something for us that we could not do for ourselves. In our case, it shut off our mind and allowed us to just be. For a moment we weren’t comparing ourselves to others or feeling itchy in our skin. But as it does, the substance took hold and the solution became more and more of the problem.    Brett, our warstory this week, was no different. The d...

Did we give up on our hopes and dreams and then turn to drugs and alcohol OR did we give up on our hopes and dreams when we turned to drugs and alcohol? Who can say exactly? What we do know is that somewhere along the way, any idea or notion that we’d be somebody usually went away.    Good news! In sobriety we reclaim those hopes and dreams.    This week we have an amazing warstory from Jeff who h...

Sobriety often is the first big gift we give to ourselves. If we’re lucky, it can often be the starting point to some beautiful revelations and wondrous developments.    In this episode we’re joined in studio by David James, friend of the program and fitness guru. David has had a pretty tumultuous relationship with alcohol over the years but recently celebrated one year! Or 13 months, as you’ll he...

Oh alcohol. At one time, you worked for us. You did for us what we could not do for ourselves! But somewhere, you changed. You began to hurt us more and more! And no matter how hard we tried we found we just couldn’t quit you! Why?? You’re an asshole!!!    This week we’re joined by the amazing Amy C. Willis who brought with her some amazing insight into the curious relationship with alcohol. Not o...

“Don’t take it personally!” This was a big one for us. We addicts and alcoholics seem to be a sensitive breed. We make it all about us even when it's not. Especially when it’s not! We self-destruct to numb the perceived slight that comes from others. Our inability to see things as they really are can keep us sick for a long time. Today, we remember not to take things personally. Easier said than d...

Have you ever looked at your addiction and thought, “what a gift?” No? Well, it’s not something we’re often able to do at first but believe it or not many people in recovery are thankful for the growth that has occurred as a result of getting sober and living a life of sobriety. This week’s warstory is no different.    Hilary inspired our topic this week when she wrapped up her story with this ide...

What was worse? The physical hangover or the emotional one? Hmmm. Lucky for us, both are a thing of the past. But in this episode we chose to spotlight the emotional hangover because it often ties into negative self-talk which doesn’t always just disappear just because you stopped drinking.    We are joined this week by Blair Sharp, aka @sobreityactivist, who talks to us about how the emotional ha...

Let’s face it. Most of us have done things in our past that we are not proud of. Okay. ALL of us have done things in our past we’re not proud of. Especially when we were in the throes of our addiction. Today though, we’re not the same people we were when we did those things. We refuse to let our past define us.    How do we do that when some of us have some really bad shit in our past? Well…. Like...

Anybody else out there suffer from low self worth? Hard to say where it comes from but this overwhelming feeling of low self worth seems fairly common amongst those who struggle with drugs and alcohol abuse. Why is that? What can we do about it? How do we overcome low self worth? It’s a good question. Let’s talk about it.    Our topic this week is inspired by an amazing warstory from Lauren! Laure...

When you hear the word “God” does it conjure up a certain image? Does it immediately bring with feelings of guilt and shame? Or is God something you’ve never given thought to?   Let’s face it, the “God” can be a complicated relationship for any alcoholic. While a higher power seems to be a concept mostly exclusive to a 12 step program, it's fair to say that anybody who is in recovery is utilizing...

For many of us, getting sober is a process. Though we may know we have a problem and that we need to quit, that doesn’t mean it happens right away. Often, coming up with a formula to stay sober isn’t something we do alone. And when we find what works, why would we ever want to change it??   Well, as crazy as it may seem, we begin to question the work we do when it seems like it isn’t working like...

  As we grow in our sobriety we can be faced with some difficult situations. Oftentimes we can find ourselves needing to separate from certain people, places, and/or things. Depending on what that may be, following through may be easier said than done. BUT on the other side of that often can be a new level of growth. That’s why in this week’s episode we’re asking, is it a breakup or a breakthrough...

  Are you new to sobriety? Facing Rehab but unsure what to expect? Well then, we have the episode for you!   In this week’s episode we thought we’d go back a bit and talk about what the rehab experience was like. Why? Because it’s here that most of us are introduced to the world of recovery. Finding yourself in a rehab center can be a VERY lonely and sad feeling. But for a lot of us, this is where...

Recovery is recovery. It doesn’t matter your brand or your flavor, the result is the same; sobriety and a better quality of life. But why is Alcoholics Anonymous anonymous? And why do some people choose to recover out loud? And what are the pros and cons to both? Good questions. Let’s talk about it.    This week’s topic is inspired by the warstory we received from Mike. Mike is CEO of Inspire 2 In...

Am I truly an alcoholic? Like, for really real? How do I know? And what’s it mean to be a “real alcoholic?” Good questions.    If you drank like we drank you may find yourself with these same questions. Especially if it’s gotten to the point where you have some pretty “real” consequences. Our warstory this week comes from Leslie, who found herself in this exact position.    Always the rebel, Lesli...

This Holiday Season we're taking a small break to spend time with our families but we want to share one of the most special events we were able to attend this year with you. In August we went to LA to attend a sober skate fundraiser for Valor Rising, a non-profit dedicated to helping addicts get off the streets and into a program where they can begin healing. We made our way through the crowd and...

Let go and let God. You heard this one? Yeah? So what does it mean? And how is it done? And why? What’s the benefit?   When most of us our beat into enough submission to finally be open to a sober lifestyle, we quickly find out that life run on our will just doesn’t work. In a 12 step program, we learn to depend on our own concept of a higher power and turn our will over. Let go and let God is a r...

Did anybody else completely forget any moral code they ever had when out there using and abusing?? Not just us? Didn’t think so.    This is what brings us together.    In this episode we’re at it again. Cameron is retelling his warstory after 100 episodes. In this we pulled the topic of Compromising our morals. When you listen to Cameron’s story you’ll hear time after time how he crossed that line...

On this, our 101th episode, we’re talking about Untreated Alcoholism!    What do we mean when we use the term “untreated alcoholism?” How do you know if we're experiencing it? And what do we do about it? Listen in as we rap about it.   We got our topic from a very familiar face. Willy is sharing his warstory with us on the episode! After 100 episodes we’re revisiting our own stories to see how the...

Is our problem spiritual in nature? That seems like a big pill to swallow. Then again, we tried addressing everything else. What do we have to lose? At rock bottom, the answer is nothing.    This week we’re talking about the spiritual malady, a topic inspired by an amazing warstory from Mary. If you ask Mary, she’ll tell you she was destined to become an alcoholic. With parents who had the disease...

Early sobriety can be scary. When we are newly sober it's fair to say that nearly everything is different. Even though we may be able to recognize the destruction caused by addiction and be happy to be separated from it, the first 30 days can still be a period of mourning and confusion. So let’s talk about it.    This week, we have a warstory from Dani who shares with us what life was like, what h...

Oftentimes when we get sober, it feels so good that we can get in the mindset of trying to save everyone! While our intentions are good, it’s not often the best approach to just start berating everyone we see with a drink in their hands. But there is a way to spread the message that truly can help those in need. In fact, it's vitally important that we do this.    This week we’re joined by L.T. Wea...

If alcohol did anything to us, it was to prove to us over and over that we were powerless. But once we turned our will and our lives over to a power greater than ourselves, it became clear that God had been doing things for us what we could not do for ourselves, with a big one being getting sober!   This week’s topic of God Doing For Us What We Could Not Do Ourselves was inspired by a powerful sto...

Well, we’re sober. Now what?   It’s been said that getting sober isn’t the hard part. It’s staying sober that seems to elude us. So what can we do to maintain our recovery? The answer? The same thing we did to get sober and sometimes more.    We are on fire with wisdom coming from Marty and Jackson who joined Cameron and Willy as special guest hosts in the week’s episode. These are a couple of dud...

Though it wasn’t always apparent in the moment, along most of our journeys we can see people who wouldn’t give up on us. Ones who somehow knew we were worth saving. The ones who, in retrospect, must have been Angels in people’s clothing.    This week is on fire with this topic coming from our man Jackson from Stay Stopped. Jackson came all the way from L.A. to be on the show and we’re happy to sha...