Recovery Elevator | Stop Drinking, Start Recovering. | Alcohol, Addiction & Life In Sobriety

Episode 441 – Connection With a Molecule   Today we have Shane, he is 39 from Birmingham, AL and took his last drink on December 25th, 2021.   [00:58] Highlights from Paul:   Many of us share the same response to our first drink. It’s a firework show internally that connects the missing dots. We finally feel connected. Alcohol becomes our best friend.   Now do not beat yourself up if you find yourself in a tightly intertwined relationship with alcohol. Humans are pack animals and need connection to survive. We need partnership. As addiction guru Dr. Gabor Mate would say, congratulations, you found alcohol, you found a way to survive. Yes, there is the disease model, but there’s also the unease model. A deep unrest or lack of connection with others and ourselves.   How do we fix this? Like we learned in last week’s episode, it’s robust social connections that fix this. Some of us have difficulty making deep connections with other human beings but connection with nonhuman souls can help us quit drinking

Episode 440 - How to Undo Trauma   Today we have Kathy. She is 31 from Dillworth, MN and has been clean since June 13th, 2016.   Thank you to all of the Café RE chat hosts. You all do a great job!   We have an exciting new sponsor for the podcast! Go Brewing has an amazing lineup of NA beers. Use the code ELEVATOR for 15% off your order.     [02:06] Highlights from Paul:   Before we get started, how is your summer going? How is sobriety going? How is your AF clock going? How is your life going? Regardless of your answer to all those questions, Paul reminds us that we are not alone. Recovery Elevator is right here with you every step of the way.   A recent study of baboons revealed that establishing robust social connections in adulthood,  is so beneficial to the animals that it can mitigate the consequences of traumatic experiences during their early years. There’s that word again. Connection. In addition, researchers have found that once these connections are made, the baboons report living longer li

Episode 439 – Developing a Spiritual Practice   Today we have Liz, she’s 38 from LaVale, MD and took her last drink on December 31st, 2022.   Thank you to the Café RE chat host, you all do an incredible job!   Athletic Greens   [02:22] Highlights from Paul:   This is not a religious podcast. Paul feels that religion and spirituality are not two sides of the same coin.   When we drink alcohol, spiritually, our electrical current to the universe is severed. In fact, in many cultures, the name alcohol literally means, soul sucking spirit. Then mentally, the chemical alcohol turns our brains into tepid soup. After that, we have the physical component - pancreatitis and liver failure come to mind.   What is spirituality? What is a spiritual practice? We are connecting with the self. We are connecting within. You become more ocean and less wave. In short, spirituality is connection with the self, which then leads to a connection with nature, the universe, a higher power, and some may call it God. Why do w

Episode 438 – Expectations   Today we have something different lined up. Instead of one interviewee, we’ve got a panel of sober rockstars who have been kicking ass and taking names in this field for a while now. You’re going to love it.   Recovery Elevator welcomes our newest sponsor, Athletic Greens.   [02:33] Highlights from Paul:   We are full of expectations. Both for ourselves and other people. Top of that list is we expect happiness in a world where nothing is guaranteed. We have been conditioned throughout our life that any discomfort represents failure, and a certain product, drink or pill will end the suffering.   How do we let expectations go? It’s impossible. All you can do is become aware you are expecting something different for yourself or other people.   Another reason why expectations are dangerous is it throws gratitude right out of the window. We also expect the earth to keep providing the natural resources needed for our survival, which are never guaranteed. We definitely need to

Episode 437 – Inner Conflict   Today we have Mark who is 45 from Connecticut and took his last drank on January 15, 2023.   Thank you to all of the Café RE chat hosts. You all do a great job!   We have partnered with Sober Link.  You can find some tips and can sign up for a $50 off promo code.     [01:55] Highlights from Paul:   It is impossible to avoid conflict in a human life. All attempts to avoid it,  will only result in more conflict. It built into the human experience. After all, we are reconciling the Yin to our Yang on a daily basis. Somedays the dark side says take a seat, and the next day, we welcome the light.   Addictions take hold when is there is intense inner conflict. When parts of our personalities are out of balance. Or when parts of us are screaming for attention because we are in pain. In addition, this inner imbalance is a representation that the whole of society is out of balance causing many of us to question “what the hell is going on?”. Your individual unrest is not separate fr

Episode 436 – Our Road Ahead   Today we have Lacey. She’s 34 from Illinois and has been sober since May 15, 2020.   Recovery Elevator welcomes our newest sponsor, Athletic Greens.   [02:16] Highlights from Kris:   We feel it is important to use these first few episodes of Season Five to set a foundation for the upcoming year. Kris shares the RE mission statement and talks about what each of the six key themes means to him.   To recap, our mission statement: we offer hope through community and connection. Partnering sobriety seeking individuals with other likeminded people.   Over and over and over again, you’re going to hear us, and our guests, talk about the importance of connection. It’s not because it’s the only thing we know how to talk about; but simply because it’s THAT IMPORTANT.   Recovery Elevator’s Six Themes:   1)    We are inclusive 2)    There is no right or wrong way to do this 3)    Connection 4)    Don’t just quit drinking 5)    We need to remain open 6)    We must pass alo

Episode 434 – Season 5 – What We Believe In   Today we have Alex, he is 35, from Lincoln, NE and took his last drink on January 20, 2023   Recovery Elevator welcomes our newest sponsor, Athletic Greens.   [03:35] Highlights from Paul:   Welcome to Season 5!  Episode 1 of this podcast dropped on February 25th, 2015. Paul recalls the date and how he felt.  He was worried he was going to crash and burn.  But 10,000,000 downloads later, he still hasn’t had a drink and the podcast is still going.   Paul discusses the plan for Season 5, what RE’s concepts and values are, the podcast schedule and more.   Mission Statement of Recovery Elevator is as follows:   "We offer hope through community and connection. Partnering sobriety seeking individuals with other likeminded people!”   Six themes Paul and Kris will be focusing on this season:   1)    Recovery Elevator is inclusive 2)    There is no right or wrong way to do this 3)    Connection 4)    Don’t just quit drinking 5)    We cannot fight an ad

Episode 434 – Don’t Lose Yourself in It   Today we have Gary, he is 44, from Toledo, OH and took his last drink on January 30, 2023   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [01:42] Thoughts from Paul:   Today we are going to cover one of Paul’s favorite tools and practice.  But before we cover it, he asks us who is our go to person that we look to when life starts to veer into the ditch? Who has already provided guidance or a teaching on what to do in the situation you find yourself in?   For Paul, it is Eckhart Tolle. His books The Power of Now and A New Earth were recommended to him at just the right time.   The tool and concept Paul wants to cover is a line he discovered in A New Earth that says, “don’t lose yourself in it”. This refers to the thinking mind, or the ego.    Another book The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer shares the concept that you are not the thoughts in your mind, but you are the one who experiences them.   The point is don’t lose yourself in the incessant stream of

Episode 433 – The Comfort Crisis   Today we have Daniel, he is 43 from Orange County, he took his last drink on December 31st, 2014.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [01:42] Thoughts from Paul:   The discomforts of quitting drinking will make you a stronger person down the road. And not far down the road.   Although humans are hardwired to seek comfort, it’s not necessarily good for us. Many anthropologists have speculated that we were happier thousands of years ago. Our needs were simpler and easier to satisfy. We were naturally mindful, living in the moment. In addition, our ancestors usually found themselves in tight communities of around 150 people, where everyone shared the burden of survival. There was a deeper sense of belonging.   The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter   The rates of mental health, addiction, inflammations, cancers, are sky rocketing, and the author of the book says the reason for this is because we are living progressively sheltered, sterile, temperature contro

Episode 432 – Is Alcohol Good For You?   Today we have Julie, she is 49, from Grand Junction, CO and took her last drink on February 6th, 2022.   Café RE members, we have added a fitness class to the schedule. Sundays at 12:30 EST, thank you Paul L.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:05] Thoughts from Paul:   For most of the 20th century and well into the 2000’s, there was a pushed narrative that said a daily drink or two is good for you.  Although there was a time that fermented drinks were safer than consuming the local water due to disease, it’s safe to say we are well past those days from the dark ages.  Despite that, the concept that alcohol is good for you is still in popular circulation, but a new narrative is coming out.   An article from Health Day released this year is titled Drinking Alcohol Brings No Health Benefits, Study Finds   Huberman Lab podcast:  What Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain & Health   You’re giving up alcohol, which turns out is NOT good for yo

Episode 431 – Transformation   Today we have Katy, she is 40, from Olympia, WA and took her last drink on February 12th, 2023.   Join Recovery Elevator this Sunday for a fun conference style meet up at the Marriott in Alpharetta.  This event is all about getting your connect on and it will be a fun time.  Spouses or loved ones are encouraged to attend and you can even stick around afterwards for some silent disco.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:26] Thoughts from Paul:   One of the best parts of doing the Recovery Elevator podcast is seeing the transformations people make.  Many of the travelers on this year’s Costa Rica trip also traveled last year. With every single repeat traveler, Paul could see the growth almost immediately. There are many different reasons for the transformations, but it is always visible in the smile.   Paul wants to make a correction from a previous episode where he said that Goat Yoga was a horrible idea. Incorporating animals in our healing can be a grea

Episode 430 – Walking Into Summer   Today we have Joss, she’s 34 from the Bay Area and took her last drink on December 21st, 2022.   We still have room in our upcoming flagship retreat which takes place August 9th through the 13th in Bozeman, Montana.  This event is all about having fun, connecting, and learning the tools needed to be successful on your Alcohol-Free journey. You can find more information here!   [02:21] Thoughts from Kris:   Spring has finally arrived in North Dakota!   With the changing seasons, it’s not uncommon to experience some different emotions surrounding our recovery. More outdoor social activities and parties can bring some unique challenges.   We sometimes worry what others might think about us and our choice not to drink. The phrasing “I care what people think of me” makes me feel a bit middle-schoolish, but humans long for connection and community. We are not really fearing the event so much as fearing that we don’t belong. Creating accountability with people we trust

Episode 429 – The Connection Between Alcohol and Anxiety   Today we have Dale, he is 55, from Roanoke, VA and he has been alcohol free since March 23, 2019   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:34] Paul’s thoughts:   Paul knows now that there is a connection between his drinking and his anxiety but while actively drinking, he could not. We are told that alcohol relaxes us – which it does by shutting down important parts of our brain.   According to Dr. Sheila Shilati,"Alcohol ultimately replaces those important chemicals like dopamine and serotonin in the brain, which mitigate anxiety, therefore, in episodes where you are not drinking, then your brain is searching for those all-important 'feel-good' connections, which become diminished because the supply has been mitigated,"   We hear a lot about “self-medicating” in recovery. Which isn’t a bad thing, but when we rely too much on this strategy, it stops working. This becomes an even bigger problem because we don’t realize it so we just

Episode 428 – Do I have a Drinking Problem?   Today we have Lauren, she is 54 from Rochester NY, and took her last drink on November 19, 2022.   Shout out to Ty with 15 YEARS alcohol free!  Thank you for all you do for RE!   Shout out to Bradley from south Denver with 3 days alcohol free!  Great job!   Café RE is a private online unsearchable recovery community. Get accountable and be the best version of you. Together is always better!  Use promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the setup fee.   [03:23] Intro summary:   In the past Paul has talked about the worst  place a person can be with a drinking problem is in limbo (episode 417). But how do we find out if we actually have a problem so we can get out of that space?   There is a test listed in the DSM-5 to determine if we have a drinking problem or not. There are 11 questions, and you must meet two of them within the past 12 months to have what is called Alcohol Use Disorder. It’s not hard to determine if you have a drinking problem based on that test.  

Episode 427 – But a Symptom   Today we have Ian, he is 24, from Baltimore, MD and he has been alcohol free since December 26, 2022.   What are you doing for Memorial Day?  You should join Recovery Elevator in Atlanta! We have an event for Café RE members on Saturday and then Sunday night we have a conference style event that everyone is invited to attend. Information about the Sunday night event can be found here. Café RE members can get more information through the members website if they are interested in the weekend event.   Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:15] Thoughts from Paul:   If alcohol isn’t the primary problem, and it’s a symptom of something else, what does that mean, and what course of action do we take? None of us are able to correct the unrest in our lives when alcohol is present. That’s why moderate drinking for the problematic drinker doesn’t work either.   For Paul, after he ditched the booze, he recognized that his nervous system needed healing and found that nature

Episode 426 – It Gets Easier   Today we have Jeffrey, he is 35, from Monument, CO and he took his last drink on July 23, 2022.   Registration is open for our flagship annual retreat held in Bozeman, Montana, this upcoming August 9th – 13th.  This event is all about having fun, connecting, and learning the tools needed to be successful on your Alcohol-Free journey. You can find more information here!   [02:16] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares that he recently attended an AA meeting where a member celebrated 40 years of sobriety. One thing he took away from this is that it will naturally get easier the more time away from alcohol you have and the more life experience you get. It is also helpful to focus not on the destination, but the journey itself.   There is a YouTube channel that Paul watches where the host, Michael, showcases some of the most scenic railways in the world. Michael also shares similar views about the destination vs. the journey. Here is the link to one of his videos documenting the

Episode 425 – What Recovery Pathway is Right for Me?   Today we have Doug. He is 59, from Buena Vista, CO and he took his last drink on July 28, 1982.   Join Recovery Elevator in Atlanta over Memorial Day weekend for a fun conference style meet up at the Marriott in Alpharetta.  This event is all about getting your connect on and it will be a fun time.  Spouses or loved ones are encouraged to attend the Sunday night event and Silent Disco afterwards!   [2:30] Thoughts from Paul:   When building your recovery portfolio, a good goal is 50% external and 50% internal. At first, the internal work may be too big of an ask, but as your nervous system settles down, you want to aim for a balanced split. Here are some quick examples of what I mean when I say external vs internal:   External: Driving to an AA meeting, or hopping on a Café RE zoom chat Phoning a sober friend Working with a sponsor   Internal: Meditation Journaling Reading Quit-Lit   When building out your recovery I recommend this 5-tiered ap

Episode 424 – Caring for You   Today we have Abby. She is 49, from Phoenix, AZ, and took her last drink on 9/25/2020.   Join Recovery Elevator in Atlanta over Memorial Day weekend for a fun conference style event at the Marriott in Alpharetta. Spouses or loved ones are encouraged to attend the event on Sunday. Registration is open please click the link for more information.   We have registration for the annual Bozeman Retreat opening on April 3rd. The retreat is scheduled for August 9th – 13th.    Better Help:  www.betterhelp.com/elevator - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [03:23] Thoughts from Kris:   In an effort to escape the long North Dakota winter, Kris and his wife took a short vacation to Dallas. They had a fantastic time enjoying the city and the company of friends. The key takeaways Kris had are the importance of self-care and connection. He believes that most people are very resilient, and we tend to allow things to keep stacking things onto our plate to the point of overwhelm. That’s

Episode 423 – Some Phoneless Fool   Today we have Laura. She is 45, from Boston, MA, and took her last drink on September 27, 2014.   Join Recovery Elevator in Atlanta over Memorial Day weekend for a fun conference style event at the Marriott in Alpharetta on Sunday.  This event is all about getting your connect on and it will be a fun time.  Spouses or loved ones are encouraged to attend. Registration is open please click the link for more information.   We also have registration for the annual Bozeman Retreat opening on April 3rd. The retreat is scheduled for August 9th – 13th.    Exact Nature: https://exactnature.com/RE20   [02:07] Highlights from Paul:   Paul feels that addictions are adaptations to unhealthy environments. Rates of addiction, disease, inflammations, and cancers are all on the rise. In recovery we are tasked with creating a world for ourselves and others where we feel connected, worthy, and part of the community. Recovery is not about new world exploration but restoring the circuitry

Episode 422 – The Pursuit of Happiness   Today we have Susannah. She is 42 from Hampshire, England, and took her last drink on 4/29/2022.   Join Recovery Elevator in Atlanta over Memorial Day weekend for a fun conference style event at the Marriott in Alpharetta on Sunday.  This event is all about getting your connect on and it will be a fun time.  Spouses or loved ones are encouraged to attend. Registration is open please click the link for more information.   We have partnered with Sober Link.  You can find some tips and can sign up for a $50 off promo code.   [03:09] Highlights from Paul:   Paul shares a blog post created by Odette regarding happiness in sobriety. He also shares his thoughts that sobriety does not equal happiness or solve all of our problems, but it does give us the chance to build a life where happiness knocks on the door more frequently. The school of sobriety is going to teach you the most important lessons of life. Love and acceptance. It will keep teaching you these lessons until yo