Recovery Elevator

Avsnitt

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  RE 596: Hiding in Plain Sight 20.07.2026 39min

  Today we have Becca. She is 35 years old, lives in Delaware County, PA, and she took her last drink of alcohol on August 7th, 2024.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help   Check out this free guide to your first seven days without alcohol.   Registration for our sober travel trip to Morocco is open! This trip will take place March 3rd – 13th, 2027.   [02:25] Thoughts from Paul:   The most important thing that someone has to achieve or overcome if they are to quit drinking is denial. The very convincing inner voice that keeps telling you on repeat that you do not have a problem.   This is hard because we build our lives around alcohol and usually this is done unconsciously. The problem is often hiding in plain sight, and you just can't or choose not to see it. It's also hard because marketing is powerful and smart people are paid a lot of money to make you feel like it's a required sidecar to life.   So even though the addiction is hiding in plain sight, you also know it is there. You know how alcohol makes you feel. In addition to the voice saying you don't have a problem, there is another voice telling you, "I'll give you 50 more hangovers and then it's time to move on".   Next week, we'll talk more about moving on.   [06:23] Paul introduces Becca:   Becca is 35 years old, lives in Delaware County, PA, has two cats and 12-13 nieces and nephews. For fun, Becca enjoys hiking, music, reading, film, cooking and puzzles.    Becca was one of seven children growing up. Her older siblings liked to party, so Becca followed in their footsteps in her early teens. She drank and smoked pot for a few years before getting introduced to harder drugs when she was around 16. She quickly felt like she had cracked the code for getting through life. Becca says she was really naïve and spending time with bad people.   In 2010, Becca was in a car accident that left her badly injured. She was only 19 and says this was the lowest time of her life. She withdrew from opiates but ended up going back out before having a friend take her to rehab where she first attempted recovery and eventually got sober in 2012.   Becca dealt with the loss of several friends in 2013, and this is when excessive drinking sneaked into her life. She had another accident and DUI in 2014 and refused to believe that the drinking was a problem. She was able to quit when she went to school and believed that since she could quit for periods of time, that it wasn't an issue for her.   Becca believed that she should be able to control her drinking and would beat herself up whenever she wasn't. Her drinking slowed dramatically in 2019 because she was sick of the anxiety and how she was relating to herself. She did end up becoming a workaholic to avoid dealing with anything that was bothering her.   After staying sober through the pandemic, Becca began to use drinking as a way to connect with others and not drink by herself. Within a few weeks she was right back into self-loathing and trapped in the cycle of stops and starts for the next several years.   In 2024, Becca took a fall at work that has had lasting physical and emotional impacts. She went through another dark time where she wasn't showing up for herself or others and was just sick and tired of being sick and tired.   It was after six months of sobriety that Becca joined AA, found the RE podcast, and later joined Café RE. In her previous attempts at quitting, Becca was trying to do it by herself. Being part of community has been life-changing for her in that she feels acceptance and the ability to hear her story in others. This year she has finally started to feel safer in her nervous system, she is more grounded in herself and able to hold space for good things.   Becca's parting piece of guidance: Don't get stuck on the fear. Get out of that comfortable pain and embrace something new.   Recovery Elevator We took the elevator down. We got to take the stairs back up. We can do this.   Café RE RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube
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  RE 595: You Have One Job 13.07.2026 51min

  Today we have Rich. He is from Sacramento, CA, he is 60 years old and took his last drink on August 8th, 2025.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help   Registration opens on July 15th, 2026, for our sober travel trip to Morocco which is March 3rd – 13th, 2027.   [02:14] Thoughts from Paul:   If you are in early sobriety or find yourself on day one, your only job right now is to not drink. It isn't time to fix your whole life or worry about being productive and having it all figured out.   By staying honest with your #1 job of not drinking, the body will become incredibly productive in terms of healing. Your dopamine begins to rewire; your sleep system starts to re-balance. All while you are resting.   Even though we sometimes know that not drinking is our #1 job, we can still struggle to keep it this simple. The good news is that every day is a new opportunity to perfect the job and by doing so, everything else will fall into place. Trust the process.   [06:05] Paul introduces Rich:   Rich is 60 years old and lives in Sacramento, CA with his wife of 35 years. They have two grown children and two rat terriers to help fill the empty nest. For work, Rich is a salesman for an equipment company. For fun, Rich enjoys riding his Peloton bike, cooking, and he is an avid sports fan.   Rich reflects that a lot of his drinking came from his inability to control his emotions. He says his home life growing up was great, but there was no discussion or expression of emotions. He was bullied often when he was in junior high but didn't feel comfortable telling anyone about it.   On a few occasions throughout high school and college, Rich realized that alcohol helped him become the life of the party and be able to talk to people he wasn't normally friendly with. He learned that if he drank, he would be accepted and have friends.   After graduating college, Rich was working in the restaurant business as a bartender in a small beach town. He said he had a lot of fun, made a lot of money and met his wife there. After getting married, they started a restaurant that they ran together for several years. Rich says his drinking wasn't an issue at that point because the restaurant did not have a focus on alcohol.   Alcohol began becoming an issue for Rich in 2018 when he transitioned from a management position to a sales position that involved a lot of traveling and entertaining customers. Over time he was basing where he would stay on the location's proximity to a liquor store and would drink before and after meetings with customers.   After a while, Rich started recognizing that the bottle he bought at the beginning of the trips weren't lasting as long. He would try to moderate and quickly realized it was a problem doing so especially when COVID lockdown had him concerned that liquor stores were going to be closed. At this point, Rich says a lot of his drinking happened in isolation. He was withdrawing from friends and family and trying to hide how much he was drinking from his wife.   Rich was confronted by his wife a few times and always promised to work on his drinking with little luck. He attempted moderation with the help of an app but didn't make much success and says trying to moderate made him think about alcohol more. Eventually his wife called in reinforcements with their daughter, and Rich knew it was time to stop, but wasn't sure what that looked like.   Rich was able to quit that day. The detox symptoms were hard, but after 10 days, he began to feel better and sleep better. Rich began reading quit lit and utilizing apps and its resources. After six months, Rich's wife encouraged him to find community. As a listener of the RE podcast, Rich heard about Café RE and decided to join. Rich credits his family as being a valuable resource and motivation to stay sober.   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down; you've got to take the stairs back up. You, WE, can do this.   Café RE RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube
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  RE 594: The Most Important Person 06.07.2026 51min

  Today we have Eric. He is 55 years old, lives in Columbus, OH and took his last drink on February 14th, 2008.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Sober Link sign up and claim your $100 enrollment bonus   Check out our upcoming Recovery Elevator Events. We have Bozeman next month, Morocco in March 2027 followed by a sober Camino de Santiago in October 2027.   [04:52] Thoughts from Paul:   The most important person in the rooms of recovery is not the person with 40 years of sobriety spouting off all the wisdom compiled over the years. It is the newcomer. The person in the room who shares the most truth, is the person who has the least amount of time from their last drink. To the new listener, the newcomer, we want to hear from you. Paul shares a personal experience where a newcomer gave him some of the best motivation he ever received.   The newcomer is also the most important person in the room because a core foundation of recovery is helping others. People in recovery want to help, and we encourage you to accept that help.   There are many other reasons why the newcomer is the most important. And if you're a new listener to Recovery Elevator, we are happy to have you. Stick around.   [08:38] Paul introduces Eric:   Eric is the podcast host of The One You Feed. He is 55 years old and lives in Columbus, Ohio with his partner of 10 years. He has one adult son who is a wildland firefighter. For fun, Eric enjoys playing guitar, walking, hiking, and reading.   Eric started drinking as a teenager, but it didn't really take off until he was around eighteen. Over the next seven years, Eric says he was rarely sober. He was just drinking alcohol initially, but his drug use progressed to where he says he was a homeless heroin addict facing 50 years in prison and weighed only 100 pounds.   Eric was sober for about eight years but ended up drinking again and leaving the recovery community. Eric says his brain told him that he could do it this time and it would be ok because he was different now. But he wasn't. The next rock bottom wasn't as bad as the first, but he was out of control just like before. After a five-day binge that left him feeling scared and sick, he went back to a 12-step meeting.   Eric says it was a gradual process getting sober the second time. He knew he was out of control because he would be saying "I'm not going to drink today" and then gets hammered, or "I'm only going to have two" and then gets hammered. He was not on board with going back into a 12-step program, so he joined the Moderation Management program and tried to control his drinking. What he learned was that trying to control his drinking was miserable.   Eric's life looked completely different on his second sobriety attempt. The first time he went into treatment after burning his life to the ground. This time he had a job, a child, and while he went to a meeting every day, he couldn't give his whole life to recovery like before. It was a little bit harder but soon cool things began to happen for Eric.   It has been 18 years since Eric had his last drink. He no longer thinks about drugs or alcohol at all and can easily be around it all without a thought. Recovery for him meant he needed to learn to understand how his mind and emotions worked and how to use them both more skillfully.   In this disconnected world, Eric shares several things he does that help him stay connected. Working on his podcast helps because he having conversations with others 2-4 times each week. He makes himself leave the house regularly and spend time with friends. He plans walks with friends and he also does coaching work.   Eric has recently published a book called How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life.   Recovery Elevator It all starts from the inside out. I love you guys.   Café RE RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube
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  RE 593: Man's Best Friend 29.06.2026 49min

  Today we have Camille. She is 36 years old, lives in Montreal, Canada and she took her last drink on April 20th, 2026.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help   If you're wondering what you can expect in your first seven days alcohol free, check out our FREE 7-day guide.   [03:19] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares with us that his beloved dog Ben has passed away. He credits Ben with not only being a major catalyst for his recovery, but also for saving his life. Ben was a member of the staff at Recovery Elevator retreats and touched many people over the 12 years he was Paul's companion.   Paul says his thinking mind has tried to figure out where Ben is now, and after countless thoughts and tears, he always lands in a place of gratitude for the 12 incredible years he was able to share with his dog.   The opposite of addiction is connection, and we generally think of other humans when we hear this. But the quote is infinite and definitely includes our connection with animals.   [08:18] Paul introduces Camille:   Camille is 36 years old and lives in Montreal, Canada. She is a graphic designer for a software company. She lives with her partner, and he has a 9-year-old daughter who they see often. For fun, Camille enjoys sports climbing, crochet, crafting and DIY projects.   Camille had her first drink when she was 13 while at boarding school. Her roommate who was 14 was already struggling with alcoholism. In spite of being a "goody two shoes", Camille was occasionally binge drinking with friends. There were several hints that things were getting precarious with her drinking.   What sealed the deal Camille says is when she started working at a bar in her early 20s. She worked there for six years. While she did have some fun and met some great people, Camille says she was constantly either drinking or combatting a hangover. Towards the end of her studying, she was getting tired and looking forward to getting out of that scene but wasn't ready to moderate while she was still there. She was good at keeping up the appearance that her drinking wasn't out of control.   Even after trading the bartending in for a graphic design job, Camille would still find herself binge drinking to get drunk. She says it was hard to consider it a problem when everyone around her drank too. Gradually the drinking increased to a daily occurrence by the time she was 33. She was just drinking to take the edge off, and Camille began wishing that alcohol was not part of her daily life. She would journal about not wanting to drink for the day but would find herself doing it anyways. It was frustrating feeling so powerless and shameful.   Camille first quit drinking in 2025 after running a 5k and recognizing that she was pouring poison into a body that she had just asked to complete a strenuous activity. This stuck with her and she was able to stop drinking for two months. The moderation and exploration of self-awareness began at this point. She attempted to moderate for the rest of 2025. It was after three days of heavy drinking at an all-inclusive vacation that Camille finally said enough is enough.   Camille joined a local support group but has not attended AA. She says it helped her feel less alone and believes that the reason we feel that way is because having a problem with alcohol is so shameful that we don't want speak about it. Camille says her drinking stemmed from a lot of desire to be polished and perform well so the alcohol helped her turn it off. Going forward Camille is planning to continue taking actions to solidify her commitment to being alcohol free. She is going to focus on existing as she is and accepting the human experience without covering it up with booze.   Camille's parting piece of guidance: You can do this and be forgiving with yourself, be tolerant, give yourself grace.   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down. You've got to take the stairs back up. We can do this.   Café RE RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube  
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  RE 592: GLP-1's and Addiction 22.06.2026 51min

  Today we have Lauren. She is 39 years old from Chicago, IL and took her last drink on November 22nd, 2019.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help   Bozeman 2026 – August 12th-16th, 2026   Stay tuned here for some upcoming travel opportunities in 2027-2028   If you're wondering what you can expect in your first seven days alcohol free, check out our FREE 7-day guide.   [02:58] Thoughts from Paul:   This week, Paul talks about GLP-1s and the growing evidence that these medications can help with cravings for opioids, cigarettes and alcohol in addition to their effectiveness' in assisting with weight loss and diabetes.     The research is in the initial phases, but there have been studies showing that GLP-1s can lower alcohol cravings. Researchers found that GLP-1 plus therapy can reduce heavy drinking. And a clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry found that GLP-1s significantly reduced weekly alcohol cravings compared to placebo.   This may not be the magical cure for alcoholism that we've been looking for, but it could give the jump start we may need. Since the drinking problem is more like the canary in the mine saying something in your life is out of balance, a GLP-1 will not fix that.   We've always said at RE that there is no one-size-fits-all path to sobriety. For some people it's AA. For some it's therapy. For some it's community, nature, spirituality, movement. Maybe for some people, the path starts with a GLP-1.   [11:29] Paul introduces Lauren:   Lauren lives in Chicago, she is single, and she lives close to her family. She is a director of business processes for car wash equipment manufacturing. For fun, Lauren is a member of multiple clubs and enjoys taking painting classes.   Lauren says the first time she drank was while on a date when she was 16. She recalls that she blacked out and that blacking out was common for her throughout her drinking career. In college, Lauren was in sorority where they hosted a lot of drinking activities. This continued after she graduated and got a job. Drinking on the weekends, after work and at work events was common for Lauren.   Lauren's drinking got bad in 2018 when she began traveling often for work. When she wasn't traveling, she found herself drinking more frequently, often early in the day. She was driving while in blackouts, damaging her car and waking up the next day not knowing what happened. Over time Lauren realized she needed to quit. She began watching YouTube videos about quitting drinking and concluded that she needed to get off the road and find a job that was more stable if she was going to be able to quit.   Lauren tried moderation and it rarely worked. She was letting people down and not following through on commitments. She finally broke down with her sister on the phone on the morning after a blackout and told her she had a drinking problem. Lauren says this was when she surrendered. She said a prayer, vowed that she would try to quit and if she was successful, she would help others.   Lauren didn't know anyone that was sober, so she Googled sober podcasts and found RE. She began listening to episodes while walking. Lauren began to notice the similarities in everyone's' stories, instead of the differences. Lauren thought to herself "one day I'm going to be on this podcast". In addition to listening to the podcast, Lauren started practicing cognitive behavioral therapy. She is a member of Café RE and a local group in Chicago that meets every week.   The first few years were hard for Lauren. She reflects that maybe it was because she wasn't connected to a community at the time. As time has gone on, she has got more involved and is giving back to communities by hosting meetings and started her own coaching business called Sober Professional Club.   Lauren's parting piece of guidance: Don't wait. Do it today. Do it right now. You could have your last drink right now.   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down. You've got to take the stairs back up. We can do this.
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  RE 591: Open Up To Life 15.06.2026 48min

  Today we have Meg. She is 36 years old, lives in Houston, TX and she took her last drink on October 11th, 2020.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help   Soberlink – claim your $100 enrollment bonus   Bozeman 2026 – August 12th-16th, 2026   If you're wondering what you can expect in your first seven days alcohol free, check out our new FREE 7-day guide.   [02:26] Thoughts from Paul:   You've heard the opposite of addiction is connection. Alcohol wants you turning away from people into a more isolated life. Paul encourages us to find small moments in the day when you can open up towards life and shares some examples of how we can engage with other people and nature throughout our lives.   [07:21] Paul introduces Meg:   Meg is 36 years old and lives in Houston, TX with her two cats Fred and George. She works as an HR coordinator for Meow Wolf and for fun, Meg enjoys walking, puzzling and writing.   Meg didn't have her first drink until she was 18 years old but instantly knew it was a special elixir that was going to allow her to be more social and comfortable. Throughout college, Meg says she always drank, often to excess with the purpose of getting drunk. She didn't recognize it as a problem at that point and just continued to spend time with friends who drank like her.   Meg got two DUIs when she was in her early 20s. She developed relationships where drinking was part of how they would relate to one another. It wasn't until she was in a relationship with a normal drinker that her drinking became very noticeable. She found herself trying to moderate around him, but says it backfired often.   Meg's says that she had some cognitive dissonance growing because she knew that the alcohol was pulling her away from her authenticity but found herself drinking more to try and shut that voice down. The drinking escalated during COVID when Meg was working at home, drinking all day, and hiding bottles from her boyfriend. She soon lost her job and the next day her boyfriend broke up with her.   Meg moved from California, back into her mom's home in Las Vegas. Meg and her mother hadn't lived together for the last 10 years, so her mother wasn't aware how much Meg drank. After a day of drinking and blacking out, Meg and her mother got into a big fight that led to her trashing her room. Meg woke up the next day feeling really low and scared of the person she was becoming when she drank.   The day after the blowout, Meg and her mother had a long discussion where Meg revealed more to her about how drunk she was and that she had a problem with drinking. Her mother told her, "I love you and I don't like you right now". Meg says that was very painful, but it opened her up to working on recovery.   Meg knew she couldn't say "never" so instead focused on taking things day by day. She was in a great environment for healing and had plenty of time to take walks and she came up with an idea to treat it like an experiment. She set goals of not drinking through several upcoming events and leaned on friends and family to help hold her accountable.   After around 90 days, Meg recognized that she was doing ok by herself but knew she needed community and connection. She joined the Café RE community and started attending retreats, which have been life-changing for her.   Meg quickly saw some positive results when she quit drinking. Her career has kicked off, and she has been promoted every year since she started at Meow Wolf. Meg says she went from being a reactive person to a proactive person. Sobriety has given Meg tools to navigate the full range of emotions. Journalling and writing are important to Meg. She is currently documenting her journey through treatment for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma on her blog Sincerely, Nutmeg.   Meg's parting piece of guidance: make sober a priority, because you are worth it.   We love you, Meg. Looking forward to seeing you dance at Bozeman 2027! 😊   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down. You've got to take the stairs back up. We can do this.
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  RE 590: Are You Broken? 08.06.2026 44min

  Today we have Stef. She is 39 years old, lives in Truckee, CA, and took her last drink on March 24th, 2026.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Bozeman 2026 – August 12th-16th, 2026   If you're wondering what you can expect in your first seven days alcohol free, well, we just created a FREE 7-day guide for your first seven days.    [02:00] Thoughts from Paul:   Yes, we are all broken. Not because of a drinking problem, but because all 8 billion humans on the planet are perfectly imperfect.   While a drinking problem breaks you, it can be alchemized or transformed into your greatest strength. The transformation that someone makes when stepping into an alcohol-free life is hard to describe. Imperfection, brokenness, and flaws are not failures, but rather essential openings for growth, understanding, and hope.   "There's a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." – Leonard Cohen   "The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places..." – Ernest Hemingway   Kintsugi – the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending cracks with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum.   [06:10] Paul introduces Stef:   Stef is 39 years old, works in property management and has two dogs.     Stef was socially awkward growing up, but when she had her first drink, she says she felt at home. She loosened up and her personality came out. Rules were restrictive at home, so she didn't have a lot of opportunities to party until she was kicked out. She says she floated around and did a lot of partying at that point.   When Stef was in her early 20s, her boyfriend passed away in a drunk driving accident. Stef says the only way she knew how to cope with things was to drink and forget it.  It wasn't long after that she got her first DUI. She ran from the charges for about two years and when she was picked up on a warrant, she was sent to AA meetings.   Stef says going to the first AA meeting felt like the first drink she had. She felt like she belonged there. She was 24 at the time and was able to quit drinking for six months before moving which is when she stopped reaching out to her sponsor.   Stef thought that she could use what she learned in AA to keep her from drinking alcoholically again. But as time went on, the drinking ramped back up. Stef eventually found herself unemployed, unable to pay rent, and had to move in with her grandmother in Sacramento.   Things were going well for Stef. She was able to get a job, stopped drinking and partying, but she was still hiding alcohol and drinking after everyone in the house went to bed. Not long after this, she moved to Lake Tahoe because she enjoys snowboarding. She ended up choosing the party over snowboarding and began having consequences.   Between 2014 and 2019, Stef got three more DUIs. The fourth DUI came after a rock bottom day of drinking that ended with Stef in a mental health facility swearing that if she was able to get out of there, she would return to AA. The judge ultimately mandated that Stef attend AA, so she dove in and began a four and a half year stretch alcohol-free.   Stef says the desire to drink came out of nowhere in April of 2025. I progressed to daily drinking very quickly and once she caught herself justifying driving drunk again, she knew enough was enough. This time she is quitting for herself, not a court order.   Praying, playing the tape forward and attending meetings are important resources for Stef. She hasn't forgotten anything she learned in AA and now she enjoys being able to help others. Stef is grateful to have a clear head and be present for everyone in her life now.   Stef's parting piece of guidance: "Give yourself a chance. See what could come from it. It's likely going to be very positive for you. So give yourself that chance. You deserve it."   Recovery Elevator It all starts from the inside out. I love you guys.   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube Café RE      
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  RE 589: The Little Things 01.06.2026 51min

  Today we have Brooke. She is 55 years old, lives in Denver, CO and she took her last drink on February 17th, 2026.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help   If you're wondering what you can expect in your first seven days alcohol free, well, we just created a FREE 7-day guide for your first seven days.    [02:39] Thoughts from Paul:   In the upcoming book, This is How We Quit, we are currently narrowing down the submissions from 66 to around 20. While reviewing these all, Paul shares with us a snippet from one of them by Kristi, who was the guest on episode 492.   [07:45] Paul introduces Brooke:   Brookes lives in Denver, CO, has been married for 25 years and they have two sons. She has a background in education and for fun she enjoys being outside. They enjoy hiking, skiing, walking and playing tennis.   Growing up, Brooke believed that alcohol was necessary part of living. She saw her parents drink casually and was in a lot of environments where drinking was a given. Brooke took her first drink in high school, and it was just part of socializing throughout high school, college and her early professional years.   Brooke says it's hard to imagine a time when she didn't think drinking was normalized. Whether drinking for celebration or drinking for grieving, alcohol was always present.   Once Brooke reached her 40s, she noticed that it wasn't as easy to get up the next day without some sort of hangover symptoms even if all she had was one or two drinks after a hard day at work.     Brooke was starting to question her drinking but the talk about alcohol being "good for us" was conflicting. She was beginning to see the signs of alcohol interfering with her health. She was participating in cleanses for 10 or 30 days and found that she felt so much better when she took breaks from drinking. It was hard for her to think about quitting completely because if how much it was present socially.   When Brooke's mother was diagnosed with cancer, she noticed that all of the doctors discouraged alcohol. This got the wheels turning for Brooke and she did a deep dive on the detriments of alcohol on our bodies.   Brooke was recovering from shingles this past February and that is when she decided she was done with alcohol. She doesn't feel like it was a rock bottom moment, but more of a realization that she was just exhausted from the inner dialogue around her drinking.   When she initially quit, Brooke was questioning how she was going to show up in her life without the drinking. She had experience quitting from doing cleanses in the past, so she knew it would be tough initially, but was prepared to be kind to herself throughout the process. She focused on caring for herself as she would care for one of her children if they were in distress or sick.   Learning and reading research about what alcohol does to our bodies has been helpful for Brooke. She has learned to slow down and be more aware of her feelings and what she needs to make herself feel better, without alcohol. Brooke uses a breathwork to help calm her nervous system and has also found great healing in nature.   In addition to yoga, mediation, breathwork and nature, other resources Brooke has found helpful on her journey are attending therapy, reading Quitlit, research on functional medicine and reading the bible. Attending meetings with sober communities has been important as well.   At about two months sober at the time of this recording, Brooke says she feels stronger than she's ever felt. She feels free and clear in both her head and heart spaces and is excited to explore life free of alcohol.   Recovery Elevator Go big. Because eventually we'll all go home. I love you guys.   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube Café RE – THE social app for sober people      
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  RE 588: Religion 25.05.2026 45min

  Today we have Anita. She is 49 years old from Bend, OR and she took her last drink on January 4th, 2026.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help   [03:14] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares with us that in the upcoming interview, he and the guest talk about religion. While he knows this can be a triggering topic for some, including him, he encourages us to be open minded to both the interview and religion in general.   [12:38] Paul introduces Anita:   Anita is 49 years old, lives in Bend, OR she is single and works as a family doctor. Much of her family also lives in the area. Anita enjoys hiking, cold plunges, dancing and frequently travels to Esalen in Big Sur.   Anita was raised in a Christian cult called but went to public schools which left her feeling anxious and nervous all the time. She says the didn't have a TV at home, so Anita would find herself reading comics and snacking. This later developed into an eating disorder as she grew into adolescence.   Anita graduated from high school and attended a Christian college in Michigan. Being a rule follower, Anita didn't drink much before she was 21. Her drinking remained rather moderate while she was addressing her eating disorder. She was attending Overeaters Anonymous and followed a meal plan that didn't include alcohol.   After about five years, Anita became an atheist and decided she didn't want to practice medicine anymore. She decided to trust the universe and move to southern California, but it didn't go well for Anita, and she moved back to Oregon after four years.   Anita would go back and forth with alcohol over the years, but up until this past January, would always find herself going back. With a stressful job helping others, drinking was a way to regroup at the end of the day. On January 5th, Anita stumbled across a copy of Paul's book Alcohol is Shit she had in her office and started reading. From there, she started listening to the RE podcast and found herself deeply identifying with an interview Paul had with Sarah (episode 568).   Anita agrees that there is power in listening to others' stories. Acknowledging that she was a high-functioning alcohol user, Anita believes that we get to choose how low we go. She says while she still thinks of alcohol, it doesn't nip at her heels the way it used to. Intuitively she knows that it is toxic and no longer wants to use alcohol in her existence. Without alcohol she knows she can create more realness in her life that will help her address whatever is thrown at her. Anita believes in being open about her recovery and telling others that she doesn't drink. She continues to listen to podcasts, recently joined Café RE, reads books and watches YouTube videos. She has started interacting with nature more so it can reteach her where her place is in life.   Anita's parting piece of guidance: give it a chance. If you're listening to this, you're already conflicted about it. Give your heart a chance to have a day without alcohol and see where that takes you.   Recovery Elevator It all starts from the inside out. I love you guys.   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube Café RE – THE social app for sober people      
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  RE 587: Schedule What? 18.05.2026 45min

  Today we have Will. He is 32 years old, lives in Allenstown, NH and took his last drink on October 5th, 2019.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Café RE – THE social app for sober people Bozeman 2026 – August 12th-16th, 2026   [06:22] Paul introduces Will:   Will is 32 years old, lives in New Hampshire and works for the US Postal Service. Will enjoys writing, watching films, hiking and traveling.    Will grew up in a strict, religious household. From middle school through high school, Will did homeschooling which left him feeling like he didn't really have any friends. By the time he was 15 or 16, he felt like he was missing out on a lot of life experiences. Will moved out of home with his brother when he turned 18 and says this is when his partying began as a way to make up for lost time.   Will began working in the food service industry and says it was his first taste of life outside of the religious bubble he had grown up in. While he had a level of social anxiety that kept him out of nightclubs and things of that nature, his brother enjoyed the nightlife and typically had alcohol in the house which Will would drink by himself.   Between the ages of 19 and 21, Will had found some friends he calls kindred spirits in that they were all creative and a little nerdy. He says his life was simple back then: go to work and then go hang out with his friends and play/watch video games while drinking.   At 22, Will got a DUI. This was not enough to make him feel like he needed to stop drinking but he thought he should try moderating. The financial struggles after the DUI were hard on Will and he was beginning to feel like he screwed his life up already. Between ages 22 and 24, Will references them as his rock bottom years. He was losing friends due to his behavior when he drank and felt haunted by social failures and missing opportunities.   Will tried going to therapy at 24 but didn't address his drinking at all. The anxiety and depression were crippling, and he began having suicidal ideations. Will tried going to AA but struggled not to focus on the things he didn't agree with. It was a TV series called Patrick Melrose that helped inspire Will to try something new. Will decided to try going to rehab.   Will started burning the ships with his family and the supervisory staff at his jobs so that he could plan to go to detox. He was there for nine days and says it was an amazing experience. He felt good about the decision to go and says he got a lot of out of it.   The cycle of starts and stops began, Will was trying to hide his drinking unsuccessfully. In this middle of this time, he had started dating someone and fell in love. They ended up moving in together. Will says the move was helpful for him, but he was still trying to drink and hide it from her.    The night before a planned trip to NYC, Will drank a couple of beers, and his girlfriend could smell it on him the next morning. They talked about it on the way to their Airbnb and Will spent his first day sober walking around the city. This experience left an impression on Will, and he recognized he could have fun sober and it made him crave more life experiences.   Will's girlfriend was very supportive; he returned to AA meetings and got a new therapist that specialized in addiction. After several months, he began taking classes for recovery support. An internship led to a job and Will says it was life changing.   Since being in recovery, Will says that his depression is gone and he is better at holding himself accountable in his life. A lot has happened since he quit drinking, but he feels that all of the challenges have made him stronger.   Recovery Elevator We took the elevator down. You've got to take the stairs back up. We can do this.   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube  
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  RE 586: Addiction is the Answer 11.05.2026 52min

  Today's episode includes a Q & A session conducted live at Recovery Point, which is a resource center for those who struggle with addiction located in Bozeman, Montana.   This episode is brought to you by: Sober Link sign up and claim your $100 enrollment bonus Café RE – THE social app for sober people Bozeman 2026 – August 12th-16th, 2026   [02:19] Paul introduces Jay, Jennifer, Chris and Linda   Each panel member shares a little about themselves and what drove them to seek recovery.   Question – When did you open up to community?   Jay shares that he started going to AA while in jail and attended a program called Bridging the Gap through treatment court which helped him find connection and community.   Jen was a few months into her recovery when she discovered Café RE and found that others sharing their stories helped her a lot.   Chris said he had made several half-hearted attempts at quitting before finding books and communities. He shares that he was stubborn at first, but now has made many friends in Café RE.   Linda attended treatment court with Jay but was trying to be a lone wolf. She didn't have a driver's license and found herself having to ask others for help. She found community in AA and NA/   Questions – What's your favorite recovery quote? One word to summarize your sobriety?   Linda – "it's only a thing if you make it a thing" and her word is "unbelievable"   Chris – "play the tape forward" and his word is "peaceful"   Jen – "keep it simple" and her word is "content"   Jay – "this too shall pass – the good and the bad" and his word is "serenity"   The panel shares their observations on the stigma around addiction decreasing and the increase of alcohol-free options when they go out. They all agree it is great to see that there are more options for people that don't want to drink and more and more places for opportunities to have mocktails while socializing and living life. Question – In a life without alcohol, has something surprised you?   Jen shares that she always loved to camp and the first time she went alcohol-free, she felt uncomfortable at first. She sees that she has more time to do the things she loves and try new things.   Chris says he has so much clarity and energy to do things. Having more time, flexibility and extra money has been nice.   Jay says a lot of his hobbies stayed the same, he just enjoys them more now. He realized he doesn't really like fishing after doing it for so many years. He has also found that he enjoys coaching his daughter's softball team.    Question – What advice do you have for the person that may be struggling to quit drinking?   Jay – you don't have to do it alone, you don't have to be ashamed   Jen – you can do it, and reach out   Chris – you don't have to do it alone, reach out and engage in a community   Linda – find one person that you can trust and start there.   [49:39] Thoughts from Paul:   The planet is currently giving out signs of distress, and all have anchoring to humans and what we have done to nature. Addiction may be the answer to this. When we stop poisoning ourselves with alcohol, a connection or reconnection with nature takes place.   Addiction, or the other side of addiction, is what connects our species back to the pulsations of the earth, animals, wind, sea and within our own hearts. Addiction and the healing that follows is what connects us back to ourselves, the planets, and the animals.   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down. You've got to take the stairs back up. We can do this.   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube Café RE    
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  RE 585: Country Roads 04.05.2026 44min

  Today we have Brittany. She is 44 years old, lives in New Braunfels, TX and she had her last drink on May 27th, 2025.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Café RE – THE social app for sober people Bozeman 2026 – August 12th-16th, 2026   [02:07] Paul introduces Brittany:   Brittany is 44 years old, is originally from Wisconsin, and lives in New Braunfels, TX with her husband of 18 years. Together they have four kids. For fun, Brittany enjoys sporting events and traveling with her family.   Brittany shares she had a great childhood. Her parents were very supportive of her and her older brother. Her father was the child of alcoholics, so he chose not to drink so there was limited exposure to it while Brittany was growing up.   Brittany's first drink was when she was 15 years old. She didn't drink much throughout her teens as she was more into sports that didn't leave much room for it. In Wisconsin, attending sporting events always included drinking. In college, Brittany enjoyed the party and playing drinking games and all of her friends drank like she did, so she didn't see it as a problem.   After college, Brittany met her husband. He went into the Air Force which found them moving to San Antonio. They hung out with a lot of other young married couples, and they all partied a lot on the weekends. Her husband didn't like Brittany's drinking so she would begin hiding how much she drank, seeing it as him trying to control her.   When their second daughter was born in 2014 with a rare genetic disorder, Brittany began to use alcohol as medication. Caring for a special needs child and also moving a lot as a military family was very stressful for Brittany. With her husband being deployed or on assignments, she was doing a lot of parenting alone which led her to self-medicate often.   When COVID happened, Brittany's husband was able to be home more, but that led to her drinking increase. Brittany switched from wine to vodka, assuming it would be less noticeable to her husband. She began to hide her drinking more and started promising to drink less but it never happened.   Memorial Day weekend of 2025 Brittany's husband left town for work, and she was getting the family settled into their new home with her parents. Brittany had vodka stashed and was drinking in secret throughout the day. That evening, she passed out at the dinner table. Since she had been lying to everyone about drinking, they were worried that something else might be wrong and her mother took her to the hospital.   While she was there, both the nurse and the doctor could see what the issue was, but Brittany was still in denial. Brittany will never forget when the doctor told her, "You are not alone". At this point, the family knew and it felt like a weight was lifted.   A family friend became a lifeline for Brittany, and she contacted him the next day. He is also in recovery and helped her feel less alone. She went to her first AA meeting that day. With the help of her parents since they were living in Wisconsin, Brittany was able to attend meetings, sometimes two, daily.   Brittany says things changed for her very quickly. She started feeling better physically, was losing weight and began working out. The light was beginning to come back into her eyes. Parenting was hard, but she enjoys it much more now that she isn't drinking.   Brittany's parting piece of guidance: You are not alone. Find a sober community and jump in with both feet.   Recovery Elevator It all starts from the inside out. I love you guys.   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube Café RE    
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  RE 584: I'm One of Them 27.04.2026 53min

  Today we have Chris. He is 55 years old, from Madison, WI, and he took his last drink of alcohol on April 7th, 2015.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Café RE – THE social app for sober people Bozeman 2026 – August 12th-16th, 2026   [02:02] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul recently gave an opening talk at a fundraising gala for Yellowstone Alliance Adventures. This is the venue where the annual Bozeman retreat is held. He shared with the guests that he holds an annual sober retreat there but initially hadn't rehearsed sharing that he was also sober. After a few moments of silence, mid-talk, Paul shared that he is also in recovery.   Paul says he knows he didn't have to share that part, but when he did, it felt good to be up there in front of a crowd as his authentic self. In a world that can very fake and shallow, people are craving authenticity. Paul wants to go places where he can be himself.   Listeners, where can you show up as yourself in your life? What curtains, walls, or barriers are you hiding behind where you think people don't want to see you? While it isn't easy to show up as your authentic self, you will be rewarded by doing so.   We are here; we are whole.   [07:03] Paul introduces Chris:   Chris is 55 years old, works in IT by day, has three kids across two marriages and for fun he likes to make music, create games, and enjoys working on art.   Chris' parents divorced when he was young due to his father's drinking. Because there was so much going on at home, Chris says he focused much of his attention on school, sports, drama and choir to remain out of the house. He shares that he only drank one time in high school and got caught and ended up with some consequences.   Once in college, Chris had the freedom to drinking and other drugs pretty heavily right away. Early on, he got kicked out of a bar. During is freshman year, depression kicked in and he had a suicide attempt. Chris says drinking was never good for him. He never felt like it was solving any problems, but he was entranced by it.   Chris never really saw his drinking as a problem and surrounded himself by people that drank like he did. He enjoyed playing in bands and going to bars. Over the next 15 years he began to get away from the drugs but found his alcohol use increasing to compensate. By his mid-30's, Chris says it was just him in his basement pretending to record music or write a book, but the reality was it was just him down there drinking.   At this point in time, Chris knew he had to try and control his drinking but was unable to do so. His second marriage was to someone who drank more than he did, which he assumed meant she wouldn't hassle him about what he was doing.     Chris says there wasn't a definitive moment that led him to quit, it was more a gradual decent. He lost his job because he wasn't very present, he got a DUI and then got a divorce, all within six months' time. He had court ordered sobriety and white knuckled it for a while but ultimately planned his relapse which led to him drinking all hours of the day and realizing alcohol wasn't working anymore.   Chris reflects that this realization was a good thing. He tried a lot of different things in the beginning: AA, SMART recovery, podcasts, Quitlit – anything to fill the void he initially felt by not drinking. He was always willing to try different things and acknowledges that some things come and go. He joined Café RE for a songwriting course as he was approaching 10 years sober. Chris knows that staying strong in his recovery daily is what will keep him from relapsing.   Chris is grateful for his sobriety as he has navigated some difficult things over the last several years. He is glad he no longer uses alcohol as a crutch to make it through life. When times are tough, he leans more into more meetings or talking to friends.   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down You got to take the stairs back up We can do this I love you guys   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube    
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  RE 583: Anonymous? 20.04.2026 46min

  Today we have Aimee. She is 51 years old, from Minneapolis, MN and took her last drink on March 20th, 2022.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Café RE – THE social app for sober people   [02:39] Thoughts from Paul:   AA has been the most popular and widely recognized program to treat alcohol addiction for more than 50 years. And that has pleased Big Alcohol because it has the word "anonymous" in it. Big Alcohol knows they are selling an addictive drug, and it is a gift to them that when people figure out that alcohol lies to them about their product, calming them down or enhancing their lives, they won't say anything.   Paul isn't dogging AA but recognizes that the anonymous part had kept the stigma of addiction going. Paul shares and excerpt from As Bill Sees It from Bill W., the founder of AA.   The way he reads it, he doesn't think that Bill W. ever intended the anonymity component to be a curtain of shame. It is just in reference to what is said in the meetings, stays in the meetings.   Gone are the days of keeping it a secret. In the last four years Big Alcohol has lost $830 billion in revenue. We have to keep talking about this. As Bill W. says, it's a tragedy that drinking has been marketed as good for us, but we're starting to get it right.   [08:16] Paul introduces Aimee:   Aimee lives in Minneapolis, MN, works for a large medical device company, is married and has two adult children. For fun Aimee enjoys traveling now that she is in recovery and has been dabbling with art. . Aimee's father was in recovery from alcohol around the time that she was 12 and she remembers the impact seeing him there had on her. Her parents were divorced and she and her mom had a strained relationship. Aimee ended up moving to Minneapolis from Texas to live with her dad and had struggles with bullying in school. Drinking became a way to feel like she belonged in a group.   When Aimee was in her early 20s, her father lost his mother and was very depressed. Aimee feels like she was parenting her dad at that time while she was also getting married and having her own kids. Their children were very active with sports and weekends while the kids were playing, the parents were partying.   Aimee thinks her drinking became a problem around 2018. In 2019, her father passed away. Shortly after he passed, she thought she would quit drinking for a year in remembrance of him. Aimee wasn't sure she could do it, but if she could do it, it would prove to herself that she didn't have a problem.   Without community or AA, Aimee stayed sober for about 15 months. She wasn't interested in AA and didn't have any other resources. Aimee started drinking again and would have multiple stops and starts until 2022 when her husband was about to have open heart surgery.   Knowing the level of care she needed to provide after the surgery, Aimee began seeking other resources to assist with recovery. She hadn't told anyone about her quitting, not even her husband. But she found community and listening to others share helped her feel less alone. There were a lot of things happening within her family that could have made her want to throw in the towel, but being part of the Café RE community helped her.    Aimee says the first year in recovery had her feeling the pink cloud a bit, but years two and three were a little more challenging. However, she is now going back to school since her kids are now adults, and planning travel. Two things she knows she wouldn't be able to do if she was still drinking.   Aimee's parting piece of guidance: just don't quit quitting. You don't have to hold onto shame.   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down You got to take the stairs back up We can do this I love you guys   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube    
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  RE 582: What Are We Connecting To? 13.04.2026 39min

  Today we have Ron. He is 67 years old from Milwaukee, WI and he took his last drink of alcohol on February 19th, 2026.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Sober Link sign up and claim your $100 enrollment bonus   [02:57] Thoughts from Paul:   The village, the community, the tribe, has been completely destroyed in the last couple hundred years, and this messes with us big time. Okay, the opposite of addiction is connection, but what exactly are we connecting to?   The big one here is yourself. If you're disconnected within, everything in your outside world will be fractured also. The next big one is when you connect with others. But even after that, probably the biggest connection is the one with nature.   There's no coincidence as our war against nature intensifies, so do ailments such as addictions, chronic pain, depression, and anxiety disorders. We are being called home, and it's a beautiful thing. So how do you build this connection with nature or the natural world? I've got good news for you. You are the natural world. So, this separation is false from the first place, and it's a mind-created fiction. So go outside, read a book outside, download the Merlin Bird app, and learn the birds that call your neighborhood home. [08:04] Paul introduces Ron:   Ron is 67 and lives in Milwaukee, WI. He is the president of a large restaurant company. He has been married to his wife for 12 years, has two grown children, five grandchildren and two dogs. For fun Ron enjoys travelling, reading, golf and time with family.   Ron says he first drank when he was a teenager, but it was very occasional. He says that most of his adult life, he did not have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol until he was around 52 years old.   In 2010, Ron was going through a divorce and opened a sports bar. He spent a lot of time there buying and drinking shots while interacting with customers. Ron says going from a non-drinker to a daily drinker happened very quickly.   Ron's drinking went unexamined. He was professional, he was doing well and it wasn't impacting his work. He was working out, running marathons, everything on the outside looked functional. Around 2012, Ron realized he was having too many hangovers and tried many forms of moderation for eight years.   In 2020, Ron decided to quit and did it for 13 months. Although he was mindful during this time, Ron says he was a dry drunk and didn't have the layers of tools that he would need to maintain sobriety. Alcohol was continuously around and he became tired of being the only person who did not drink. It only took two weeks for Ron to end up right back where he was.   Ron and his wife began golfing and drinking a lot during the pandemic. His wife went from being a moderate drinker to being a heavy drinker. In 2024, Ron began to notice she was having a challenging relationship with alcohol too.   Ron's wife's drinking habits were different than his, but they began having some issues communicating and connecting. He started talking to her about moderation, but those efforts didn't work for her. She decided to check into a 30-day inpatient program and within three days, Ron says he saw his wife come back spiritually. It was then that Ron knew he had to quit with her.   Ron's last drink was the day before his wife got home from rehab. This time he is using more resources and has additional accountability with his wife. He began reading and listening to podcasts and by the time she got home he was ready. Ron and his wife have started going to counseling and are doing the work together and individually. Included in their recovery is attending AA, SMART recovery and Café RE. Ron realizes how important community is on the recovery journey.   Ron's parting piece of guidance: lean into people.   Recovery Elevator We took the elevator down, We got to take the stairs back up. We can do this.   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube Café RE    
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  RE 581: The BEST Way to Feel Better 06.04.2026 47min

  Today we have Lidia. She is 41 years old from Seattle, WA and she took her last drink of alcohol on August 31st, 2025.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help   [01:40] Thoughts from Paul:   Some of you may have seen the title of today's episode which is The Best Way to Feel Better. And that's why you're tuning in – to feel better. Maybe you're in early sobriety and you're not feeling good.   Paul shares with us how the best way of feeling better has taken place in his life. It comes when he may be having a bad day but has an interview with a new guest scheduled. There have been a few times where he was hoping that they wouldn't show but has discovered that within the first few minutes of talking with them – he feels better.   The best way to feel better is to talk to another human being. Talk to someone you trust, maybe make an unplanned visit to a friend's house. There is a reason they call it the 10,000-pound phone. Because the mind (or addiction) wants you alone. Just knowing this makes it easier to pick up the phone.   [06:09] Paul introduces Lidia:   Lidia is 41 years old, and lives outside of Seattle with her husband, their daughter and their dog. For fun, Lidia enjoys hiking, puppy yoga, her daughter's Girl Scouts and the local community theater.   Lidia was born in Warsaw, Poland to young parents and says alcohol was a big part of the culture. She recalls having her first drink to celebrate her second or third birthday. When she was six, she and her mom immigrated to the US. Her mother worked a lot, which left Lidia to fend for herself a good bit.   During her teen years, Lidia would attend summer camps where it was easy to find older kids to buy her alcohol. The closest relationship she had was with     Throughout the teen years and college, Lidia says she was good at drinking and wore it as a badge of honor. After reaching adulthood, the drinking was a daily occurrence finding any excuse to drink whether at home or out with friends. Alcohol was correlated with fun at this time in her life.   Lidia met her husband when she was 27. They were both members of a rock-climbing community and became climbing partners. It wasn't long after meeting that they ended up married and having their daughter. This was the first time that her relationship with alcohol was threatened because she felt they needed to be more responsible with a child.   Lidia used alcohol to cope with postpartum depression. The first red flag first showed when she realized she was drinking and driving with her daughter. Lidia didn't know much about recovery or how to support herself through it, so she was full of shame and guilt. Eventually she told her husband and ended up enrolling in an IOP, attending AA and got sober for four years.   Because Lidia had quit for her daughter and not herself, she began to have resentments and felt like she wasn't having any fun. Since she related fun with alcohol, she went back to drinking. It was then that others were watching her and she assured them she was fine. Lidia began trying to hide her drinking because she didn't want to feel the judgment.   Last summer, Lidia was told by her husband that she would lose her family if she continued drinking like she was. They chose a quit date of September 1st and for motivation, Lidia registered for an RE trip to Costa Rica which was five months away.   The first 30 days went well for Lidia. The pink cloud arrived and she started feeling better physically. Month two found her crashing a bit and she began learning how to slow down. Going forward, Lidia is looking forward to spending more time with her daughter and the Girl Scout troop, getting involved in the local community theater and celebrating all of her wins, big and small.   Recovery Elevator We took the elevator down; we've got to take the stairs back up. We can do this. I love you guys.     RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube Café RE    
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  RE 580: Sensitive People 30.03.2026 53min

  Today we have Harvey. He is 71 years old, lives in Fort Myers, FL and took his last drink on January 18th, 2026.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Café RE – THE social app for sober people   Registration for our annual Bozeman retreat begins on Wednesday April 1st. This event takes place August 12th-16th. This retreat is all about fun, laughter, smiles and silent disco. We didn't quit drinking to not have fun!  Musical guest Uprise will be back and it's going to be another awesome year.   [03:54] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares with us and excerpt from Shannon Alder regarding sensitive people. See if this rings true for you:   "Sensitive people are the most genuine and honest people you will ever meet. There is nothing they won't tell you about themselves if they trust your kindness. However, the moment you betray them, reject them or devalue them, they will end the friendship. They live with guilt and constant pain over unresolved situations and misunderstandings. They are tortured souls that are not able to live with hatred or being hated. This type of person needs the most love anyone can give them because their soul has been constantly bruised by others. However, despite the tragedy of what they have to go through in life, they remain the most compassionate people worth knowing and the ones that often become activists for the broken-hearted, forgotten and the misunderstood. They are angels with broken wings that only fly when loved."   Would you consider yourself a sensitive person? It isn't a bad thing at all, because you feel. And look out, it's the sober, sensitive person through their healing that heals others. That's the work we are doing here.   [08:01] Paul introduces Harvey:   Harvey is originally from Brooklyn but has lived many other places and currently spends his time between Virginia Beach and Fort Myers, FL. Harvey met his wife in 1980, and they have been married over 40 years. He works part time for CNN audio and just celebrated his 71st birthday.   Harvey took his first drink when he was 16 and says it wasn't the "a-ha" moment that many others have had. In college, weed was Harvey's drug of choice until it stopped working for him. He was able to quit easily but alcohol proved to be different.   In 1987 after a move to LA, Harvey and his wife got into the wine culture. It wasn't until two years later that he began to question his drinking and realizing he often woke up not feeling well. This began a tradition of Dry January where Harvey and his wife would quit drinking to let their bodies heal but never because they thought they were alcoholics.   In 2011 Harvey had his first turning point in his drinking. He was apparently hiding his drinking from his wife. When she confronted him with the empties he was hiding, he decided to go to an addiction counselor. They recommended AA and Harvey attended daily until he attempted to work the steps. The Higher Power aspect soured him.   Harvey went back out for more field research. Over time his wife was growing tired of his drinking and he eventually decided in 2024 to get back into recovery and discovered Recovery Elevator and Café RE when seeking alternatives to AA. He says he jumped right into the community and hasn't left.    Going forward Harvey is doing this for him and not just for his family. There have been a few difficult bouts of field research, but Harvey is committed to continuing his recovery. He acknowledges that he is coming to the acceptance phase of his grieving of alcohol. Harvey is exploring new hobbies, specifically music. He intends to continue going to Café RE chats, walking and being open to more opportunities to have fun.   Harvey's parting piece of guidance: don't put it off till next month or to Monday. If you've made the decision that you want to quit, do it immediately.   Recovery Elevator We took the elevator down; we've got to take the stairs back up. We can do this. I love you guys.     Café RE RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube      
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  RE 579: Don't Question the Decision 23.03.2026 34min

  Today we have Butch. He is 49 years old and is from Indianapolis, IN and took his last drink on November 1st, 2025.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help   [02:33] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares and excerpt from an interview with Steve-O, who has 17 years of sobriety.   Steve-O said the worst thing would be to kinda have alcoholism. To kinda have a drinking problem. Because kinda is where people live for 20 years. Kinda is how you blow your 40s. Kinda is how you show up halfway to everything that matters. For your kids, your marriage, your job, your actual life. And then wonder why nothing ever feels real.   And while you're busy deciding whether it's really that bad, the years are passing by. The other side of what Steve-O is saying – he isn't just describing a trap, he's describing a clear escape plan. By being here, you have already made the call. Maybe it's still messy and maybe it's still early and maybe some days you're not sure what you're doing. But you are here fully.   We are done with "kinda". You've made a decision, now don't question that decision. The years that are left are yours, listeners. Now you can show up for them.   [07:31] Paul introduces Butch:   Butch is 49 and lives in Indianapolis with his wife and their cat named Ezra. For fun he is learning to play the bass guitar and recently started blogging.   Butch says he had his first drink in high school and found it helped him cut loose, relax, be funny and he really enjoyed it. His drinking was mostly off and on until he and his girlfriend were out on their own in his early 20s and nobody other than his wife knew he was drinking so much. He had responsibilities but struggled to hold down a job. After about a year and a half, Butch was able to reel it in to just binge drinking on weekends.   Over time Butch was spending more and more time drinking by himself in his basement and not having the energy to do much the next day. He would then try and tell himself it would only be one or two drinks, but that never happened. It wasn't until his early 40s that he started to question if he had a problem. His wife at the time wasn't very supportive of him when he asked for support with his attempt to take a break from alcohol, so he continued to drink.   Soon after this marriage ended, Butch got remarried in 2022. A few weeks later he quit drinking for seven months and says he felt great physically and mentally. It was a trip to Vegas on his birthday that he found himself drinking again. Butch says he moderated while on the trip, but after coming back he found himself slowly drinking more and more even though his wife wouldn't allow him to isolate like before. Eventually Butch started feeling the anxiety coming back and just wasn't feeling good about his drinking. He is approaching 50 years old, has anxiety and physical pain and was just ready to stop.   Around his recent sobriety date, Butch burned the ships with his family and friends. They have all been very supportive of him. He woke up the morning of November 1st and was ready to give it another try. Within the first few weeks he started exercising and eating better, he and his wife would go for walks and go to bed early. He was feeling great again.   Butch never spend much time at church before being married to his current wife so they have been going regularly. Prayer and AA has been helpful to Butch. He has no plans of drinking again but knows it's "one day at a time". Some of the resource and recovery tools that Butch uses are podcasts, books and has recently started blogging in the health and wellness space but there is a lot of crossovers with his recovery. Butch is off of anti-anxiety medications, looks forward to travelling more, learning to play his bass guitar and hopes to get a car to work on soon to keep himself busy.   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down; you've got to take the stairs back up. We can do this.     Café RE RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube      
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  RE 578: Protect Your Energy 16.03.2026 40min

  Today we have Jan. She is 75 years old from Winchester, VA and took her last drink on February 1st, 2021.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Café RE – THE social app for sober people   Recovery Elevator is compiling a list of recovery stories and we're going to put them in a book called This is How We Quit. If you want to be part of this book, and submit your story, we'd love to have you. There is no sobriety time requirement so if your saying to yourself, well, I've only been sober 30 days, I can't submit my story, then nonsense. Send an email to info@recoveryelevator.com and you'll get a google form to fill out and submit your story.   **TRIGGER WARNING** this episode references firearms and sexual assault   [02:48] Thoughts from Paul:   A common phrase in the recovery space is "protect your energy". Paul feels it is a solid idea and tries to practice it as well. His goal in life had always been to bring people together and it has been a major pain point for him to see the current administration purposely trying to separate or divide Americans.   Paul tries to focus on what he can control and turn everything else – especially the news. He shares a story about a recent visit to his parents' house where the news was on and he couldn't find the remote to turn it off.   Paull mentions all of this to remind us of what RE stands for, which is community, connection, inclusivity and love. Many of the things going on in our country go completely against our mission so we have to protect our energy and turn that stuff off, and you should too.   [07:49] Paul introduces Jan:   Jan currently lives in Winchester, VA, she is divorced, has one adult son named Sam and a 14-year-old Pekingese. For fun Jan enjoys walking, hiking, being outside and dancing.   Jan started drinking when she was 19 and attending school in Europe. She reflects that she spent time with the wildest group where they did a lot of drugs and drank. When she returned to the US, she attended the University of Arizona and did a lot of traveling back in forth to Mexico and eventually ended up in Puerto Vallarta. Jan says she always gravitated to the people she shouldn't have.   Bad things began happening to Jan due to her drug and alcohol use. She found herself in a lot of scary situations that eventually led to her depression and desire to move back to the US. Jan began to attend AA and was able to maintain four years of sobriety about fifteen years ago but started drinking again.   There was no rock-bottom moment leading up Jan's quit date in 2021, but she was tired of the mental obsession with alcohol. She tried naltrexone and The Sinclair Method, Antabuse and discovered Café RE after a friend of her son suggested it. She quit drinking right around the same time she joined.   Over the years prior to quitting drinking, Jan had been misdiagnosed with different mental health disorders. Since she has quit, she no longer needs the meds they believed she did. Jan says she sees things more clearly and enjoys photography now. Her love of nature has increased. The connection piece in recovery has also been very important to Jan, and she enjoys hosting some of the chats within Café RE. She stresses that we can't do this alone and having community is vital to recovery.   One of Jan's favorite recovery quotes is that it's a lot easier to stay sober than to get sober. Some of her advice for those new in recovery is to get involved with community, listen to podcasts, read quit lit and attend meetups.     Recovery Elevator Go big because eventually we'll all go home. Love thy neighbor. I love you guys.   RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube      
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  RE 577: Why You Drink 09.03.2026 45min

  Today we have Kendra. She is 38 years old from Central Minnesota and took her last drink on March 22nd, 2024.   This episode is brought to you by:   Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help Café RE – THE social app for sober people   Recovery Elevator is compiling a list of recovery stories and we're going to put them in a book called This is How We Quit. If you want to be part of this book, and submit your story, we'd love to have you. There is no sobriety time requirement so if your saying to yourself, well, I've only been sober 30 days, I can't submit my story, then nonsense. Send an email to info@recoveryelevator.com and you'll get a google form to fill out and submit your story.   Recovery Elevator's first ever Sober Ukelele Retreat will be November 7th-14th, 2026. Registration opens May 1st.   [03:42] Thoughts from Paul:   Today Paul unwraps the reason that we drink. It isn't because alcohol is the most addictive drug on the planet or because you like the taste of wood, hops or earthy floral notes. For millions of years, humans evolved with the expectation of a loving and accepting community to be surrounding us at all times. In the modern world we are ripped away from this and are expected to be okay by ourselves.   The opposite of addiction is connection, and we've never been more disconnected as a species.   Be kind to yourself, this is not your fault. The pain that something was missing landed in your biology likely before you said your first word. This is why we all carry so much shame when something is missing or wrong we internalize it as if we are the problem and we are bad. Again, this is not your fault. But it is tasked to you, us, we to course correct – and we are.   [08:25] Paul introduces Kendra:   Kendra was previously interviewed on episode 501. She is 38 years old and has one 19-year-old daughter. She is a nephrology practice nurse and for fun she likes to cook, walk, bike, cycle and rollerblade.   Kendra never drank in high school and was an overachiever. She had great grades and played hockey. Kendra had her daughter when she was 19 so was unable to further her hockey career into college. Her daughter was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at six days old and Kendra says that forced her to grow up quickly.   Kendra had her first drink at age 21 and while she got very sick, she loved the relief that it gave her. Drinking helped her cope with the "what the hell am I doing in life" feelings and was an outlet for her stress of raising her daughter.   In 2008, Kendra got into a relationship and they drank regularly. He was able to moderate whereas Kendra was not. It was a balancing act keeping up with her party girl persona, raising her daughter and going to school to establish a career for herself.   After her divorce in 2018, she wasn't around alcohol as much but still struggled with the off switch. When the hangovers started affecting her day-to-day life, she realized she had an issue. Kendra says she was capable of managing her drinking for a time as she was building a successful life for herself but would still binge drink on weekends when she had the opportunity.   In 2023, while attempting moderation, Kendra concluded that alcohol wasn't fostering any positivity in her life. She knew she needed to quit. She had already been tracking her sobriety streaks and would get upset with herself when she broke them. She found the app I Am Sober helpful to keep track her streaks and feel like she was making progress.   Having already been reading quit lit and listening the RE podcast, she was priming herself to finally move on from alcohol. After her last drink, Kendra began focusing on rest, meditation, breathwork and doing a lot of walking and listening to podcasts about recovery, health and longevity. Since quitting, Kendra has found mental clarity, less anxiety and her meditation practice helps keep her centered.     Recovery Elevator This isn't a no to alcohol But a yes to a better life       RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube