Ever wondered how to make sobriety less complicated? In this engaging episode of Recovery Elevator, host Paul Churchill chats with Stephanie, a 44-year-old from Georgetown, Massachusetts, who took her last drink on September 6, 2020. Stephanie opens up about her journey to an alcohol-free life, sharing practical tips and heartfelt experiences that make sobriety feel more attainable. She emphasizes the importance of addressing the basics—hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness (H.A.L.T.)—to avoid relapse and maintain a balanced life.

Paul and Stephanie discuss the power of simplicity in recovery, focusing on doing the next right thing and recognizing what's truly important. Stephanie also delves into the red flags she noticed in her drinking behavior and how she decided it was time to quit. The episode touches on generational trauma and offers tools for ongoing recovery beyond the first year. If you're looking for relatable advice and inspiration on your sobriety journey, this episode is a must-listen.

Join Paul Churchill on Recovery Elevator as Stephanie shares her journey to sobriety, emphasizing simplicity and addressing basic needs to avoid relapse.

Stephanie's Story: Keeping Sobriety Simple on Recovery Elevator

Episode 421 – Keep It Simple   Today we have Stephanie. She is 44 from Georgetown, MA and took her last drink on September 6, 2020.   Recovery Elevator podcast just surpassed 10 million downloads!  Thank you to our guests, all the team members, Café RE members, and especially our listeners!   Exact Nature: <a href= "https://exactnature.com/RE20"> https://exactnature.com/RE20</a>   [2:49] Highlights from Paul:   In an age where almost everything plugs in, we as human beings do not. Often when we are feeling upset or triggered, one (or more than one) aspect of H.A.L.T is at play. Try and ask yourself if you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired.   Paul gives us a lot of suggestions of simple ways to address these feelings and asks the listener – how do you keep it simple?  Let us know on Monday’s post on Instagram in the comment area!   Better Help:  <a href="https://www.betterhelp.com/elevator"> www.betterhelp.com/elevator</a> - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [10:42] Paul introduces Stephanie:   Stephanie took her last drink on September 6th, 2020. She is 44 years old, lives in Georgetown, Massachusetts. She is married and has two boys, ages 7 and 9, and two dogs. She enjoys walking and running and loves all things sci-fi.   She first started drinking when she was 15 with an 18 year old boyfriend. She was socially anxious, and drinking helped with that. There were very few consequences and she says it was at least once a weekend she drank, but never drank at home and wasn’t exposed to alcohol at home. She did well in school and followed the rules at home.   She drank in college and went out with her friends typically Thursday through Saturday but did well in school during the week. She was able to dodge some consequences, but the behavior continued. The drinking gradually began happening more frequently especially after she started dating someone and they spent a lot of time going out and drinking together.   She ended up getting married and they moved to Arizona. Their relationship was surrounded by alcohol, and it started to become obvious that they couldn’t take nights off and that was an issue. They split up and she moved back home to Boston. While she was excited for the next chapter of her life, she ended up starting to drink alone which was a red flag to her. She met her husband and they had a lot of fun together, even though they drank. Nothing serious happened, but she still felt that she was drinking too much. She was able to quit while she was pregnant and realized during the second pregnancy that she was wanting it to hurry up so she could start drinking again. Shortly after that she moved from bottles of wine to boxes.   Around the beginning of the pandemic, she told her husband that she was going to quit, but she wasn’t able to. She started hiding mini bottles and realized she started drinking earlier and earlier in the day. She was starting to have physical pains and was saddened by what she saw in the mirror.  She was feeling more and more disconnected and realized that she wanted to change this so she could connect and be more present with her children.   Due to the pain, she was having, Stephanie decided to make an appointment with her doctor and got some alarming results. She decided to come clean with her husband and let him know what’s been going on and that she was ready to quit drinking. He was very supportive which she wasn’t expecting.   Stephanie realized that she had to do things differently. Moderation had never worked in the past, so she knew that wasn’t an option this time. Three big things she did were she told the truth about her addiction, found a community whose language she really resonated with, and ensured she consistently had an hour to herself where she would listen to podcasts and walk. She is looking forward to doing some international travel sober, which she hasn’t done before, and she is excited to continue being a more present parent and partner.     <a href= "https://www.recoveryelevator.com/cafere/">Connect with Cafe RE</a>  Use the promo code OPPORTUNITY to waive the set-up fee. <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuWac9dxkn3J93xJOka3L2g"> Recovery Elevator YouTube</a>   Recovery Elevator You can do this I love you guys

RE 421: Keep it Simple

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It isn't a NO to alcohol, but a YES to a better life!  Best selling author Paul Churchill, along with Kristopher Oyen interview people who have stepped away from alcohol in their own lives. Each week this podcast does a deep dive into an exploration of what a booze free life might look like from various perspectives and opinions. 

If you are sick and tired of alcohol making you sick and tired, we invite you to listen to Recovery Elevator. Check out what an alcohol free life can look like as others share their own stories of sobriety. If you are sober curious, newly sober, supporting a loved one or living your best life already in recovery, then you are in the right place.

This podcast addresses what to do if you’re addicted to alcohol, or if you think you’re an alcoholic. Other topics include, does moderate drinking work, does addiction serve a purpose, what happens to the brain when we quit drinking, should you track sobriety time, is A.A. right for you, spirituality, and more. 

Similar to other recovery podcasts like This Naked Mind, the Shair Podcast, and the Recovered Podcast, Paul and Kris discuss a topic and then interview someone who has ditched the booze.

Recovery Elevator

Ever wondered how to make sobriety less complicated? In this engaging episode of Recovery Elevator, host Paul Churchill chats with Stephanie, a 44-year-old from Georgetown, Massachusetts, who took her last drink on September 6, 2020. Stephanie opens up about her journey to an alcohol-free life, sharing practical tips and heartfelt experiences that make sobriety feel more attainable. She emphasizes the importance of addressing the basics—hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness (H.A.L.T.)—to avoid relapse and maintain a balanced life.Paul and Stephanie discuss the power of simplicity in recovery, focusing on doing the next right thing and recognizing what's truly important. Stephanie also delves into the red flags she noticed in her drinking behavior and how she decided it was time to quit. The episode touches on generational trauma and offers tools for ongoing recovery beyond the first year. If you're looking for relatable advice and inspiration on your sobriety journey, this episode is a must-listen.

Paul Churchill

Paul Churchill

RE 421: Keep it Simple

RE 421: Keep it Simple

RE 421: Keep it Simple

Monday 13th March 2023

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Recovery Elevator

Stephanie's Story: Keeping Sobriety Simple on Recovery Elevator