Ever felt like life's pressures were too much to handle? Laura, a 45-year-old from Boston, MA, knows that feeling all too well. In this episode of Recovery Elevator, she opens up about her last drink on September 27, 2014, and the path that led her there. Laura's story is a raw and honest look at how postpartum depression and anxiety pushed her into dangerous situations with alcohol.

She doesn't shy away from discussing the stigma around addiction and the importance of taking responsibility for her actions. Writing became a lifeline for Laura, helping her to explore her subconscious and understand her patterns and feelings. This episode is a reminder that sobriety is a journey of self-discovery and growth. Paul Churchill also touches on the broader issues of alcohol culture and available resources for those struggling with addiction and mental health.

Tune in to hear Laura's inspiring story and gain insights into the tools that can aid in recovery.

Hear Laura's journey from postpartum struggles to sobriety on Recovery Elevator. Discover how writing helped her find self-acceptance.

Laura's Journey: From Postpartum Struggles to Sobriety

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 <a href= "https://www.recoveryelevator.com/atlanta/">Recovery Elevator in Atlanta</a> 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 <a href= "https://www.recoveryelevator.com/bozeman/">Bozeman Retreat</a> opening on April 3rd. The retreat is scheduled for August 9th – 13th.    Exact Nature: <a href= "https://exactnature.com/RE20"> https://exactnature.com/RE20</a>   [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 we were born with. Addiction could be what forces us to come together, put our differences aside and start loving each other.   Paul thinks that it is our job in recovery to create a life for ourselves and others that doesn’t require alcohol for wholeness. He’s up for the task, how about you?   Better Help:  <a href="https://www.betterhelp.com/elevator"> www.betterhelp.com/elevator</a> - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [6:36] Paul introduces Laura:   Laura is 45 years old, lives in Boston, has one daughter and is recently engaged. She is a writer and the founder of The Luckiest Club, an international sobriety support community. For fun she loves to read, play beach volleyball and travelling.   She first started drinking when she was 15 but didn’t drink a lot. She played sports in high school which kept her from partying and her dad got sober when she was a teenager so she had a healthy fear of alcohol. Her drinking really started when she went to college. She had a fake ID and was all in. After graduating she found herself surrounded by drinking in the workforce. Throughout her 20’s she surrounded herself with people who drank like her. There was a sense that she drank differently than others but she decided it was just something she needed to watch but not quit. She never had any serious consequences at this time in her life.   Laura feels that her drinking really increased after she became a mom. She had more anxiety, her body processed it differently, she was drinking more and it was working less. While she was pregnant, she realized how much she had relied on alcohol because she couldn’t have it. She started worrying more about her drinking at this point because she was chasing relief from the anxiety and only finding it helping for 20 minutes or less.   The year before her last drink Laura found herself suffering some consequences. She got a DUI which she brushed off as just getting a ticket when asked about it. After an event that caused her to almost lose custody of her daughter, she spent the next year actively trying to quit drinking. Her family was acutely aware of her drinking issue and were holding her accountable. She was very angry and wasn’t at the point that she accepted that the alcohol needed to go.   She tried to go to AA but didn’t enjoy it at first. She continued to drink but also kept going to meetings. She was starting to have more sober time than drinking time and was reaping the benefits. It wasn’t until she stopped making the promise to not drink and instead focused on one day at a time.   Laura started closing all her escape hatches after getting a little bit of sobriety time. She feels the most important thing about sobriety is that you cannot do it alone.   And these days, there are more and more resources out there where we don’t have to do it alone.   <a href= "https://www.lauramckowen.com/"> Laura McKowen</a> <a href= "https://www.theluckiestclub.com/"> The Luckiest Club</a>   <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-Luckiest-Surprising-Magic/dp/1608687864/ref=sr_1_1?crid=10J9GRDW2YG7N&keywords=we+are+the+luckiest&qid=1679620686&sprefix=we+are+the+luckiest%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-1"> We are the Luckiest</a> <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Push-Off-Here-Essential-Everything/dp/0593498097/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1679620720&sr=8-1"> Push Off From Here</a>     <a href= "https://www.recoveryelevator.com/cafere/">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> <a href= "https://appsto.re/us/z8w_5.i">Sobriety Tracker iTunes </a>   Recovery Elevator Rule 22 – Lighten Up I love you guys

RE 423: Some Phoneless Fool

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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 felt like life's pressures were too much to handle? Laura, a 45-year-old from Boston, MA, knows that feeling all too well. In this episode of Recovery Elevator, she opens up about her last drink on September 27, 2014, and the path that led her there. Laura's story is a raw and honest look at how postpartum depression and anxiety pushed her into dangerous situations with alcohol.She doesn't shy away from discussing the stigma around addiction and the importance of taking responsibility for her actions. Writing became a lifeline for Laura, helping her to explore her subconscious and understand her patterns and feelings. This episode is a reminder that sobriety is a journey of self-discovery and growth. Paul Churchill also touches on the broader issues of alcohol culture and available resources for those struggling with addiction and mental health.Tune in to hear Laura's inspiring story and gain insights into the tools that can aid in recovery.

Paul Churchill

Paul Churchill

RE 423: Some Phoneless Fool

RE 423: Some Phoneless Fool

RE 423: Some Phoneless Fool

Monday 27th March 2023

About this podcast

Recovery Elevator

Laura's Journey: From Postpartum Struggles to Sobriety