Feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges and wondering how to take better care of yourself? In this episode of Recovery Elevator, Paul Churchill and Kristopher Oyen chat with Abby, a 49-year-old from Phoenix, AZ, who took her last drink on September 25, 2020. Abby opens up about her struggles with alcohol, which led to self-hatred, physical and emotional turmoil, and strained relationships. Realizing she was using alcohol to numb her pain, she decided it was time for a change.

Abby's journey highlights the importance of community in recovery. She found support and empathy from others who had similar experiences, which played a crucial role in her sobriety. Despite the challenges of living alcohol-free, Abby experienced significant positive changes, including improved physical health, emotional stability, and newfound self-love. She discovered new hobbies like reading and watercolor painting, and embraced the joy of being present in her daily life.

Abby also learned to overcome boredom and social pressure, finding new ways to connect with others without alcohol. Her story is a powerful reminder that self-care and self-love are essential in sobriety. By taking care of herself and embracing her vulnerabilities, Abby found the strength to overcome her struggles and inspire others to do the same. Tune in to hear Abby's inspiring journey and discover how an alcohol-free life can lead to a fulfilling and joyful existence.

Join Abby on Recovery Elevator as she shares her journey to sobriety, focusing on self-care, community support, and finding joy without alcohol.

Abby's Road to Sobriety: Embracing Self-Care and Community

Episode 424 – Caring for You   Today we have Abby. She is 49, from Phoenix, AZ, and took her last drink on 9/25/2020.   Join <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. Spouses or loved ones are encouraged to attend the event on Sunday. Registration is open please click the link for more information.   We have registration for the annual <a href= "https://www.recoveryelevator.com/bozeman/">Bozeman Retreat</a> opening on April 3rd. The retreat is scheduled for August 9th – 13th.    Better Help:  <a href="https://www.betterhelp.com/elevator"> www.betterhelp.com/elevator</a> - 10% off your first month. #sponsored   [03:23] Thoughts from Kris:   In an effort to escape the long North Dakota winter, Kris and his wife took a short vacation to Dallas. They had a fantastic time enjoying the city and the company of friends. The key takeaways Kris had are the importance of self-care and connection. He believes that most people are very resilient, and we tend to allow things to keep stacking things onto our plate to the point of overwhelm. That’s when we need to take time to slow down and take care of ourselves; how that looks is different for everyone.   [9:30] Kris introduces Abby:   Abby took her last drink on September 25, 2020.  She’s 49 and lives in Arizona. She’s single and has a young adult daughter who lives nearby. She is self employed doing online marketing for small businesses. She likes to cook, read and stay active.   She got drunk for the first time at a New Year’s Eve party when she was a young teen. She drank and smoked weed a lot through high school and college and feels fortunate that she never suffered any consequences throughout that time. At the time Abby thought drinking was just what people do in their teens and early twenties. In hindsight she knows it was numbing behavior. She never felt like she fit in, and alcohol helped her with her socializing.   After getting married to someone whose family had drug issues, she quit smoking but kept drinking. Her and her husband drank a lot together and chose wine because they thought it was more sophisticated. She didn’t drink during her pregnancy but started back soon after her daughter was born.   Shortly after having their child, she and her husband got divorced. Abby says her drinking ramped up and she started smoking again. She found herself drinking to deal with her emotions and continuing to get into unhealthy relationships. Abby feels like she drank a lot because of her insecurities and not feeling good enough or worthy of love.   Abby initially quit drinking as part of a quest to get healthy after some concerning medical test results, not with the intention of getting sober.  Her doctor had told her she needed to give up some foods, sugar and alcohol in order to heal. She quickly started feeling better so that helped her remain sober for nearly three months. Abby utilized her daughter as accountability which she feels helped a lot.   During a trip to Mexico on her birthday, she decided she was going to drink. She realized quickly that the way she drank was unhealthy. She had one last beer while out and it left her feeling awful for an entire weekend. She decided then that she was done.   When quitting she started on her own and didn’t feel like she needed any support. She started feeling like she needed connection so she joined Café RE during a Ditching the Booze course. She made a friend in that group and then started a hiking group locally. Abby has really enjoyed meeting other people in recovery at multiple meet ups. She is extremely open about the fact that she doesn’t drink and feels that helps her stay accountable.   Abby hosts a lot of chats in Café RE which she feel helps her give back to the community. She stays social with a lot of the friends that she has met there. She does enjoy NA beverages but says CONNECTION is key to her sobriety.     <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>   We’re the only ones that can do this, but we don’t have to do it alone. I love you guys

RE 424: Caring for You

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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

Feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges and wondering how to take better care of yourself? In this episode of Recovery Elevator, Paul Churchill and Kristopher Oyen chat with Abby, a 49-year-old from Phoenix, AZ, who took her last drink on September 25, 2020. Abby opens up about her struggles with alcohol, which led to self-hatred, physical and emotional turmoil, and strained relationships. Realizing she was using alcohol to numb her pain, she decided it was time for a change.Abby's journey highlights the importance of community in recovery. She found support and empathy from others who had similar experiences, which played a crucial role in her sobriety. Despite the challenges of living alcohol-free, Abby experienced significant positive changes, including improved physical health, emotional stability, and newfound self-love. She discovered new hobbies like reading and watercolor painting, and embraced the joy of being present in her daily life.Abby also learned to overcome boredom and social pressure, finding new ways to connect with others without alcohol. Her story is a powerful reminder that self-care and self-love are essential in sobriety. By taking care of herself and embracing her vulnerabilities, Abby found the strength to overcome her struggles and inspire others to do the same. Tune in to hear Abby's inspiring journey and discover how an alcohol-free life can lead to a fulfilling and joyful existence.

Paul Churchill

Paul Churchill

RE 424: Caring for You

RE 424: Caring for You

RE 424: Caring for You

Monday 3rd April 2023

About this podcast

Recovery Elevator

Abby's Road to Sobriety: Embracing Self-Care and Community