In this episode of Recovery Elevator, Paul Churchill and Kristopher Oyen sit down with Sarah, a 45-year-old from Indiana who has been sober since December 31, 2022. Sarah shares her deeply personal journey of battling alcohol addiction and the transformative power of sobriety. She opens up about her early experiences with drinking, how it escalated in college, and the devastating losses that fueled her dependency.

Sarah's story is raw and honest, highlighting the emotional and physical toll of alcohol on her life. She talks about the pivotal moment when she decided to quit drinking and the steps she took to maintain her sobriety, including finding support through podcasts and communities like Recovery Elevator. The episode also touches on the broader societal issues related to alcohol consumption, with Paul discussing recent studies that debunk the myth that any amount of alcohol is good for you.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone struggling with alcohol addiction or looking for inspiration to make a positive change. Sarah's resilience and honesty offer a beacon of hope, showing that it's possible to reclaim your life from the grips of addiction. Tune in to hear her story and gain valuable insights into the journey of recovery.

Sarah shares her journey from alcohol dependency to sobriety, offering hope and inspiration for those looking to reclaim their lives.

Sarah's Journey: From Alcohol Dependency to Sober Living

Episode 487 – How Would You Walk?   Today we have Sarah. She is 45 and lives in Indiana. She took her last drink on December 31st, 2022.   Let’s talk AF <a href= "https://www.recoveryelevator.com/events/">International travel with Recovery Elevator</a>. We’ve got some incredible trips in the works. We’re going to Vietnam for 12 days in January 2025. Then Back to Costa Rica for our 4th trip to the Blue Zone in April 2025, and then, we’re going back to Peru in October 2025 where we’re going to the Inca Trail and work with Non-profit Peruvian Hearts again.   <a href= "https://www.athleticgreens.com/recovery">Athletic Greens</a>   [02:42] Thoughts from Paul:   The World Heart Federation published a policy brief in 2022 staying there is “no level of alcohol consumption that is safe for health.” There was and still is a collective belief that alcohol is good for you. This is especially prominent in the wine culture.   The paradigm is slowly cracking which is a huge step in the right direction. When Paul started Recovery Elevator in 2015, you couldn’t find that line anywhere. It was almost customary to see a line that says something like “studies show moderate alcohol consumption can improve heart health and longevity”.  Today the tides are turning and a narrative that alcohol can wreck your world (aka, the truth) is emerging. People are waking up to the lies that Big Alcohol has sold us.   Check out this <a href= "https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/why-borg-drinks-dangerous-101730484.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma"> recent article about a new phenomenon called BORGS</a> explains what these are and then follows it up with the snippet about alcohol being shit.     [09:18] Paul introduces Sarah:   Sarah is 45 and lives in Indiana. She is married with two kids and works in marketing. When she isn’t running the kids to their practices and games, she enjoys exercising, reading and backpacking.   Sarah parents divorced when she was 11 and she grew up with her mother who she was very close with. She doesn’t recall alcohol being very present in their lives. Sarah didn’t drink much in high school but in college and into her 20s, everything she and her friends did involved alcohol. She always knew her drinking looked a little different than everyone else’s, but didn’t identify it as a problem.   When Sarah was 35, her mother was diagnosed with brain cancer. Sarah quit working so that she could care for her mother through the diagnosis. Her drinking increased as she dealt with being a caretaker, having a family in addition to not working.   After her mother died four years later, Sarah says she did not know how to deal with life. She would drink into a blackout almost daily and was stuck in the cycle of wanting to quit but not being able to. Sarah began to worry that it might not be possible for her and worried that she would disappoint her mother if she wasn’t able to quit.   In time, Sarah found sober podcasts and tried medications to help. She says Antabuse worked, but she would stop taking it in order to drink. No one knew she was taking it to try and quit and Sarah feels that by not sharing, she always left the door open to drink again.   Sarah knew something had to change and decided to come clean with her husband. Being active in the Café RE community helped Sarah gain the courage to choose a quit date and write a letter to her husband letting him know what was going on. Sarah says she received a lot of support from him.   After the physical withdrawals, Sarah felt hopeful. As the months went on, she protected her sobriety by avoiding situations where there was drinking, and she began to gain more confidence. Sarah says that when she has thoughts of drinking, she does chooses to put her energy into her sober resources instead.   Sarah’s best sober moment: experiencing the Northern Lights with her son   Sarah’s parting piece of guidance: never quit quitting.   [41:14] Outro:   Paul invites listeners to answer some questions not with words in their minds, but in how they carry themselves. How would you walk if…….?   <a href= "https://www.recoveryelevator.com/cafere/">Café RE</a> – promo code OPPORTUNITY waives set up fee. <a href= "https://www.recoveryelevator.com/merch/">RE merch</a> <a href= "https://www.ione-year.com/recoveryelevator/">Instagram</a>   <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 Go big, because eventually we’ll all go home. I love you guys.

RE 487: How Would You Walk?

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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

In this episode of Recovery Elevator, Paul Churchill and Kristopher Oyen sit down with Sarah, a 45-year-old from Indiana who has been sober since December 31, 2022. Sarah shares her deeply personal journey of battling alcohol addiction and the transformative power of sobriety. She opens up about her early experiences with drinking, how it escalated in college, and the devastating losses that fueled her dependency.Sarah's story is raw and honest, highlighting the emotional and physical toll of alcohol on her life. She talks about the pivotal moment when she decided to quit drinking and the steps she took to maintain her sobriety, including finding support through podcasts and communities like Recovery Elevator. The episode also touches on the broader societal issues related to alcohol consumption, with Paul discussing recent studies that debunk the myth that any amount of alcohol is good for you.This episode is a must-listen for anyone struggling with alcohol addiction or looking for inspiration to make a positive change. Sarah's resilience and honesty offer a beacon of hope, showing that it's possible to reclaim your life from the grips of addiction. Tune in to hear her story and gain valuable insights into the journey of recovery.

Paul Churchill

Paul Churchill

RE 487: How Would You Walk?

RE 487: How Would You Walk?

RE 487: How Would You Walk?

Monday 17th June 2024

About this podcast

Recovery Elevator

Sarah's Journey: From Alcohol Dependency to Sober Living

Episode Overview