Get ready to dive into an engaging episode of Recovery Elevator where Paul Churchill chats with Tammy, a 61-year-old from San Diego who took her last drink on September 6th, 2021. Tammy shares her inspiring journey from a life overshadowed by alcohol to a fulfilling sober existence. She opens up about the initial challenges of sobriety, the physical and emotional transformations, and the joy she now finds in everyday moments.

Tammy's story is filled with relatable experiences, from the struggle of incorporating alcohol into daily routines to the profound relief of waking up without a hangover. Her journey highlights the power of community, self-discovery, and the incredible peace that comes with sobriety. If you're curious about the 'side effects' of quitting alcohol, this episode provides a candid look at the ups and downs of living alcohol-free.

Tune in to hear Tammy's heartfelt reflections and practical advice for anyone considering a sober lifestyle. Whether you're just starting your journey or looking for some extra motivation, Tammy's story is sure to resonate and inspire.

Tammy shares her journey from alcohol dependency to finding peace and presence in sobriety. Tune in for relatable experiences and inspiring insights.

Tammy's Journey: From Alcohol to Peace and Presence

Episode 512 – Side Effects of Sobriety   Today we have Tammy. She is 61 years old from San Diego, CA. She took her last drink on September 6th, 2021.   Sponsors for this episode:   <a href= "https://www.betterhelp.com/get-started/?go=true&slug=elevator&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=2687&utm_term=elevator&promo_code=elevator&landing_page_img=https%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FqYHezjI.jpg&aff_channel=podcast&discount_rate=10&discount_period=P1M&date_interval=P1M&percentage_off=10&amount=1&amount_spelled_out=one&unit=month&gor=start"> Better Help</a>  - code ELEVATOR for 10% off of your first month   Registration for <a href= "https://www.recoveryelevator.com/restore/">Dry January</a> is now open. When you sign up for Restore, you not only get access to the course, but you also get access to the whole Café RE community. If you sign up in December, you get access to the community for the rest of December and all of January. This is Recovery Elevator most intensive alcohol-free course. We will meet 14 times in January and it’s all about accountability.   <a href= "https://verifi.podscribe.com/rss/p/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/recoveryelevator/Relapse_Prevention_Plan.pdf"> Free Relapse Prevention Plan</a>   [04:26] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul recently came across a post from someone who recently quit drinking, and they included a list of things they no longer suffer from. Or this could be said that these are the possible side effects of sobriety.   Paul shares the extensive list ranging from the loss of anxiety and depression to improvements to their body – both functions and appearance.   Life is hard in the first place, and you layer on just a couple of the ailments listed, then you’re living life in hard mode. That list really drives the point home that alcohol is taking way more than it is giving.   Paul is a big fan of pen to paper, pro and con sheets, all that jazz. He suggests writing down for yourself what you’ve experienced when you take some time off booze and imagines it’s going to look similar to the list he just shared.   [08:30] Paul introduces Tammy:   Tammy is 61 years old and lives near San Diego. She is married and together they have six adult children. She worked in advertising before having children and after they were older, she became a real estate agent. For fun, Tammy started writing a book about her alcohol-free journey, and also enjoys researching her ancestry.   Tammy says her drinking began as typical binge drinking on the weekends in high school and then escalated a bit in college. After graduating she began to work in advertising where drinking during the day was normal. Tammy’s drinking cut back after she started having her children. She says she didn’t drink very often while raising her daughters.   After turning 40, Tammy began allowing herself a glass of wine at the end of the day. It was used as a reward for making it through the day with three young children. After the financial crisis, Tammy and her husband had to sell their dream house. There was a lot of strain on their marriage as well and they eventually divorced. Finding herself alone raising three daughters, Tammy would start drinking more.   After she began dating her current husband, Tammy says her drinking slowed down. He was sober but didn’t mind that she drank. After a while they got engaged and moved in together. Tammy says things were going great and then COVID lockdown found the family coming and going a lot, and it was a party all the time. She was exhausted all the time and even though she knew it was due to her drinking she wasn’t ready to quit. Over the summer after their wedding, she had some failed moderation attempts and there were a lot of birthday parties. After the last party around Labor Day, Tammy had a moment of clarity where she knew she had to quit.   After Tammy had quit, she started reading books and listening to podcasts. She wasn’t interested in AA although she does see it’s value and it helped her husband. The scientific information blew her away, Tammy says. She slept a lot in the first month of sobriety. After that, she began to notice her general health was improving. The value of hearing people’s stories on podcasts has helped Tammy a lot. By writing her book, she wants to help lift people up and show them the way.   Tammy’s parting piece of guidance: get quiet and just listen to yourself and believe in yourself.   Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down; you got to take the stairs back up. We can do this. I love you guys.     <a href= "https://www.recoveryelevator.com/merch/">RE merch</a> <a href= "https://www.cafe-re.org/">Café RE</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>

RE 512: Side Effects of Sobriety

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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

Get ready to dive into an engaging episode of Recovery Elevator where Paul Churchill chats with Tammy, a 61-year-old from San Diego who took her last drink on September 6th, 2021. Tammy shares her inspiring journey from a life overshadowed by alcohol to a fulfilling sober existence. She opens up about the initial challenges of sobriety, the physical and emotional transformations, and the joy she now finds in everyday moments.Tammy's story is filled with relatable experiences, from the struggle of incorporating alcohol into daily routines to the profound relief of waking up without a hangover. Her journey highlights the power of community, self-discovery, and the incredible peace that comes with sobriety. If you're curious about the 'side effects' of quitting alcohol, this episode provides a candid look at the ups and downs of living alcohol-free.Tune in to hear Tammy's heartfelt reflections and practical advice for anyone considering a sober lifestyle. Whether you're just starting your journey or looking for some extra motivation, Tammy's story is sure to resonate and inspire.

Paul Churchill

Paul Churchill

RE 512: Side Effects of Sobriety

RE 512: Side Effects of Sobriety

RE 512: Side Effects of Sobriety

Monday 9th December 2024

About this podcast

Recovery Elevator

Tammy's Journey: From Alcohol to Peace and Presence

Episode Overview