In this episode of Recovery Elevator, Paul Churchill and Kristopher Oyen sit down with Nick, a 41-year-old from Richfield, Minnesota, who took his last drink on November 8th, 2023. Nick shares his journey from high school drinking to hitting rock bottom and finally embracing sobriety. He talks about the mental gymnastics of hiding alcohol, the constant battle of moderating drinking, and the eventual realisation that he needed to quit for good.

Nick's story is filled with relatable moments, especially when he discusses the impact of alcohol on his family life and health. He emphasises the importance of doing it for oneself and not for others. Paul and Nick also discuss the benefits of sobriety, such as improved mental and physical health, and the newfound clarity and energy that comes with it. They touch on the support systems available, including AA, and how finding the right community can make a huge difference.

This episode is a candid look at the struggles and triumphs of living an alcohol-free life, filled with humour and heartfelt moments. Whether you're just starting your sobriety journey or looking for inspiration to stay on track, Nick's story offers valuable insights and encouragement. Tune in to hear how Nick turned his life around and found happiness without alcohol.

Nick shares his journey from high school drinking to hitting rock bottom and embracing sobriety in this episode of Recovery Elevator.

Nick's Journey to Sobriety: A Candid Conversation

Today we have Nick. He is 41 and lives in Richfield, MN. He took his last drink on November 8th, 2023.   In one week, registration for one of our best international sober travel itineraries opens, as we are going back to <a href= "https://www.recoveryelevator.com/peru-2025/">Peru</a> October 4th – 15th, 2025. We are starting off in Cusco, then head into the sacred valley, and of course we’re doing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.   Next Monday our first ever <a href= "https://www.recoveryelevator.com/afsongwriting/"> AF Songwriting Course</a> starts at 8pm EST. Connect with other sober musicians and improve your own song writing skills.   Sponsors for this episode include:   <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> – 10% off of your first month   [03:19] Thoughts from Paul:   Imagine if aliens were cruising the universe and made a stop on planet Earth and they saw human beings drinking a substance that appeared to be damaging their lives.   But first, this is revealing of the power of the unconscious mind, or the paradigms in our society. If you take crack, cocaine, heroin and meth and right off the bat it’s like, yeah, that will fuck your life up. But with alcohol, which has the data to show it’s the most dangerous drug on the planet, it’s flipped. Thankfully the correct messaging is starting to come out, but we have a way to go still.   Paul shares what he imagines would be the conversation between aliens and humans as they begin to ask questions about why we humans are consuming a toxic substance that has no health benefits and leaves them incapacitated the next morning.   [08:24] Paul introduces Nick:   Nick is married with three young children. He says he is a pop culture aficionado. He enjoys hunting, fishing, camping and spending time at their cabin a few hours away. Nick is big into fitness as well.   Being around alcohol was a normal thing for Nick growing up. He drank some in high school but hit the ground running in college with all the typical vices. He says he never had any major consequences and did well in school. The “work hard, play hard” mentality ran strong even after college.   Nick met his wife on a flight and soon after they began a long-distance relationship. Around this time Nick says his drinking was causing some negative behavior and people were noticing. A comment from his dad had Nick feeling some embarrassment so he started trying to moderate his drinking by limiting his consumption while socializing but drinking more at home alone. After attempting to moderate with the use of an app, Nick found himself drinking more in secret. He and his wife would have conversations about it, but he wasn’t ready to quit. Nick was hiding bottles of alcohol throughout the house and drinking daily and going out less, so it wasn’t as obvious to others that he had an issue. It was a constant battle in his mind.   One afternoon, Nick drove with his wife to pick up their daughter from preschool. When he came out of the school, his wife had taken the driver’s seat. He had driven to the school drunk, and she decided enough was enough. She took them to the police station and had him arrested. When he came by the house the next day he expected her to kick him out but instead she hugged him and shared she just wanted him to get better.   Nick was able to stay sober for three months, but wasn’t doing it for himself so it didn’t stick. His drinking ended up worse than ever after that until he finally hit rock bottom. He wasn’t doing well physically or mentally at this point. He woke one morning and decided to go to treatment that week.   Nick threw himself into treatment and experimented with several modalities. In the past he was resistant to AA but now embraces it as an abundant resource and enjoys the community. Nick’s health has greatly improved, and he has been able to get off of all medications in addition to ditching the booze. Fitness is his medicine now, Nick says.   Nick’s parting piece of guidance: You can do it. Do it for yourself, don’t do it for someone else.   Recovery Elevator Alcohol is shit and we both know it. I love you guys.     <a href= "https://www.cafe-re.org/">Café RE</a> <a href= "https://www.recoveryelevator.com/merch/">RE merch</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 519: Oh My

Recovery

Sobriety

Alcohol

Personal Recovery Stories

Relationships

Self-Help

Mental Health

Society and Culture

Interviews

Faith-Based Recovery

Alcohol, Addiction & Recovery

Creativity & Innovation

Sexual Health & Wellbeing

Substance Abuse & Drug Recovery

Health & Wellness

Financial Empowerment

Family & Relationships

Comedy & Culture

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 Nick, a 41-year-old from Richfield, Minnesota, who took his last drink on November 8th, 2023. Nick shares his journey from high school drinking to hitting rock bottom and finally embracing sobriety. He talks about the mental gymnastics of hiding alcohol, the constant battle of moderating drinking, and the eventual realisation that he needed to quit for good.Nick's story is filled with relatable moments, especially when he discusses the impact of alcohol on his family life and health. He emphasises the importance of doing it for oneself and not for others. Paul and Nick also discuss the benefits of sobriety, such as improved mental and physical health, and the newfound clarity and energy that comes with it. They touch on the support systems available, including AA, and how finding the right community can make a huge difference.This episode is a candid look at the struggles and triumphs of living an alcohol-free life, filled with humour and heartfelt moments. Whether you're just starting your sobriety journey or looking for inspiration to stay on track, Nick's story offers valuable insights and encouragement. Tune in to hear how Nick turned his life around and found happiness without alcohol.

Paul Churchill

Paul Churchill

RE 519: Oh My

RE 519: Oh My

RE 519: Oh My

Monday 27th January 2025

About this podcast

Recovery Elevator

Nick's Journey to Sobriety: A Candid Conversation

Episode Overview