Ever wondered what it's like to live in the drunkest place in America? In this episode of Recovery Elevator, Paul Churchill chats with Dave, a 69-year-old from Beaver Creek, Colorado, who took his last drink on September 17th, 2024. Dave shares his journey of sobriety and the challenges he faced living in Gallatin County, Montana, dubbed the drunkest county in the USA by the CDC.

With 26.8% of residents drinking excessively and a high number of alcohol-related accidents, Dave's story is a beacon of hope for anyone struggling with alcohol addiction. He reflects on his experiences, including an incident at a bar that made him quit DJing, and how he found solace and strength in the local AA community. Dave's candid discussion about the importance of authentic connections and recognising emotional overwhelm offers valuable insights for anyone on their own recovery journey.

Tune in to hear Dave's inspiring story and learn how he navigates life in a place where alcohol consumption is rampant but sobriety is possible.

Paul Churchill interviews Dave, who shares his journey of sobriety while living in the drunkest county in America. An inspiring episode for anyone on a recovery path.

Living Sober in America's Drunkest County: Dave's Story

Today we have Dave. He is 69 years old from Beaver Creek, CO. He took his last drink in September 17th, 2024.   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 <a href= "https://www.soberlink.com/partners/recovery-elevator"> Sober Link</a> - receive $50 off of a device   <a name="_Hlk189985919" id= "_Hlk189985919"></a>If you have quit drinking and are looking for new alcohol-free friends, <a href= "https://www.cafe-re.org/">Café RE</a> is the social app for sober people. Come join the party!   Tonight begins our first ever <a href= "https://www.recoveryelevator.com/afsongwriting/"> AF Songwriting Course</a> starting at 8pm EST. Connect with other sober musicians and improve your own song writing skills.   [02:40] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares an article from the <a href= "https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/red-wine-restaurants-19930284.php"> San Francisco Chronicle</a> regarding the tanking sales of red wine in San Francisco restaurants. All alcohol sales were down but mocktail sales were up.   Many people share that it’s tough to quit drinking where they live. Paul discovered a statistic from the CDC that says where he lives in <a href= "https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/12/28/gallatin-county-montana-is-drunkest-in-america/"> Gallatin County, Montana</a> is listed as the drunkest of all 3,244 counties in America.   In the state of Montana, they place a white cross on the road where traffic fatalities occur in hopes of reminding drivers to take caution and slow down. 66% of these white crosses are alcohol related.   There is no judgement towards those that are still binge drinking. At Recovery Elevator, we are not better than anyone, we have just chosen a different path. If you feel called to walk this pathway with us, we’d love to have you.   [10:01] Paul introduces Dave:   Dave lives in Beaver Creek, CO with his dog Tango. He is very active in the AA community in his area and cherishes the connections he has made there. He enjoys skiing, biking, and traveling. He has three kids and recently became a grandfather. Dave is currently seeking his master’s degree in clinical counseling.   Alcohol was present in Dave’s life growing up as his parents drank socially. He drank socially as well throughout high school and college. He drinking didn’t become problematic until later. Dave shares that his alcohol use disorder stemmed from his chronic childhood emotional trauma. Alcohol later became the solution to dealing with unwanted emotions.   In 2016 after raising his kids independently and a relationship had ended, Dave started to use drinking to deal with some voids in his life. He had a successful commercial real estate business but didn’t have many local friends at the time.   Dave went to rehab in 2017 after having two DUIs in December of 2016. He was able to stay sober until 2021 and says again it was emotional overwhelm that sparked more field research. He found help in a psychologist who was a clinical director of a rehab facility. He was able to get sober again in July of 2021.   A reunion in September of 2024 found Dave having beers with friends thinking he would just have a few and would be fine. Dave had more the next day and realized that if he didn’t clear the rest of the alcohol out at the end of the day, he would continue to drink. Dave credits his tools and connection in AA to being able to get sober once again.   Dave is huge on connection. Both connections with people and connections with a higher power. He enjoys going to meetings and being of service to others in the community. Dave says one of the greatest gifts of sobriety for him is giving up control of outcomes. He chooses to deal with emotional overwhelm is awareness and since he no longer has alcohol in his system it is easier for him to be aware of what is happening. Dave is a big believer in journaling because of the connection from the hand to the head. When he puts his feelings on paper, he can see rational versus irrational thoughts.   Dave’s parting piece of guidance: stay with your feelings, journal about them.   Dave is looking for internship that involves 200 hours of direct engagement of one-on-one counseling with or without supervision. If you can help, reach out to <a href= "mailto:info@recoveryelevator.com">info@recoveryelevator.com</a>.     Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down; you got to take the stairs back up. You can do this.     <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 521: The Drunkest Place in America

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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 wondered what it's like to live in the drunkest place in America? In this episode of Recovery Elevator, Paul Churchill chats with Dave, a 69-year-old from Beaver Creek, Colorado, who took his last drink on September 17th, 2024. Dave shares his journey of sobriety and the challenges he faced living in Gallatin County, Montana, dubbed the drunkest county in the USA by the CDC.With 26.8% of residents drinking excessively and a high number of alcohol-related accidents, Dave's story is a beacon of hope for anyone struggling with alcohol addiction. He reflects on his experiences, including an incident at a bar that made him quit DJing, and how he found solace and strength in the local AA community. Dave's candid discussion about the importance of authentic connections and recognising emotional overwhelm offers valuable insights for anyone on their own recovery journey.Tune in to hear Dave's inspiring story and learn how he navigates life in a place where alcohol consumption is rampant but sobriety is possible.

Paul Churchill

Paul Churchill

RE 521: The Drunkest Place in America

RE 521: The Drunkest Place in America

RE 521: The Drunkest Place in America

Monday 10th February 2025

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Recovery Elevator

Living Sober in America's Drunkest County: Dave's Story

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